Law Firms
SP&A brings a unique insider's perspective to training law firms on enhancing their business development skills. Our founder has a solid understanding of the expectations, challenges, and needs of in-house counsel; this insight is invaluable for law firms looking not only to secure particular mandates but to forge lasting, impactful relationships. After sitting on the other side of the table from law firms for so long, Stanley is willing to share his accumulated views about what has been effective and what hasn’t, what has worked and what hasn’t, what he has liked and what he has not — a compendium of useful pointers for any law firm practitioner keen on making a positive impression.

In-House Counsel
Working as in-house counsel involves an entirely different approach to working as a law firm practitioner and requires a different skillset. With decades of experience serving as in-house counsel across a variety of firms, roles, and environments, SP&A brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities that in-house legal counsel face. Our training is specifically designed to enhance in-house teams' abilities to foster strong, productive relationships with their internal business clients and key stakeholders; we will train in-house counsel to be seen not just as legal advisors, but as integral partners in their organization’s success.

Stanley’s career is replete with successful collaborations, key learnings, and numerous influential connections in the legal and business sectors in Singapore and elsewhere; this experience forms the backbone of our training re professional networking. SP&A will share not just strategies and techniques but also personal lessons from Stanley’s own successes, mistakes and accomplishments, providing participants with practical, actionable insights that can transform their approach to expanding and strengthening their professional networks.

Over the course of his 30-year career as a lawyer, Stanley has accumulated a wealth of experience, successes, and — crucially — learnings from failures; this journey has not only shaped him into the accomplished lawyer he is today but has also enabled him to share some wisdom about personal career development. Our training program is designed to share these unique lessons, offering a holistic, retrospective view of what has gone into the making of a seasoned legal professional.

In today's complex, multi-national and dynamic work environments, good relationship management skills are essential for lawyers at every level. Our training program, based on our founder’s many years of direct experience, is designed to address the multifaceted nature of professional relationships, teaching participants how to navigate the challenges of managing “down”, “up”, and “sideways”; whether it's managing and motivating subordinate team members, fostering constructive and respectful dialogues with bosses and senior management, or cultivating collaborative and supportive interactions with peers across departments, our training will be relevant. Participants will learn not only to manage relationships but also to lead with vision, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. Another aspect of relationship management to be included, as applicable, will be relationships with overseas corporate headquarters, as Stanley has spent the vast majority of his in-house counsel years working outside of corporate HQ.

SP&A’s problem-solving training program is rooted in the real-world experiences encountered throughout Stanley’s extensive career in law; this is the personal story of our founder’s journey through numerous successes and failures, each bestowing invaluable practical lessons about the art of effective problem-solving. By sharing candid insights into what solutions propelled our founder forward in each case, which missteps led to setbacks, and how Stanley navigated the intricate (and often convoluted) path of decision-making, we aim to provide a holistic yet practical learning experience. Our approach to problem solving embraces a mindset that sees challenges as opportunities for growth, encourages innovative thinking, and promotes a proactive attitude to addressing difficult issues.

In an era where the legal profession is constantly evolving, staying ahead means embracing professional upskilling that addresses both current and emerging challenges. Our training program will offer, in separate modules selected according to the client’s needs, a diverse spectrum of "hot" topics — including among others (i) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), (ii) Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), (iii) digital transformation, (iv) advanced negotiation techniques, (v) handling investigations, (vi) data privacy, (vii) cybersecurity, (viii) mentoring, and/or (ix) mental wellness. The distinctive objective of our training is to provide not merely a regurgitation of text-book concepts or discussions which can be gleaned off the Internet or other public sources, but rather to give practical advice, at both the personal and institutional levels, regarding how to benefit or otherwise respond to circumstances in the most advantageous way. We will share valuable insights into how lawyers should adapt and thrive. SP&A may, where suitable, work with specialized experts in the relevant field(s) to provide the most helpful training.