‘He made all of our lives richer’: Chief Justice lauds late Law Society president Adrian Tan at memorial

SINGAPORE: Some of the most prominent names in Singapore’s legal circles on Monday (Jul 31) paid tribute to former Law Society of Singapore president (LawSoc) Adrian Tan at a memorial held by his law firm.

Mr Tan, who was a partner at TSMP Law Corporation and a veteran lawyer of more than 30 years, died on Jul 8 at age 57 after fighting cancer for more than a year.

Several speakers – including Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam – hailed his gift with words and humour, as well as his close ties with many communities outside of law.

High Court judge Hri Kumar Nair, who became close friends with Mr Tan during their law school days, also spoke of how determined he was to beat his cancer diagnosis despite being given only 12 to 18 months to live.

Mr Tan was diagnosed in March last year, two months after being elected LawSoc president. He then went public a few months later about his condition in a post on the professional networking site LinkedIn.

He had garnered a following on the platform, writing virally popular posts that ranged from keeping cats in Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats to the safety of migrant workers.

He was also the bestselling author of The Teenage Textbook and The Teenage Workbook, which he penned in the late 1980s while studying law at the National University of Singapore (NUS). The books were eventually adapted for the stage and screen.

'WE WOULD ALL BE IN FOR A TREAT'

Addressing an audience of more than 400 at The Arts House, Chief Justice Menon said that Mr Tan was a leader of the Bar who “cared deeply about its values” and “thought a great deal about the issues that confronted it, especially in these times of unprecedented change and turmoil”.

Mr Tan was focused on the future of the legal profession and its young members, urging older lawyers to mentor younger ones and challenging everyone to think about the high attrition rate among young lawyers in particular, said the Chief Justice.

“Adrian truly had an unforgettable way with words. He understood the power of the word and used it to shape and define the way he communicated with the world around him,” Chief Justice Menon added.

“Whenever he hosted a law function, including several for the Academy of Law, we would all be in for a treat because of his brilliant wit, which he coupled with impeccable timing so that he never missed the opportunity to drop the perfect observation, response or comeback that invariably left us all in stitches.”

Mr Tan was also not someone who could be confined to a single field, having served in various capacities with LawSoc and even completing a second degree in computer science and psychology in 2004, said the Chief Justice.

LawSoc represents lawyers and maintains standards of the profession in Singapore.

Chief Justice Menon further noted that for 15 years, Mr Tan served as honorary legal counsel to the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped.

In that role, he noticed that visually handicapped persons in Singapore could not cast their ballots secretly at polling centres.

“Many of us perhaps most might not notice something like that, much less do anything about it,” said the Chief Justice.

“But Adrian took this up with the Ministry of Law and helped bring about a change in the process, so that these persons too could exercise the right to a secret ballot.

“He made all of our lives richer by having shared a time with us – and all of us, not only in the profession but beyond. We'll miss him very much.”

AN ORIGINAL MIND, AUTHENTIC VOICE

Mr Shanmugam spoke about the various roles Mr Tan played – lawyer, social advocate, and advocate for lawyers.

Mr Tan connected well with Singaporeans on almost any issue he spoke on, being one of the most followed Singapore lawyers on LinkedIn, said Mr Shanmugam.

In recent years, Mr Tan would sometimes, in his writing, adopt the persona of "King of Singapore" as a playful way of talking about things in Singapore he would change if he had the power.

“He had an original mind, good perspective, and an authentic voice. He was open to views and had no ego. Most of all, we all cherished his unique and wonderful sense of humour,” Mr Shanmugam added.

“People valued his thoughts. He put them across in his inimitable way, and they were very sharp. People would listen and engage with him, and society would be the better for it.”

As LawSoc president, Mr Tan had many ideas and a full agenda, such as looking at ways to improve retention in law firms and speaking up for the profession when it faced criticism, said Mr Shanmugam.

“Many of us know Adrian as a gifted storyteller. In the past year, as he fought cancer, I believe his life also told us a story – a story of courage, a story of devotion, and a story of service,” Mr Shanmugam added.

The minister said he had called Mr Tan two weeks before he died, having heard about his prognosis.

“I could hardly hear him. He couldn’t speak, but what he told me left me scratching my head because he sounded as if he was going to come back to the office the next week,” Mr Shanmugam added.

“We could not be prouder, or more privileged, than to have had Adrian lead the profession … Singapore is poorer for the loss.”

HIS WIT AND HUMOUR DID NOT DIMINISH

Other speakers also shared about their close friendships with Mr Tan, often speaking directly to his wife Angelina.

They comprised Justice Nair; Far East Hospitality’s chief executive officer Arthur Kiong; Mr Wendell Wong, director of dispute resolution at law firm Drew & Napier where Mr Tan worked for two decades; and Mr Thio Shen Yi, founding partner of TSMP Law Corporation and a former LawSoc president himself.

Harking back to their law school days, Justice Nair – who was also Mr Tan’s former colleague at Drew & Napier – elicited laughter from the audience as he recounted stories of a ritual they had to undergo as NUS freshmen, and how they often skipped classes to go bowling.

“Adrian’s wit and humour did not diminish with age or stress or illness, and that’s what most people knew him for – his talent and capacity to make people feel joyful,” Justice Nair said.

When Mr Tan told him and another friend about his diagnosis over a Zoom call, there was no emotion in his voice or manner – only an express determination to do everything necessary to beat it, and the belief that he would do so, added Justice Nair.

“Every new round of chemotherapy was explained on the ground that his doctors needed to fund their property purchases,” Justice Nair recounted.

“But throughout this difficult period, he continued to give his all to his work and his various pursuits, including as Law Society president – a role he was genuinely proud of and he was really excited by.”

When he last met Mr Tan in March for brunch, it was clear he was not doing well but they still did not talk about his condition, said Justice Nair.

“We largely communicated by text messages after that. He was heavily sedated when I visited him in hospital. I did not get a chance to say goodbye,” Justice Nair added.

“It is a privilege to have had Adrian as a good friend for over 40 years … The numbers gathered today, and the others who have reached out to express our condolences, is testament to the impact he has had and the difference he has made.”

Among those who attended the memorial were Supreme Court judges and lawmakers, including Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law Rahayu Mahzam.