Davis Polk & Wardwell heavyweight Paul Chow reflects on Asia's 2013 prospects, Slaughter and May and sartorial panic

Why did you become a lawyer? I watched too much LA Law when I was growing up.

Who, or what, has influenced you most during your career? Slaughter and May. I spent the first 11 years of my career there.

What has been your proudest professional moment? When I was told I would make partner at Slaughters.

….and worst day on the job? There are quite a few. One of them was when I
lost the pair of trousers I had to change into for my swearing-in ceremony in front of a High Court judge, but I only discovered this 30 minutes before the ceremony.
After a lot of panic, I was late for the ceremony and had to turn up wearing
the wrong trousers.

Aside from your own firm, which lawyer do you most admire in Asia and why? St John Flaherty, formerly a partner with Slaughters. I count myself as lucky to have had the opportunity to learn from him.

What's your strongest characteristic… and worst trait? If you ask different people, you will get different answers. I am known to be impatient (although I have been working hard to correct that). On the positive side, I am
told I am responsive and I think clients treasure that.

What annoys you most about the legal profession? Lawyers who argue every point they can without telling their client which are the important ones.

What's the worst corporate event you've ever attended? I am lucky to say I don't have any bad memories.

What's your strongest card: technical wizardry or smooth client skills? (You can only pick one) I think I am slightly better at the technical aspects, but certainly not close to my skills being called wizardry!

What is the best and worst thing about working as a lawyer in Asia? Asian countries are all disparate in culture and language, so it can be an amazing experience when you travel around the region. Even travelling within China to meet different clients is very interesting as it's a huge country and clients from different parts of the country are different culturally. For the same reason, it can sometimes get tricky if you are not well-informed of the different culture in advance and find yourself unwittingly upsetting clients.

What advice would you give to young lawyers considering a stint abroad?
Grab it. Given how global we are, it's important you get experience overseas. If it's a major financial centre, then even better. You should also take as much time as possible to understand the local culture – we are a people business and understanding those you deal with is critical.

What is going to be the most significant trend in your region and practice over the next 12 months? This might be longer than 12 months, but in the medium to long term, a lot of Asian public companies are likely to undergo a change in ownership as second generations of controlling families have different ideas and ambitions. Also, regulatory issues will play an increasingly important role in M&A and capital markets deals as regulators introduce more rules and step up enforcement efforts.

Do you see yourself having a life outside law? I like what I am doing, but I am conscious there are a lot of things out there that I have not tried. I dream – and I emphasise that it's a dream – of playing in senior golf tournaments.

What's your favourite place to spend an evening in Hong Kong? My home.

What's your favourite food? Sushi.

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