In his third month as a rookie criminal lawyer in the early 1990s, Mr Shashi Nathan faced a daunting case: defending a man accused of molestation. Still green and struggling to find his footing, he was shaken when the judge bluntly told him: "When I convict your client, expect a very long sentence."
The use of "when", not "if ", hit hard, rattling his confidence. "I asked myself if it was my fault, if it was because of my inexperience or lack of knowledge," he recalls.
But then, a remarkable show of solidarity took place. Six of Singapore's top criminal lawyers at the time, including the late Subhas Anandan and Mr Leo Fernando, appeared at the hearing.
When the judge entered and noticed the audience, he asked: "Why are there so many people in this courtroom? Are you trying to pressure me?"
One of the senior lawyers calmly replied: "This is a public courtroom. Surely, we can observe the proceedings?"
Their presence was a turning point. Bolstered by the support, the young litigator pushed forward and eventually secured an acquittal for his client. Today, as a leading criminal lawyer and joint managing partner at Withers Khattarwong, Mr Nathan, now 56, mentors young lawyers, reminding them to persevere, no matter how daunting the odds.
His career has seen him take on both blue- and white-collar crimes, from murder trials to cases involving insider trading and market manipulation.
Among his high-profile cases was one when he was the defence lawyer for Guen Garlejo Aguilar. In 2005, the Filipina killed her fellow domestic worker Iane Parangan La Puebla, chopped her body into six parts, stuffed them into bags and dumped them in different parts of Singapore.
Mr Nathan was also the defence lawyer in 2013 for businessman Tang Boon Thiew, then 39, who made nearly $400,000 from the earnings of 19 escorts he recruited to provide sexual services.
An animated raconteur, he says his path to law was not planned.
This story is from the October 27, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the October 27, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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