TSMP GIVES BACK

We believe that we have a responsibility to give back to our community. It is our duty and our privilege to be able to contribute to great charitable causes in Singapore and the region, through both cash donations and hands-on help projects.

We are fortunate to have a team of committed and dynamic individuals whose contribution and hard work have been and continue to be instrumental in building up the firm. We understand that as an organization, we in turn have an important role to play in supporting and building up our community for both the present and future generations.

Charities

The firm sets aside a portion of its profits each year for donations towards charities and other causes. TSMP is proud to be supporting the following for 2007/2008:

Asian Women’s Welfare Association
Assisi Hospice
Boy’s Town
Care Corner Orphanage Foundation Chiang Mai Thailand
CHIJ Orphanage
Children’s Aid Society (for the Melrose Home)
Children’s Cancer Foundation
Club Rainbow
Dover Park Hospice
Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics
Operation Smile Singapore
Rui Cheng Phonics English Academy
St Andrew’s Mission Hospital
St Theresa’s Home
The Salvation Army
TOUCH Community Services

In order to help establish the firm’s long-term commitment towards charity work, our Handprint Committee was set up in April 2008 to spearhead and coordinate the firm's efforts in supporting charitable causes. In addition to organizing charity events, the committee, ably headed by Senior Associate Adeline Lee, is also responsible for recommending charitable and other non-profit organizations which could benefit from our backing or contributions.

We also encourage our people to participate as volunteers in hands-on charity work, and we recognize the need for us as an organization to support such efforts. In April 2008, our Joint Managing Director Stefanie Yuen Thio spent time as a volunteer translator in Operation Smile’s mission to Guizhou in Qianxi, China. She had the opportunity to witness first-hand how the medical team, comprising volunteers from various parts of the world, including the USA, Morocco, China, and Singapore, conducted cleft-palate/lip surgery on no less than 160 children over 4 days in a small hospital at Guizhou, Qianxi. Stefanie shares that the experience was a humbling one for her, and she came to fully appreciate that the standard of healthcare and medical facilities we enjoy is not something to be taken for granted. She says she was also struck by the resilience of spirit of the children she encountered, and their joy in living, in spite of their difficult situations. Click here for photos.

Since 2006, TSMP has organized and sponsored annual year-end events for children from the Children’s Cancer Foundation and their families, including the TSMP Movie Event “Happy Feet” and the outing to “Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show” (see our News & Events).

Our latest project was a charity dinner in aid of Operation Smile Singapore, which was held on 24 July 2008, themed “Sharks with a Heart” (a dig at ourselves as lawyers). This event was organized and sponsored by TSMP in celebration of our 10th Anniversary. Guests were treated to fine dining in a casual setting, with a charity auction as part of the evening’s program. Our lawyers ditched their court and corporate garb, and donned uniforms and aprons to serve dinner and drinks, as a gesture of our willingness to roll up our sleeves and demonstrate our commitment to serve.

Our lawyers share their thoughts

"I have always wondered if there was more to my life than working to become a successful lawyer. Participating in our various events with the Children's Cancer Foundation has been incredibly rewarding for me. I am glad that at TSMP, I have the opportunity to pursue things which I believe in." Adeline Lee

"It’s easy to become self-centred – even selfish - when you lead a very comfortable life like many of us do in Singapore. I would like to learn to look beyond myself to help others instead." Diana Tengara

"I want to be a blessing. When we take part in charitable events, every little thing we do puts a smile on the faces of the children. It's as simple as that – I want to put a smile on a child's face." Caleb Phang

"My charitable contributions have somehow been restricted to making telephone calls while watching charity programmes on TV. I want to touch lives in a more hands-on way. You could say that serving on this committee lets me put a handprint on the heart of each person we help." Paerin Choa

"For me, this is a reality check. It is easy to get caught up in the hardcore world of corporate practice. Being involved in the Handprint Committee is a reminder of what really matters." Vivian Tan

Pro Bono Legal Work

TSMP takes on pro bono cases for both individuals as well as non-profit organizations. Our pro bono work typically involves contract or debt claims, matrimonial matters and probate for individuals; and compliance and advisory work for non-profit organizations.

Since its launch in 2007, we have been involved in the Law Society of Singapore’s Community Legal Clinic Pro Bono Scheme. Once a month, our lawyers provide free legal advice at legal clinics set up in various parts of Singapore.

We also support and encourage the individual efforts of our lawyers to engage in pro bono work.

Apart from coordinating the firm's pro bono efforts, our Pro Bono Committee is exploring ways to further entrench the provision of pro bono services into the culture of TSMP.

Our Environment

Our Footprint Committee guides the firm’s initiatives in reducing our environmental footprint.

The committee seeks to promote environmentally-friendly habits and practices, such as switching off lights and computers (instead of putting them on stand-by), reducing paper usage and recycling.  All our office printers are set to two-sided printing by default and printing is done up to four pages per side where feasible.  Paper is collected in recycling bins conveniently located in our office premises.

In addition, through outdoor environmental awareness events and a weekly "Green Tip of the Week" circulated via email, the committee encourages the individual to play a part in environmental conservation in the course of everyday activities. 

Law Scholarship for NUS Students

TSMP believes that we should return to our community and our society what we have benefited from it. This includes contributing towards our profession by helping to build up future generations of lawyers. Part of our contribution has been our pledge to donate $50,000 towards 2 scholarships per year for the best all-round students starting his/her second and third years at the National University of Singapore’s Faculty of Law (see News & Events).