Alistair Dunstan posing beside his motorcycle

When did you work at Norton Rose Fulbright and in what team?

I joined Norton Rose Fulbright in July 2011 where I worked in the Oil & Gas team which, at the time, was a subset of the Singapore Project Finance and Banking team.

What are your favourite memories from your time with the firm?

I have so many good memories but my overriding one has to be the camaraderie that I experienced throughout my time at the firm. The friends that I made there have been long-lasting friendships and are still some of my best friends in Singapore. As a lawyer, you work extremely hard with long hours and late nights but the people, the banter and the laughter in the Singapore office always carried me through. Although it is a large office internationally, Singapore was relatively small, compared to say the London office, and there was an authentic family mentality where we were all supportive of each other. It made it a really nice environment to work in.

I also remember my frequent trips back and forth to Jakarta. We did a lot of international work across the firm’s offices but I mainly travelled to Jakarta. Despite being there for just a few days at a time, I developed some great relationships with colleagues there and again, I am still in contact with them today. I think this just goes to illustrate how this collegiate culture is a common factor across the firm.

Was there anyone who particularly inspired you/helped you in your career?

There were many but three people in particular inspired me and helped me along the way and whom I’m proud to call friends to this day:

  • Stephen Begley for his mentorship, overall direction and for being my go-to sounding board.
  • Aditi Aparajita for her determination, resourcefulness, hard-working attitude and brilliant sense of humour that continually inspired me and, most importantly, for her enduring friendship.
  • Craig Loveless for his sheer intellectual brilliance. If you have a question about anything he will always promptly come up with some intellectual genius.

Where has your career taken you since leaving Norton Rose Fulbright?

I undertook some voluntary work, teaching refugee children between the age of 9 and 16 in Malaysia for a few months, followed by a Master’s Degree focusing on international law and international relations. After a while longer in private practice, I decided to take up a unique and exciting opportunity at Singapore Airlines. I was heading up a sub-team of four within the legal function covering M&A, joint ventures and commercial projects. It was a very enjoyable role and Singapore Airlines was a great company to work for. Unfortunately, Covid struck causing significant disruption for the aviation industry so, in April 2021, I decided to make a move to Reckitt.

Reckitt manufactures many well-known consumer health and hygiene brands such as Dettol and Lysol. The company recently branched out into the professional and B2B hygiene sectors, which is the division I support across Asia, Africa and Middle East. I am lucky to have found another unique role, and the large number of jurisdictions involved, different go-to-market strategies and breadth of work keeps you on your toes and makes things interesting. In both my in-house roles, I have been able to hone in on the skills developed in private practice, from supply arrangements to M&A and joint ventures, all of which have proved to be invaluable and I have been able to adapt them to the different sector areas I have worked in.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given in your career?

The best piece of advice that I still abide by comes not from one person but from many. It is to follow your gut instinct and never be afraid to speak your mind. Your initial intuitive feelings often prove to be correct. In most companies, people welcome new ideas and new approaches as these help drive innovation and improvement. I believe it is always best to tackle issues head-on before they become problematic.

What do you do to relax when you are not working?

In my spare time, I like to get out and about. I try to keep fit by cycling, going to the gym and running (although this doesn’t always show!). I recently adopted two stray kittens called Kopi (named after Singapore local coffee) and Maple (in memory of the country where I was born and spent my childhood, Canada) who were certainly a handful to deal with but who are now truly part of the family. A couple years ago, I started taking motorcycle lessons, and I am now the proud owner of a Royal Enfield Meteor 350. I get a real thrill from riding it and am hoping to step up to a higher powered cruiser bike next year. Singapore roads tend to get a bit clogged up with traffic so a road trip, taking the bike up through Malaysia and then up into Thailand, is definitely on the cards. Of course, socialising with friends, especially those that I made at Norton Rose Fulbright, remains high on the agenda.