Lawyer Susan Peh opens up about grief, resilience, and finding joy through music and giving back

It’s the small things that count. The morning before we arrived at Susan Peh’s office for this photo shoot, she sent me a text message: “I’ve prepared light tea snacks for you and your crew (yes, some gluten free)”. I was touched that she remembered my dietary restriction, given that the last time we had caught up for lunch was a year ago.

In addition, this had been a particularly busy period for the 61-year-old lawyer and mother of three. She had just become a grandmother in June 2024, on top of renovating her house, juggling her work and pro bono activities, sitting on the board of various charities, and being the primary caregiver for her parents, aged 88 and 97. For now, her life revolves around caring for them, as well as taking them to their medical appointments and social activities.

“It’s all about balance,” says the soft-spoken lawyer. “Many elements of my life keep me busy, and they do take away my free time. But it’s become part and parcel of my life. Even if I’m on leave overseas, I’ll bring my laptop,” she shares.

Susan, who specialises in commercial and civil litigation, is the CEO of Adsan Law, formerly known as Yeo-Leong & Peh, the law firm she co-founded with her husband Adrian Peh in 1987. Their three children Melissa, Bertrand and Desiree all work with the firm as well, while her son-in-law Alvin – her fourth child, she says – is a doctor. Melissa and Alvin recently welcomed a baby girl.

“I can’t wait to watch the baby grow and play my part to help nurture her. It is a new journey in my life, and I remember my mother being involved in [bringing up] my kids. It is such a beautiful and happy milestone for the family, watching a new generation grow. However, I try not to step into the parents’ position, and just help out when needed,” says Susan.

Embarking on a legal career

Susan’s career in law was inspired by the American TV series The Paper Chase, a 1973 legal drama-comedy. “My law school journey did not quite parallel the show, but I did meet an amazing young man, Adrian, who subsequently became my husband of 38 years. I did my pupillage (as it was then called) under one of the top litigators at the time [Mr KS Chang], who was a very tough pupil master, and I continued to work for him after being called to the bar. Despite his challenging demeanour and rigorous expectations, he became a profound teacher in my legal career, leaving an indelible mark, and helped shape my resilience and drive as I continued in legal practice,” she shares.

Ever the humble interlocutor, Susan reminds me over and over again during this interview that she was not a very bright child, and had to work hard to achieve success.

Her mindset shifted during her preparations for the GCE O-level examinations, when her form teacher at Raffles Girls’ School told the class, “When you laugh, the whole world laughs with you. But when you cry, you often cry alone.” 

This triggered a shift in Susan’s approach to studies, and she would sit up all night doing mock papers and studying hard.

The images of Susan attending society’s most glamorous balls and hosting gatherings at her spacious home might give the impression that her path has been strewn with petals. However, like many success stories, that’s not the case. She brings up her initial days of learning music – she could barely read the musical notes, and her theory knowledge was quite weak.

“Whatever I have achieved in life, it’s through sheer hard work and perseverance. And if you hone your skills and practise harder than anyone else, the fruits of labour are always sweeter. One of my favourite ‘pick-me-up’ quotes is: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” says Susan.

She also reveals that one of the turning points in her life was when she experienced a still birth in 1988. “Before my children came, I encountered the profoundly heartbreaking experience of stillbirth in my 29th week of pregnancy. A severe allergy to the drug Prostaglandin administered to induce childbirth led to acute haemorrhage that could have cost me my life.

“It was God’s grace and the love of family that carried me through those darkest moments, and enabled me to carry on to have three more babies subsequently.”

Susan was 26 years old at that time, barely married for two years. She adds: “It was a tough lesson. The biggest takeaway was that anything can happen in life, and you have to be strong. Our thoughts really have the power to create our circumstances; it’s not the bag you carry, your achievements, or your certificates. If you find your true self, everything flows naturally, and you become happier and more confident.”

Working towards a greater good

Today, as CEO of Adsan Law LLC, Susan focuses on people management, having grown the firm from three staff in 1987 to over 120 employees at its Concourse office today. She emphasises HR, policies and initiatives, noting that 70 per cent of employees have been with the firm for over a decade. She also leads CSR activities, such as a recent visit to the Arc Children’s Centre for terminally ill kids.

“I’ve come to a point in life where work is not always about building [wealth] – not that we don’t need it, we do, to a certain extent. But I feel best when I can conclude a meaningful case, and feel like I have achieved a good resolution and impacted the lives of others,” she says.

Another key facet of the firm is its pro bono work for charities, which are subject to a unique set of laws, compliance and structuring.

“I mainly help charities by advising them on setting up, documentation, compliance, fundraising and many other aspects, such as meaningful initiatives. For example, I often help to peruse contracts and drafting to address legal issues such as intellectual property, cybersecurity, employment laws, and any other applicable laws and regulations.

“Sometimes, I help them navigate legal grey areas to mitigate risks or external threats. This includes drafting protocols for handling sensitive situations where existing laws may not offer clear guidance. We have to come up with governance and solutions that comply with charity laws. It’s really multifaceted. I also conduct training on data protection, cybersecurity, and anti-money laundering regulations and obligations”

Proudly, she adds: “For the fourth year running since the inception of the rankings, Adsan Law took pole position in the Charities, Not-for-profit Associations and Pro Bono category of The Straits Times Singapore’s Best Law Firms rankings, and is ranked among the top law firms in Singapore.”

Pursuing her passion for the arts

Law was not the path that Susan had envisaged for herself when she was younger. At the age of six, she discovered classical music when she heard Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata while watching a documentary about the maestro.

“I was mesmerised by the sounds of the piano. I resolved to practise very hard to play well, sometimes practising four to six hours a day during school holidays,” she reveals.

She earned a spot at the Royal College of Music in the UK, as well as a grant from the Lee Foundation, but her parents dissuaded her from taking that path. She was heartbroken, but looking back, Susan believes it was the right choice. After all, there was not much support for musicians back in the 1980s.

“They were concerned about whether I would be able to make a living, and maybe they were right in hindsight. If I hadn’t had a career outside of music, it would have been difficult for me to try to help other musicians achieve their dreams.”

Today, Susan is an ardent patron of the arts, and a former director of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. She is also vice-chairman and one of the founding directors of JASS, the Jazz Association (Singapore), which was founded eight years ago with Jeremy Monteiro, Singapore’s “King of Swing”; Albert Chiu, executive director of EFG Bank; and Edmund Lam, CEO and director of the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore Limited (COMPASS).

More than 15 years ago, Susan, classically trained in music, embarked on a journey to learn jazz. A serendipitous encounter with jazz maestro Jeremy led to her first lesson, and a humbling realisation: “After years of talking about [studying music in] the UK, I knew nothing.”

“Jazz is completely different from classical music, because it has different sets of vocabulary. [With classical music], you read from scores and emulate the style of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Chopin, and so many other great masters. But [with jazz], it’s all about improvisation,” she says with passion.

“When we were young, our watercolour palettes would have seven to eight basic colours. But then, you’re suddenly exposed to an enormous box of unlimited colours. [That’s the same with jazz]. You realise you can do so many things, and it gives you unspoken joy and hope.

“Most of all, jazz, with its historical origins, is really a voice of triumph over adversity, of resilience, and that resonates well with me.”

Over the past eight years, JASS has played an instrumental role in developing the art form in Singapore. JASS has built two orchestras, the Jazz Association Singapore Orchestra (JASSO) and the Jazz Association Singapore Youth Orchestra (JASSYO!). It also organises the Lion City Youth Jazz Festival, a week-long affair that features local talents as well as international stars.

“Apart from the main orchestra JASSO, the standards of our youth orchestra JASSYO! are also very high. One of the key reasons would be the initiation of the Lion City Youth Jazz Festival, where we invite several internationally acclaimed jazz guest artists to play with us.

“Some of them are Grammy-nominated or award winners. For one week, they train our youth, mentor them and play alongside them. As a result, our [local talents] have really blossomed because there’s nothing better than apprenticeship and learning from the best,” says Susan.

Another key facet of JASS’ work is the scholarship programme. So far, it has awarded 11 scholars to study at international music schools.

Susan’s passion for the arts extends beyond music. She channels her creativity into various avenues, from crafting artwork with fruits and vegetables for her annual Chinese New Year gathering to exploring dance, visual arts, writing, and poetry.

She even took an online poetry course with Oxford University, and composed a song

The Waking Skies for her law corporation’s CSR project to raise funds for the Autism Resource Centre last year.

For now, as Susan embarks on her newest role as grandmother, she continues to dedicate herself to paying it forward. “Pro bono work has remained an integral part of my life,” she says.

“It gives me immense gratification, no matter how much work is involved, to be able to help others who truly require assistance, in a wide diversity of situations, the best I can, within my time capacity.

“I was heartbroken when I could not achieve my childhood dream at a relatively young age, so it is always wonderful to help others fulfil their dreams, and be there to witness their joyous milestones.”

Credits

Photography Lawrence Teo

Art Direction Adeline Eng

Hair Janny Lee

Makeup Leny Darmawati