WE'VE MOVED! FH&P HAS RELOCATED TO LANDMARK 4 (400 – 1628 DICKSON AVE).
March 29, 2022 by Nancy Ling
Our team of lawyers has a very diverse background coming from all parts of the country with extensive knowledge in helping people with their legal needs.
Nancy Ling was first called to the Bar in British Columbia in 2010. At that time, she had graduated, and several Firms were not hiring new lawyers due to a recession. Nancy first took a job in Vernon before moving to Kelowna in 2013, changing her practice area – focusing on the business side. She then became a Partner at FH&P in 2018. Today Nancy assists clients in a wide range of legal issues including real estate, business, and estate planning.
We find out a little bit more about Nancy in this “Legal Bites” Q & A:
Tell us about your practice:
I do mainly transactional law; I help people deal with their assets, whether it's real estate, residential or commercial, or leasing. If someone is buying or selling property or even developing land. I assist with their legal matters. I also practice in corporate and commercial — so if you are buying a business, are you setting up your own company, are you creating your succession plan with your company or your partnership? Along with that process, I assist clients in their estate planning and what happens after a person dies.
These all work together because you have to:
Why did you attend Law School?
What I like about the study of law is the variety. You have the option of practicing law in any area of life. For example, there is entertainment law, business law, real estate law, so you never get bored. It’s a profession that you constantly need to learn. Before becoming a lawyer, I would do something and then figure out that it wasn’t for me. In the law, on the other hand, you can be a lawyer, and if you are not in an area of law that you want, you can pivot and focus on a new or different area of law. It seems like every year the government throws changes at us. So, lawyers are continuously learning which makes the law a living thing. And mentally challenging, which ultimately is really what appealed to me.
How did you get to where you are today?
In university, I went through various types of programs before I finally settled on one. Actually, even then, after I had my Bachelor of Arts, I couldn’t settle on one major/minor, so I did a double major in French and English, and I think I had a double minor in history and psychology. As you can tell, I had a lot of trouble deciding on which path to take. I went into a Bachelor of Education, did my first practicum, then decided that wasn’t for me; then went into law. All my classes in law school were in environmental law because I thought that was my path; being an environmental lawyer. During the recession, when no one was really interested in hiring lawyers, I decided to take a job in the city I wanted to live. That job was criminal defence in Vernon, and I did that for about two years until I moved to Kelowna and then switched to the business law side of things. So as you can see, I’ve already been through several career changes (laughing).
What is your most significant professional achievement?
I think the idea is to continue working to be at the top of your game for your clients; while being a respected lawyer in your field. Lastly, to maintain that reputation to make sure it’s justified. I was very proud to become a partner of the Firm because, in my mind, that means you are recognized as a peer of the partners, and you have reached a certain level of experience and expertise. That being said, you can never rest on your laurels because the profession will outpace you if you just sit back.
What are some of the challenges for young people getting into the law field?
It’s expensive and very difficult. I think it takes a special kind of physiological fortitude to deal with other people’s problems, crises, and secrets. It’s a long process to become a lawyer, and it has a very high attrition rate, so quite a few people will go into deep student debt and then quit before paying off that debt. Plus, there is really not a lot of education on the actual business of law. People go into law school with all the theoretical information and the study of the law, but they don’t really know what the practice of law actually looks like. For example, what billing your clients look like after they actually lose a trial. Unfortunately, lawyers are one of the only professions people don’t want to pay for using their services. And depending on what area you practice in, people have this stigma against lawyers. When I came right out of graduation and became a criminal defence lawyer, people’s initial reaction to me was that I am the scum of the Earth. Due to those reasons, it’s a very challenging profession with public perception, the demands on you, and having to be an intellectual who knows all the areas of law. On top of that, understand the business of law and how to sell yourself, which you are never taught.
What advice would you give a young person starting their law career?
Never stop learning. The legal profession, much like everything else right now, is evolving very quickly. So, you want to make sure you are paying attention to what changes. For example, if something like “blockchain” comes down and lawyers are not needed for escrow closings anymore, then what? So you need to pay attention to the software that people are talking about and to the access to justice programs. They are also talking about giving a whole slew of people rights to provide legal services without proper legal training, so they are opening up competition in the field, which traditionally has been the monopoly. Young people should have a plan because most lawyers will end up not knowing where to pivot to when something big changes. As an example, is ICBC going no fault. Many lawyers have only been doing personal injury work for the past 20-30 years, and now they don’t know where to pivot to. Make sure you are doing something that you actually enjoy doing because there are enough stresses in the job that if you don’t enjoy the practice area, you are going to have mental health issues. Also, definitely plan for retirement!
For over a century, FH&P Lawyers LLP has assisted clients in the Okanagan with all of their business, real estate, Wills and estates, family law, and litigation needs. Contact us today for legal representation.