DANNY QUAH: “THERE WERE DAYS WHEN I COULDN’T GET OUT OF BED”
How family and friends, self-care and a positive work environment made all the difference.
BY MATHANGI ELANGOVAN
Plenty of “Ds” define the legal profession—defence, deals, diligence. But one that often lurks in the shadows is depression, hiding behind even the most cheerful.
Take Mr Danny Quah, for instance. To those who know the co-Head of Litigation & Dispute Resolution at CHP Law LLC, he’s confident, sharp, boisterous, always ready with a laugh, and the last person you would ever think would get hit by a mental health condition. But there was a time when things were far less rosy.
“A few years ago, I experienced something that completely hit me out of left field. I couldn’t get out of bed, I couldn’t function normally, and I even had thoughts of suicide,” he reflects—all signs of the depression that had quietly taken hold. The emotional toll of a rocky marriage had devastated him.
“I’d never had something so big fail on me before,” he said, speaking of his 11-year marriage, which ended earlier this year. “It was difficult to articulate what I was feeling. I knew something was wrong, but it took time to pinpoint exactly what and why.”
He reluctantly sought help. It started with visits to a counsellor, then a clinical psychiatrist, then a marriage counsellor. He opened up to his close friends and many of them accompanied him through this dark journey. He also joined peer support groups and mental wellbeing courses, including those tailored for legal professionals.
Danny moderating a panel discussion titled “Sustainability in the Legal Profession: Respect and Mindfulness” at the Legal Profession Symposium 2024.
Stepping away from work is always a tough decision. But it was made easier by the assurances of his former bosses Mr Abraham Vergis SC (Providence Law Asia) and Mr Thio Shen Yi SC (TSMP Law Corporation) that his job would still be around when he came back. “Their support, kindness and understanding made all the difference.”
Danny at a bar in New Delhi with Mr Abraham Vergis SC and Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan.
It took some time, but he gradually returned to his normal self, reinvigorated by the time he’d taken to heal. Recent career highlights include Danny's role in the restructuring of WazirX, India's largest cryptocurrency exchange, and being recognised as a Notable Practitioner in Dispute Resolution by Asialaw.
His own journey shows that one can not only recover from depression but also become a better lawyer and person than before. This explains his ardent advocacy for mental health awareness, speaking about it whenever he can, most recently at SAL’s Legal Profession Symposium. He knows it’s still an uphill battle to beat the stigma, partly in a field like the law. Lawyers, after all, are often cast as heroes, expected to project strength and confidence, leaving little room to admit to vulnerabilities. “It’s very hard to remove the stigma around mental health in the legal profession,” he says.
“THE SHADOW OF DEATH”
In Danny’s case, support came from family and friends who stepped up to hold his hand through what he calls “the shadow of death”. Besides Abraham and Shen Yi, he also leaned on his mentor A/Prof Stephen Phua (NUS Faculty of Law).
Danny snaps a selfie with his mentor, A/Prof Stephen Phua (NUS Faculty of Law).
With this support, Danny can carry on what he calls a “privileged job” of being able to help people who are unable to help themselves. Most recently, he secured the full acquittal for a pro bono client who had faced multiple outrage of modesty charges after a 12-day trial in the State Courts. The District Judge commended both the prosecution and defence, saying “I express my thanks and commend Mr [Yohanes] Ng and [Danny] for the manner in which they conducted the trial and the effort that they had put into the case with Mr Ng taking over from his colleague mid-way through the trial and [Danny], doing this case pro bono, in the highest tradition of the profession”.
Recognising the struggles young lawyers face, particularly with power dynamics in law firms, Danny now makes it a point to look out for his juniors with a greater sense of urgency and intent. He encourages his colleagues to regularly check in on one another, creating a culture where it’s easier to open up.
Danny enjoying a meal together with some colleagues and friends from Indonesia.
When he notices a junior lawyer struggling, if he’s not the best person to check in, he asks one of his fellow directors to help. His firm CHP Law LLC also has a director who double-hats as wellbeing and culture IC, and an “uncle agony” who acts as the de facto cheerleader in the firm. He has also implemented a professional development framework in the firm and regularly encourages his fellow directors to be mindful about the way they work and delegate tasks so as not to create unnecessary stress for their associates.
It's been a hard journey, but Danny says he “wouldn’t trade it for the world”. His depression turned out to be one of the best things that happened to him in life. After all, who better to help others when you can empathise with them because you have gone through the same struggles yourself?
Danny speaking at the ALSA Conference held in Malaysia.
Danny Quah is one of the original founders of the Mindful Business Singapore, an informal group of volunteer lawyers dedicated towards making work better within the Singapore legal community through sustainable and mindful work practices.
From 2025, all active SAL members will be eligible for free mental health and wellness insurance. Details on how to opt into the scheme will be sent to members soon.
