We and Des Voeux Chambers co-hosted the DVC-SFKS Young Insolvency Litigators Sharing Session on 11 November 2024.
The Sharing Session featured a dynamic panel of young lawyers, moderated by our Associate Crystal Yip who started by facilitating a lively discussion centered around a real insolvency case, with Counsel Ping Kan Kwan and Billy Liu engaging as opposing counsel. They shared valuable insights and practical tips for young litigators navigating today’s complex landscape.
Our Associate Shirley Yu then shed light on critical aspects of setting aside bankruptcy statutory demands and injunctions against winding up petitions, addressing challenges with reference to recent judicial reactions and views on practice trends.
Attendees included senior counsel, partners, liquidators, newly admitted solicitors, and junior barristers, all eager to share their experiences in the evolving field of insolvency, which are increasingly relevant in our current economic climate.
Our Partners Roy Leung and Mathew Liu gave opening and closing remarks on how the next generations would remain a pillar of the insolvency practice.
Our lawyers, at different seniorities, are all ready and capable of utilizing their expertise and network within the legal profession to yield the best outcome in insolvency-related cases.
We filed a winding-up petition against Physical Health Centre Hong Kong Limited (“Physical”), for outstanding wages owed to its employees, upon instructions from the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund Board (“Fund Board”) on 6 November 2024.
Physical has been established for over 38 years and is one of the largest and most popular fitness and beauty center brands in Hong Kong, with operations spanning Hong Kong and Mainland China. The complete closure of Physical on 6 September of this year has garnered extensive media coverage and has also attracted significant attention of the Government. To date, it is estimated that nearly 800 employees have been affected.
Under the statutory regime, a bankruptcy or winding-up petition shall be presented against the defaulting employer before the Fund Board processing the release of ex-gratia payments to its victim employees to ease their financial burden pending legal proceedings, unless and until the employers for fear of liquidation settle the outstanding debts that have been long owed to the employees.
As a panel law firm of the Fund Board, we have dealt with over 200 cases in the past two years involving outstanding wages. We take pride in serving the public interest through our specialized insolvency expertise. Equally, we feel obliged to look beyond numbers and to comprehend how we can assist victim employees at times of fierce difficulties.
The Physical case is a public scandal. According to the Labour Department’s announcement, Physical owed outstanding wages and/or other payments to 791 employees. The Labour Department and the Fund Board have been extremely concerned. In the last three months, our team worked closely with the Fund Board, the Labour Department and a large number of the employees concerned to ensure that legal proceedings can be commenced in an effective and timely manner.
The Physical case is led by our Partners Roy Leung and Mathew Liu together with Associate Winnie Hui, and assisted by Associate Shirley Yu, Paralegal (pending admission as solicitor) Sherrie Ma, Trainee Solicitors Tommy Lam, Janice Leung and Jaimie Ho.
Other members of our Litigation Department in charge of cases referred to by the Fund Board include Senior Associate Theresa Law, Associate Koey Wong and Crystal Yip, assisted by Trainee Solicitors Chloe Fan, Andes Leung, Christine Chan and Manson Chan, together with litigation clerks.
Our firm has been appointed by Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency Ltd. in the sale of residential units in various property developments.
Phase 1 of New Kowloon Inland Lot No.6568, also known as Cullinan Sky is located in Kai Tak, Kowloon which provides a total of 906 residential units. Our firm is responsible for handling the conveyancing works of 25% of the properties in the development.
Phase 1 of New Kowloon Inland Lot No.6551, also known as Cullinan Harbour is located in Kai Tak, Kowloon which provides a total of 256 residential units. Our firm is responsible for handling the conveyancing works of 52 residential units.
Phase 3B of NOVO LAND Development is located in Tuen Mun, New Territories which provides a total of 769 residential units. Our firm is responsible for handling the conveyancing works of 20% of the properties in the development.
Phase C of the YOHO Hub Development, also known as The YOHO Hub II is located in Yuen Long, New Territories which provides a total of 939 residential units. Our firm is responsible for handling the conveyancing works of 94 residential units.
We are honoured to participate in the sale of residential units of other property development projects including Phase 1B, Phase 2A and Phase 2B of NOVO LAND Development located in Tuen Mun, New Territories and Phase 2A and Phase 2B of University Hill located in Tai Po, New Territories.
The projects are led by our partner Ms. Margaret Choi and assisted by Ms. Ida Chan (associate) and a team of experienced lawyers and conveyancing clerks.
We were invited to participate in the “2024 First Shenzhen Legal Services Expo” (the “Expo”) organized by the Shenzhen Lawyers Association, held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center on 26-27 October 2024.
The Expo attracted over ninety exhibitors, including judicial bureaus from various districts in Shenzhen, the Shenzhen International Arbitration Center, Zhuhai International Arbitration Center, numerous local law firms and foreign-related law firms.
We are honoured to be one of the only two Hong Kong law firms with our own booth at the Expo, committed to promoting judicial and legal exchanges and connectivity within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. We aim to create a comprehensive and professional platform with domestic lawyers and mainland legal service organizations for mainland enterprises and individuals seeking Hong Kong legal services.
Being recently shortlisted as finalist in the Greater Bay Area Law Firm of the Year (Hong Kong and Macau) by Asian Legal Business, and serving as a diamond sponsor for the Hong Kong Law Society’s “Cross Strait Four Regions Young Lawyers Forum” we look forward to continuously establishing deeper connections with domestic legal experts after the Expo, facilitating cross-border legal services between Hong Kong and the Mainland.
Our Partner Sidney Ho represented the Bridge team of the Law Society of Hong Kong to victory at the Inter-professional International Match Points (IMP) Pair Championship 2024.
The Championship, held on 20 October 2024, featured 18 pairs from various professional organizations, including the Hong Kong Medical Association and the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Sidney and his bridge partner secured the championship title with a remarkable performance.
Both fields demand a deep understanding of probabilities and the ability to navigate complex scenarios, highlighting the intellectual rigor shared by the game of bridge and the practice of law.
Bridge, like legal work, especially in litigation, requires strategic thinking, risk assessment, and effective teamwork. Just as lawyers must make optimal decisions based on the various details of a case and relevant legal provisions, bridge players assess available information and game dynamics to formulate the best strategies. This approach not only aids in achieving success in the game but also provides crucial support in the practice of law, highlighting the intellectual rigor shared by both fields.
Our Consultant, Ms. Sylvia Siu JP, as the Chairperson of the Joint Mediation Helpline Office (JMHO), officiated the opening ceremony of the JMHO SIU Szeto Kit Kitty JP, MBE Training Centre (the “Training Centre”) on 24 October 2024.
Established in 2010, JMHO aims to promote mediation as a means of resolving disputes. Under Ms. Sylvia Siu JP’s leadership, JMHO was appointed by the Hong Kong Government to operate the West Kowloon Mediation Centre and to implement a pilot mediation scheme for suitable cases. The Training Centre represents JMHO’s commitment to equipping the legal sector with mediation skills and serves as a legacy of the late Madam SIU Szeto Kit Kitty JP, MBE, the mother of Ms. Sylvia Siu JP, who was a renowned philanthropist dedicated to community service for the betterment of society.
In the 2024 Policy Address, the Chief Executive stated that the Government will step up promotion of mediation services to establish Hong Kong as a regional centre for international legal and dispute resolution services. The Government also plans to launch a Pilot Scheme on Community Mediation to provide additional training opportunities and foster a mediation culture.
This year, three of our litigation solicitors completed a 40-hour mediation training course. Our firm collaborates with the Government and JMHO in their shared commitment to cultivating a mediation culture through training and mediation-related legal services.
Our Partner Roy Leung was invited to participate as a roundtable guest speaker in the DVC International Arbitration Symposium 2024, hosted by by Des Voeux Chambers on 22 October 2024, as part of the 2024 Hong Kong Arbitration Week.
The Symposium, themed ‘Bridging Horizons: Forging New Paths in Cross-Border Arbitration’, gathered leading practitioners to engage in dynamic discussions and share the intricacies of international arbitration.
The roundtable focused on “What makes a successful arbitration: the Perspectives from across the table (and border)”. Roy joined experienced and renowned panelists from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, including former Justice of the High Court, to share frontline “war stories” on commercial arbitration and discuss the insights and tool-kit to make an effective and successful arbitration.
Our litigation department has a wide variety of experiences in commercial arbitrations, in connection with property development projects, intellectual property assets, share redemption and other contractual disputes. With our abundant experience in cross-border disputes and international arbitration, we are committed to fostering the development of Hong Kong as an international arbitration hub, and fighting for the best interest of our clients in arbitration cases.
From October 9 to 10, 2024, our lawyers, including Peter Sit, Simon Siu, Roy Leung, Wai Yin Chung, and June Wang, visited Jiangmen.
On October 9, our Commercial Partner, Simon Siu, was honored to be invited by Guangdong Hongxin Junrui Law Firm (廣東弘新君睿律師事務所) to attend a certificate awarding ceremony for his appointment as their foreign legal counsel. Simon recently passed the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Legal Professional Examination (GBA Exam) and is currently in the process of obtaining his GBA Lawyer’s Licence. We believe that Simon’s forthcoming qualification as a GBA lawyer will further strengthen our firm’s connections with counterparts in Jiangmen and enhance our brand presence in the local business community. Congratulations to Simon on this significant achievement!
Following the ceremony, we participated in a seminar titled "Exchange Meeting for Foreign-related Legal Services Work" (涉外法律服務專題工作交流會) at the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration Jiangmen (深圳國際仲裁院江門中心). Our Senior Partner, Mr. Sit, was invited by the Jiangmen Lawyers Association (江門市律師協會) to speak on legal issues for mainland investors looking to invest in Hong Kong (中國內地投資者赴港投資應注意的法律事項). He provided participants with a comprehensive overview of conducting business in Hong Kong, addressing key topics such as taxation, employment, intellectual property, dispute resolution, and competition law. The seminar, organized by the Jiangmen Lawyers Association and the Jiangmen Justice Bureau (江門市司法局), attracted local government officials, Jiangmen lawyers, entrepreneurs, and foreign legal practitioners.
On October 10, we visited several law firms in Jiangmen, including Guangdong Liangjiang Law Firm (廣東良匠律師事務所), Guangdong Yuanhao (Jiangmen) Law Firm (廣東源浩（江門）律師事務所), Guangdong Jinnong Law Firm (廣東金濃律師事務所), and Beijing Yingke (Jiangmen) Law Firm (北京市盈科（江门）律师事务所). We are optimistic about the collaborative opportunities that will arise from the growing interactions between Jiangmen and Hong Kong legal practitioners and look forward to establishing strategic relationships in this area. We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude for the warm hospitality extended to us by all the firms we visited.
We heartily welcome the visit of Blackstone Chambers from the United Kingdom, including Senior Clerk Mr. Gary Oliver, Chambers Directors Mr. Mat Swallow, Mr. Adam Sloane and Mr. Derek Sutton.
Our Litigation Department has a good history of collaboration with King’s Counsel and junior counsel of Blackstone Chambers, as well as many other top-notch silks and counsel from reputable chambers in London. Our good experiences in working seamlessly with legal experts in other jurisdictions have assisted our clients in dealing with a vast number of cross-border litigations and arbitrations, public law issues and complex legal proceedings whether within or outside Hong Kong.
We are the Diamond Sponsor of the Cross Strait Four Regions Forum Young Lawyers Forum, organized by the Law Society of Hong Kong on 19-20 September 2024.
Our Partner Mr. Sidney Ho is a member of the Organizing Committee and one of the emcees in the Forum.
The Forum brought together over 1,300 legal professionals from 113 law associations and government departments across the four regions.
During the forum, speakers shared insights on the opportunities and practical experiences that artificial intelligence brings to the legal profession.
We are grateful to the Law Society of Hong Kong for organizing the Forum and the Welcome Reception, providing our young lawyers a valuable opportunity to engage with legal professionals from various regions.
As Finalist of GBA Law Firm of the Year (Hong Kong and Macau) of the 23rd Annual ALB Hong Kong Law Awards, we were delighted to be part of the gala dinner and awards ceremony on 13 September 2024 hosted by Asia Legal Business, attended by our Senior Partner Mr. Peter Sit, Partner Mr. Simon Siu, Mr. Roy Leung and Ms. Jenny Wong.
We congratulate the other finalists and the winner in this category, and look forward to serving the legal profession in Hong Kong and the GBA together.
Our Partner Mr. Simon Siu passed the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Legal Professional Examination held in 2024. Mr. Siu will have to complete the training and pass the interview assessment before obtaining the relevant lawyer’s practice certificate and provide Mainland legal services in the nine Mainland municipalities in GBA on specified civil and commercial matters (including contentious and non-contentious matters) to which Mainland laws apply.
