Practice Areas

Under the China-appointed Notary (HK) Management Methods, a China-Appointed Attesting Officer of Hong Kong must be a qualified and practising lawyer for more than 10 years. Before one could be appointed as a China-Appointed Attesting Officer, he or she must go through series of business-related training, examinations, assessment of qualifications that are organized by the Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China

Our team members are China Appointed Attesting Officers authorized by the Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China to attest and certify acts, matters and documents of legal significance occurring or emanating from Asia for the use in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland China.

The following documentation is capable of being attested:-

• Documents required for marriage or divorce within Asia;
• Documents required for immigration
• Documents required for inheriting estate and probate matters
• Documents required for child adoption in the mainland China
• Various power of attorney, including ones required for arbitration and litigation proceedings in Asia, and ones deal with and required for sale and purchase of properties in Asia
• Company documents, including search reports, board minutes and other documents used for trading and investments in Asia
• Documents for Taxation and Tax Compliance in Asia
• Documents required for the Service Supplier of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA).
• Documents for Project financing and business joint ventures in Asia

Appointed by the High Court of Hong Kong, we authenticate documents for overseas use, including: powers of attorney, identity verification, property transaction documents, estate administration for assets abroad, personal documents for immigration, and commercial/business document certification.

• Preparing and witnessing powers of attorney for overseas use;
• Attesting to the identity of the signee(s) of the documents;
• Witnessing documents for purchase or sale of land or property overseas;
• Providing documents relating to the administration of the estate of persons who are abroad, or owning property abroad or for inherited assets;
• Authenticating personal documents and information (e.g. for immigration or emigration purposes);
• Authenticating company, commercial and business documents;
• Providing authentication and a secure record for transaction, document or event.

We provide client-oriented legal services for clients on general corporate, commercial and capital market matters. Examples of these include:

Company – We advise on matters including day-to-day business operations, merger and acquisition, transfer of business and websites, cross-border trade between Hong Kong and the PRC, reconstruction, sale and purchase of shares of private companies, purchase of properties in Hong Kong and the PRC by way of sale and purchase of company shares, and general company secretarial duties. We also advise clients on compliance with various laws and regulations, including the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong).

Commercial – We assist clients with commercial contracts such as joint ventures, shareholders’ agreements, licensing, distributorship agreements, agency agreements, and related matters.

Employment, Privacy and Discrimination – We advise on employment and service agreements, employment handbooks, and human resource policies. We represent clients in employment contract negotiations and in contentious and non-contentious employment matters, including disputes arising from restrictive covenants, non-competition clauses, confidentiality, and fiduciary duties. We also assist with applications for work permits.

Corporate Finance – We advise on listed company compliance and securities-related legislation, including the Listing Rules and other relevant securities regulations. We assist clients in complying with regulations applicable to listed companies and securities companies. Our firm also provides legal advice on corporate finance matters such as the issuance of convertible bonds and the review of various financial product agreements. Our team is frequently involved in initial public offerings on both local and global scales. Our lawyers have over 20 years of relevant experience and are familiar with the requirements and procedures for Chinese companies listing in Hong Kong and overseas.

Apart from offering advice on initial public offerings, we have also acted for listed companies across different industries and advised them on various aspects of listing procedures, acquisitions, mergers, and debt reconstruction.

License Application – We have represented clients in visa and license applications, including applications for conducting regulated activities in Hong Kong under the Securities and Futures Ordinance and applications for money lender licenses. For example, our team successfully applied for and obtained Licenses for Non-domestic Television Programme Service (non-domestic) granted by the Broadcasting Authority to China Satellite TV Group Company Limited.

Our firm’s corporate rescue and insolvency practice combines the experience of its corporate finance, commercial litigation and banking groups. Our team has extensive accounting and business knowledge and has been involved in major work-outs, rescues and restructuring assignments in Hong Kong. We have prepared proposals for company liquidation and acted as liquidators.

We have lawyers well versed in business matters, enabling us to handle complex corporate rescues, restructurings and insolvencies in an efficient and effective manner. We provide pragmatic solutions that allow companies in financial distress to endure, while enhancing creditor banks’ legal and commercial positions. In winding-up cases, we manage a company’s dissolution effectively and efficiently.

We understand the needs of creditor banks in work-out, rescue, or restructuring situations. This enables us to assist our clients in achieving their objectives in the most constructive manner. Our lawyers have advised liquidators in members’ and creditors’ voluntary winding-up matters, including misfeasance claims against former directors, preferential claims, and other related claims.

Our lawyers have been involved in cross-border work-outs and the restructuring or rescue of Hong Kong listed companies with major assets and manufacturing operations in the PRC. We have experience and skills in liaising and dealing with creditor banks and numerous trade creditors. Our firm also has expertise in obtaining court orders to stay debt recovery processes initiated by creditors, allowing the company and its creditor banks to work out a rescue and/or restructuring proposal with a white knight.

Our dispute resolution team has experience in a wide range of commercial litigation matters. The principal areas on which the practice group advises include:

Commercial Transactions – Our lawyers regularly advise on a wide range of disputes concerning commercial agreements and transactions, such as shareholders’ disputes, partnership disputes, joint ventures, distributorship agreements, agency agreements, licensing, and related matters.

Banking – Our lawyers are experienced in advising major banks on a wide range of issues, including secured lending recovery, mortgagee actions, injunctive relief against third-party guarantees, enforcement of third-party security, and matters associated with bills of exchange.

Trade Finance – We advise on all aspects of documentary credits and other forms of trade finance, including specific advice on the provisions of codes published by the International Chamber of Commerce, as well as advice relating to bills of exchange and associated trade finance documentation such as pledges, trust receipts, and similar agreements.

Employment – We are experienced in advising on a wide range of issues concerning employment and dismissal of staff, including the contractual implications and advice on the application of employment law.

Corporate Fraud – Our lawyers have experience dealing with allegations of large-scale corporate fraud and have developed strong working relationships with regulatory authorities, the police, and the Commercial Crime Bureau. We have advised listed companies and individuals on the implications of various relevant legislation in this area.

Regulatory – Our dispute resolution team has advised listed companies on their dealings with regulatory authorities, including the Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, as well as on administrative law remedies such as applications for judicial review.

Our team is also experienced in handling civil and criminal proceedings involving insider dealing and market manipulation. We have represented implicated persons in Insider Dealing Inquiries and defendants in court proceedings instituted by the Department of Justice under the Securities (Insider Dealing) Ordinance.

Insolvency – Our team has advised liquidators on members’ and creditors’ voluntary winding-up matters, liquidators’ duties, and various legal issues including misfeasance claims against former directors, preferential claims, and other related claims.

Situations in which companies are in financial distress frequently give rise to disputes and litigation. These often involve enforcement of securities, guarantees and facility agreements, debt recovery processes, management and shareholder disputes, partnership disputes, regulatory proceedings, and legal actions against company directors.

Our commercial litigation team has extensive experience in handling a wide range of disputes and is capable of managing such matters while taking into account the company’s financial circumstances.

Defamation – Our team is experienced in dealing with defamation claims made against individuals and companies. We assist clients in applying for injunctive court orders restraining defendants from publishing and/or disseminating defamatory words and/or materials.

Our lawyers are experienced in acting for clients in conveyance and lease matters which include:-

• Representing developers to negotiate with the Government in respect of change of land use and surrender of land in exchange for land of other uses
• Drafting sale and purchase agreements and other necessary legal documents for commercial, industrial and residential conveyance transactions
• Drafting lease agreements for landlords and tenants in respect of offices, shopping malls, restaurants, canteens and residential buildings
• Representing banks to draft mortgage documents

Our lawyers have years of experience in the above areas and we would assure our quality services will meet and satisfy our clients' needs.

Our firm’s intellectual property team acts for a wide range of multinational and local corporations including world renowned designer brands and fashions houses, department stores, international food and restaurant chains, telecommunication corporations, cosmetic businesses and trademarks of various listed companies in Hong Kong.

Our intellectual property team is well equipped in both contentious and non-contentious intellectual property matters including:-

• Litigation on infringement of trademarks, copyrights, patents, designs and/or passing-off; providing legal advice on registration strategy, trade mark registrability and availability for use, as well as potential issues
• Trademark registration disputes, primarily in Hong Kong and China
• Administrative and enforcement actions protecting intellectual property rights in China
• Registration of trademarks, patents and industrial designs in Hong Kong, China and overseas countries
• Commercial intellectual property work including licensing and franchising, sale and purchase, and assignment of intellectual property rights; drafting sale and purchase agreements, assignment of IP assets, and licence agreements
• Advising on intellectual property-related aspects of computer law, the Internet and telecommunications

Our intellectual property team maintains well-established professional relationship with overseas intellectual property practitioners as well as China’s state-designated intellectual property agencies, which is essential in serving both international and domestic clients in the most cost and time effective manner

Our team has extensive experience in setting up trust and we offer sophisticated planning advice to individual clients, family groups and charitable organizations in administration of trusts and estates. We offer practical and effective solutions tailored to our clients’ priorities, ambitions and concerns, so that our clients would make the most of their wealth and assets. Trust , Probate and Will - To minimise dispute and protect the interests of the estate and the deceased’s legacy, our firm provides estate planning advice, drafts wills, obtains probate and letters of administration and creates trusts.

Our services include:

• Planning and preparing trust documents
• Setting up and administering trusts
• Setting up offshore structures for trusts and estates
• Providing company secretarial services

We offer advice covering a wide range of tax and trust and related corporate issues, including setting up and running of Family Offices, Succession/Estate Planning, and Family Philanthropies. We also deal with all incidental contentious issues relating to the above.