Deacons

Our Commercial Litigation Partner Paul Kwan and Associates Mandy Pang and Titus Cheung, recently contributed to the Hong Kong Chapter of “Competition Litigation Laws and Regulations 2025”, published by Global Legal Group. In this 17th edition, Paul, Mandy and Titus covered the legal basis for competition law litigation in Hong Kong and provided an overview of the Competition Ordinance (Cap. 619) and the applications of the Competition Rules.   Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gsuSkN5n #Deacons #DeaconsLitigationandDisputeResolution #Litigation #Competition #CompetitionOrdinance #CompetitionLitigationLaws #HongKong #ICLG

Our Corporate Commercial Partner Cynthia Chung recently hosted a podcast titled “Indonesia’s New Law No. 4 of 2024 on Maternal and Child Welfare”, organised by Employment Law Alliance (ELA). In this episode, Cynthia was joined by Syahdan Aziz, Partner at SSEK Law Firm in Indonesia. They highlighted the significant regulations changes that all employers in Indonesia need to comply and act upon. Listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/gxH8EuCj #DeaconsEmployment #ELA #EmploymentLaw #EmploymentLawyer #Maternal #ChildWelfare

On 28 Sep, our Corporate Finance Partner Alexander Que was invited by the Shanghai Bar Association (上海市律师协会) to conduct a training session on “香港上市公司的持续风险防范责任 Continuing Obligations of Hong Kong Listed Companies”, as part of the “领航计划” organised by the Association for legal professionals in Shanghai. The programme is a 6-day training camp for PRC lawyers who are involved in relevant cross border legal work and selected to participate in the programme after an application and shortlisting process. #Deacons #DeaconsCorporateFinance #HongKongListedCompanies

Our Intellectual Property Partner, Ian Liu, was recently invited by the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) and Vocational Training Council (VTC) to speak at the “IP Training Programme IP105 Patent Basics”, a programme tailored for local entrepreneurs, SME owners, and managers in the IP field. This marks Ian's second invitation to deliver a seminar for this programme, a testament to his professional knowledge in the field.   Titled 'Patent Protection in Hong Kong', Ian went through the fundamental knowledge about patents, a comparison with protection through trade secrets, patent protection mechanisms, and types of invention that are patentable. He also shared his insights on the types of patents in Hong Kong, enforcement against infringement, as well as the tax concessions under the newly announced Patent Box Regime.   We once again appreciate the invitation and opportunity from IPD and VTC, enabling the sharing of our insights in the IP field with the wider public.   #Deacons #DeaconsIP #Patent #IntellectualProperty

Congratulations to Hong Kong’s public funds depositaries,19 of whom have today successfully transitioned to the new Type 13 licensing regime (see the SFC's press release: https://lnkd.in/gFUVEHaN) The new Type 13 licensing regime for depositaries was introduced to enhance investor protection and update Hong Kong's regulatory framework for depositaries with international standards. Our Financial Services Practice Group assisted a significant proportion of these depositaries (including the top 3 custodians in the Hong Kong retail funds markets), prepare for and ultimately transition to the new regulatory regime governing the provision of depositary services to relevant SFC-authorized collective investment schemes. Together with our dedicated licensing, compliance and regulatory team, our Financial Services partners, Jeremy Lam and Isabella Wong, assisted depositaries navigate the SFC’s licence application process, advising on the new regulatory requirements as well as compliance policies and procedures under this new regime. Our involvement with Hong Kong’s trustee industry together with our depositary clients over the last couple of years in planning for this transition, reinforces the depth and experience of our market leading licensing, regulatory and compliance practice. Going forward, we will continue to work closely with depositaries and other industry participants to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape and identify opportunities to further strengthen Hong Kong's position as a premier asset and wealth management hub. #Deacons #DeaconsFinancialServices #InvestmentFunds #AuthorisedFunds #Compliance #Licensing #Regulatory #SFC #SFO #Type13 #RA13

We are thrilled to announce that our Corporate Commercial Partner Machiuanna Chu has been appointed Treasurer of the World Services Group (“WSG”) for the 2024-2025 term, following the election at the WSG Annual Meeting in September 2024. This appointment is alongside her four-year term appointment as the Board of Director (2023-2027). Throughout her serving period, Machiuanna will continue to work alongside WSG leadership to assess the strategic direction and advancement of the organisation's mission and objectives. This new appointment also further strengthens Deacons’ engagement with the WSG network and deepens interactions with its network. WSG is the premier global network of independent firms, providing a unique platform for connecting its members with the most prestigious legal firms and their multinational clients. The network encompasses over 120 firms spanning the globe, and its members operate in more than 150 jurisdictions, collectively employing over 23,000 professionals worldwide. Congratulations to Machiuanna on this new appointment! Please click here for the announcement from WSG: https://lnkd.in/gxuiCruy #Congratulations #NewAppointment #WSGAnnualMeeting #GlobalNetwork

Our Head of Family, Mental Capacity and Vulnerable Client Practice Sherlynn G Chan and Senior Associate Hazel Wong were recently featured in an article on the philanthropic landscape in Hong Kong, published by Sing Tao Daily. The Government of Hong Kong SAR is determined to develop Hong Kong into a philanthropic hub and attract charitable funds for family offices and philanthropists around the world to benefit the city, the Mainland and around the world.  While currently there is no specific legislation or a single regulatory body for charitable organisations in Hong Kong, Sherlynn and Hazel opined that consideration could be given to progressively enhancing the regulation of charitable organisations by establishing a legal definition of charitable organisations to enhance accountability and transparency so that donors would have greater confidence in the proper use of their donations. Click here for the full article: https://lnkd.in/gpPM6t_y Our Family & Private Wealth team possesses practical expertise in setting up and operating family office and philanthropy. Contact us today for more information: https://lnkd.in/efAWdT7e #Deaocns #DeaconsFamilyLaw #FamilyOffice #WealthTransfer #Philanthropy #CharitableOrganisation #PrivateWealth #HongKong

Deacons wishes you a Happy National Day!

On 16 September, Our Head of Family, Mental Capacity and Vulnerable Client Practice Sherlynn G Chan and Senior Associate Hazel Wong organised a hybrid seminar entitled “Intergenerational Transfer of Wealth - Setting up of Family Offices in HK” in Farrer & Co office in London. With an aging population, legacy planning for global families is increasingly complex and requires collaboration with other professionals, our guest speaker Zipo Lai, Head of Family Office, Europe of Invest Hong Kong, shared Hong Kong’s competitiveness as a leading global asset and wealth management hub and how FamilyOfficeHK, a dedicated team under InvestHK, can support family offices in setting up and expanding in Hong Kong. Sherlynn then spoke about the importance of cross generational family wealth planning, followed by an engaging panel discussion on “How to preserve family wealth and legacy through family office and other tools”. The panel consisted of our Senior Associate Hazel Wong, Nick Dunnell, Partner of Farrer & Co, 曹锦玥 Winnie Jinyue Cao, Partner of Blick Rothenberg, Liam Monaghan, Managing Director of LCP Private Office and Duncan Tse, Director of UBS, in which they discussed the trend and strategies of wealth transfer across generations in the aspects of setting up of family office, tax, wealth planning and property investment. The event was well-attended by our private client connections in the UK and all attendees enjoyed the lively discussion and cocktails networking session.   During the trip, Sherlynn and Hazel also visited several law firms and clients in London and attended the STEP – Advising Families Across Generations Private Client Awards Ceremony on 19 September. The STEP Private Client Awards are seen as the hallmark of quality within the private client industry, our Family & Private Wealth team was not only one of the finalists for Vulnerable Client Advisory Practice of the Year award, but also the only team from Hong Kong among all the finalists this year.   Find out more about our Family Law Practice: https://lnkd.in/efAWdT7e   #DeaconsFamilyLaw #FamilyLegacy #FamilyOffices #WealthTransfer #ProtectFamilyAssets #AssetManagement #PrivateWealth

Our Construction practice hosted another successful client seminar on 24 September 2024, in which Consultant Stanley Lo and guest speaker Dr. Christopher To (Barrister, Chartered Arbitrator and Accredited Mediator) spoke on the topic “Exploring New Horizons of International Mediation” and engaged our audience in an enlightening fireside chat. The discussion provided a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of international mediation in the construction industry. Attendees gained valuable insights into emerging trends and development of mediation practices in different jurisdictions, and received practical guidance to enhance their mediation skills. The event was a remarkable opportunity for participants to delve into new horizons within the field of resolution of construction disputes, fostering growth and innovation in the use of mediation. Our Construction practice has a successful track record in resolving construction disputes in mediation, arbitration, adjudication and litigation. Contact us to see how we may help: https://lnkd.in/g95ERAfV   #Deacons #DeaconsConstruction #Construction #InternationalMediation #Mediation #ADR