Law firm Stephenson Harwood is celebrating its 40th anniversary in Hong Kong this year.

"When we launched our Hong Kong office forty years ago, Stephenson Harwood was one of the first UK headquartered law firms to establish a presence in Greater China," said Voon Keat Lai, the firm's Greater China managing partner. "We were attracted by the rise of Hong Kong as a thriving global financial hub and the opportunity to better support our clients across Greater China, and international clients investing there. In forty years we've grown alongside the needs of our clients; today we have more than 240 people and 29 partners across our offices in Hong Kong and the PRC."

Established in 1979, Stephenson Harwood's Hong Kong office was the firm’s first office in Asia. Today, it is the headquarters of the firm's Greater China practice, with a representative office in Shanghai, and a CEPA associated office in Guangzhou with PRC law firm Wei Tu. The firm supports clients operating within the Greater China region with a comprehensive range of legal services across the core practices of dispute resolution, corporate, finance and private wealth.

"The majority of our partners across our offices in Greater China were born in the region or have lived there for many years, which means that they understand the culture and what it takes to support our clients to enable them to achieve their business objectives," said Sharon White, chief executive, Stephenson Harwood. "This understanding, combined with local knowledge, creative thinking, attention to detail and client care, is what differentiates us in an industry where clients want more than just technical knowhow."

The office places particular importance on building, maintaining and developing a sustainable, responsible and diverse working environment. Corporate social responsibility initiatives include partnering with Project WeCan, a business-in-community initiative supporting school children in Hong Kong, and providing legal support and fundraising for PathFinders, an organisation which assists vulnerable children born in Hong Kong.

Last year, Stephenson Harwood's Greater China practice was shortlisted and recognised at a number of award ceremonies, including winning the 'International Shipping & Aviation Firm of the Year' award at the China Law and Practice Awards 2018, for the second year running, and was named the 'Aviation Law Firm of the Year' at the Asian Legal Business (ALB) Hong Kong Law Awards 2018. The Hong Kong office was recognised in ALB's 'Employers of Choice' rankings in 2017 and 2018.

The firm will be marking its anniversary with celebrations and activities throughout the year.

*Stephenson Harwood - Wei Tu (China) is established under CEPA (Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement).