In an industry where technical knowhow is a given, we differentiate ourselves by our honesty, creative thinking and attention to client care. Our lawyers are bright, fun, commercially minded and have strong inter-personal skills. We achieve this by focusing on talent recruitment and enrichment across all aspects of our human resource management. We aim to ensure that our clients have access to top-notch, consistent and unequivocal legal advice in plain language wherever we operate.
We are relationship driven, both with our clients and internally. With our clients, we seek to build deep, meaningful relationships and an understanding of their businesses and cultures. Internally, we invest in building camaraderie, teamwork and commitment to common goals.
The Hong Kong office is Stephenson Harwood’s largest office in Asia. The office offers a comprehensive spectrum of Stephenson Harwood’s global services including dispute resolution, commercial, outsourcing and technology, competition, corporate, employment, finance, intellectual property, marine and international trade, projects and infrastructure, private wealth, real estate, regulation and restructuring and insolvency.
Along with our other Greater China offices in Shanghai and our association in Guangzhou*, we provide a comprehensive range of legal services to clients operating within the Greater China region.
We have a diverse group of clients from individuals to small and medium enterprises, multi-nationals and state-owned enterprises across many industry sectors.
* Stephenson Harwood - Wei Tu (China) Association is established under CEPA (Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement). The association allows us to offer a ‘one stop service’ for Hong Kong, English and PRC law advice. With a fully integrated and experienced team, Stephenson Harwood - Wei Tu (China) Association provides full range of PRC law legal services to its clients from home and abroad.
"Stephenson Harwood is responsive and able to provide informative and practical advice."
Chambers Greater China 2022
Corporate - M&A
Blue Umbrella Limited
Acted in its share buy-back transaction and also share transfer transaction between its shareholders, pursuant to an exit plan of one of its shareholders.
A leading global manufacturer
Advising the founder shareholder of a leading global manufacturer of clinically-supported ingredients for the dietary supplement, cosmetics, and food and beverage industries, on its sale of a majority stake after restructuring to a fund via a leveraged buyout.
Hong Kong Life Insurance Business Acquisition
Advised on the acquisition of the Hong Kong life insurance business of a global insurance company. This was a highly complex asset purchase transaction involving significant amount of due diligence of technical insurance documents as well as complex intra group services agreements. It also involved insurance licensing advice as the purchaser required a license before acquiring the business.
Dispute resolution
Administrators of the Estate of Nina Wang
Advised the administrators of the Estate of Nina Wang, Asia’s richest woman in the dispute over entitlement to her estate (reported to be worth in excess of US$10 billion).
A large China fund
Advised a large China fund in a dispute over HK$75 million with Merrill Lynch arising out of the collapse and administration of Opes Prime in Australia.
Marine insurance claim
Advised in a marine insurance claim on behalf of People’s Insurance Company of China (Hong Kong) Ltd against Kam Hing Trading Ltd. and successfully defended the client from an insurance claim of US$1,300,000. Kam Hing claimed against PICC under a marine insurance policy for its loss, it sued both PICC and its insurance broker, but following an eight-day hearing in the Hong Kong Court, the claim was dismissed on the grounds that Kam Hing had failed to comply with ICC/01 or to give notice to PICC that it was in breach of the clause and therefore represented a potentially greater risk. This was a landmark decision on ICC/01.
Shanshui Investment Company Limited (“CSI”)
Advising over 2,000 employees and minority shareholders of CSI on the complex dispute relating to the shares in CSI valued over HKD5,000 million and the power struggle in China Shanshui Cement Group Limited, a company listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchanges.
Employment
A leading scientist
Advised a leading scientist in High Court proceedings to recover contractual benefits owed to her under her employment contract. We obtained a ground breaking judgment concerning the court’s jurisdiction to handle mixed claims which included claims which fell within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Labour Tribunal. We successfully recovered payment of the contractual benefits and sums withheld from the employee which had been deducted from her salary pursuant to a tax equalisation clause.
A jet charter company
Advised a jet charter company in court proceedings which included obtaining an interlocutory injunction against one of its brokers who had sought to solicit customers in breach of post termination restrictive covenants.
Termination of employment
Advised on the termination of employment of the senior management members of an international music company. Various complicated issues relating to employment benefits and rights of termination were involved.
Finance
A new PRC finance leasing company
Advised a new PRC finance leasing company in a sale and finance lease transaction which involved one (1) A350-900 aircraft to be leased to a Hong Kong airline. The transaction involved both pre-delivery and delivery financing. In respect of the pre-delivery financing, the finance leasing company seek external financing by way of bank lending and issuance of asset-backed securities. This matter was challenging because the purchase agreement was settled in US dollars while the loan agreement provided for a Renminbi loan. There was also immense time pressure to meet the deadline of instalment payment under the aircraft purchase agreement.
A major PRC finance leasing company
Advised a major PRC finance leasing company operating in a wide variety of businesses in over 20 countries and regions, ranging from aviation, shipbuilding, automotive, construction machinery, urban infrastructure, large equipment manufacturing, highways and rail transportation. Our client has a considerable market presence in the financing of oceangoing vessels and is now looking to expand into the business of owning and operating such vessels. To that end, our client has embarked on a project for the acquisition of 5 newbuild 208,000 dwt Newcastlemax bulk carriers, all of which will be chartered out under long term time charters to Cargill, a major US-based agricultural and industrial commodities trader.
ICC-HK
Advised ICC-HK in forming a Trade-based AML Sub-committee consolidating the opinions of the practitioners and communicating the same to HKMA in order to standardize the industry practice and develop a risk-based model for the banking and trading communities in the region.
Marine and international trade
Syndicates of lenders
Advised syndicates of lenders with regards to the Korean rehabilitation proceedings in connection with Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd.
A major commodity trader
Advised a major commodity trader in the successful defence of US$270 million claim relating to commodity “repo” (Sale and Repurchase) deals affected by a major metals warehousing fraud in China.
A major bank
Advised a major bank enforcing mortgages in relation to a fleet of seven vessels. Added complications were that there were allegedly pre-existing mortgages entered by a mainland Chinese bank which did not appear on the ship registry.
One of China’s largest coal importing companies
Advised one of China’s largest coal importing companies, on its US$350 million bond restructuring using parallel Hong Kong and BVI schemes of arrangement and recognition under Chapter 15 of the US Bankruptcy Code.
Major insurers
Advised major insurers in relation to claims brought in the Hong Kong court in respect of losses allegedly arising from the sinking of a vessel in Hong Kong waters. This matter also involves claims under connecting carrier agreements and interpretation of the vessel’s safe carrying capacity.
Private wealth
Individuals, families and family offices
Advised individuals, families and family offices on the setting up of trust structures, preparing wills for individuals, as well as charity advisory services including Canadian and SS1 US tax and estate planning advice, thus putting everything in place to ensure that the wealth of our clients is one day passed on smoothly to their successors.
Family residences, holiday homes and investment properties
Advised conveyancing, property management and landlord-tenant relationships that involve family residences, holiday homes and investment properties.
Disputes
In the unfortunate event that they arise, we can advise our clients in disputes that involve estates, trusts, family business arrangements, property, shareholdings, business partnerships, joint ventures and conflicts between investors.