Lewis Silkin > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Firm Profile
Lewis Silkin Offices
1302, 13/F, Dina House, Ruttonjee Centre
11 Duddell Street
Central, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Lewis Silkin > The Legal 500 Rankings
Hong Kong > Labour and employment Tier 3
Multinational and Hong Kong-based corporates frequently seek advice from Lewis Silkin on a wide range of employment law issues, including HR data privacy, structuring incentive and share schemes, and M&A employment support. On the contentious front, the firm has been highly engaged in litigation related to internal investigations, taking the team to labour tribunals and the High Court. Notably, the firm also possesses expertise in immigration matters and has recently been advising employers on various issues, including global working rights and visas, as well as on multi-jurisdictional projects spanning other Asia Pacific regions. At the helm of the team stands Catherine Leung, highly sought after by clients from industries including financial services, luxury retail, and technology, who seek guidance on a wide range of employment issues, including discrimination and hiring and firing. Other key figures at partner level include Jezamine Fewins, who specialises in areas such as restrictive covenants, the misuse of confidential information, and trade secrets. The team’s capabilities have recently been bolstered by the addition of senior consultant Matthew Durham, along with associates Karen Chu and Emily Chow. Kathryn Weaver is no longer at the firm and moved to Seyfarth Shaw LLP in January 2023.Practice head(s):
Catherine Leung
Other key lawyers:
Jezamine Fewins; Gladys Ching; Karen Chu; Emily Chow; Matthew Durham
Testimonials
‘The firm provides very professional employment law services.’
‘Catherine Leung and Gladys Ching were very professional and efficient and it was a pleasure working with them. The firm provides very professional employment law services.’
‘Their highly knowledgeable team possesses a deep understanding of labour and employment law, enabling them to provide expert advice.’
‘A key strength is their client-centric approach. They prioritise understanding specific needs and aligning advice and solutions with business objectives. Compared to other firms, Lewis Silkin’s reputation as industry leaders shines.’
‘Their proven track record and strong client base demonstrate expertise, an innovative mindset, and commitment to client satisfaction.’
‘Lewis Silkin’s expertise and knowledge in labour and employment law set them apart from competitors. The qualities that I have valued in the individuals at Lewis Silkin include their responsiveness, proactive mindset, and excellent communication skills.’
‘Catherine Leung is prompt in addressing concerns and goes above and beyond to anticipate potential challenges. Her ability to explain legal concepts in a clear and understandable manner has been invaluable in making informed decisions.’
Work highlights
- Assisted Hannover Rück SE with applying to strike out its ex-employee’s claim on the basis that by commencing the claim in the High Court there was an abuse of process at the Labour Tribunal that had exclusive jurisdiction over a claim of money arising from the breach of a term of an employment contract.
- Assisted Global Hospitality Investment Ltd with seeking an injunction against its ex-employee to prevent a continued breach of the terms of his employment contract.
- Assisted Alcohol Countermeasure Systems (HK) Limited and Alcohol Countermeasure Systems (Dongguan) Limited with its claim against its employee for fraudulent misrepresentation in respect of expenses he alleged he incurred and for which he was reimbursed during his employment.
Hong Kong > Intellectual property Tier 5
Led by the ‘decisive and thoughtful’ Jezamine Fewins, Lewis Silkin provides ‘very sharp, practical and innovative’ advice to clients from a range of sectors on brand protection and the commercialisation of their IPR in both Hong Kong and across the Asia-Pacific region. Fewins is a noted litigator with ‘rich experience in local IP laws and regulation’. She regularly handles trade mark, design and copyright infringement actions, often handling the advocacy herself.Practice head(s):
Jezamine Fewins
Other key lawyers:
Karen Chu; Emily Chow
Testimonials
‘The team is very sharp, practical and innovative in their handling of matters.’
‘The responsive Jezamine Fewins has rich experience in local IP laws and regulation.’
‘The decisive and insightful Jezamine Fewins is an excellent litigator.’
Key clients
Double Lion Global Limited
Venchi HK Limited and Venchi S.P.A
The Arsenal Football Club Public Limited Company
A Hong Kong NGO
L’OREAL
The Insights Group Limited
Sustainable Office Solutions Ltd.
Cleverdent Limited
RENAULT s.a.s.
Utmost International Isle of Man Limited
Work highlights
- Assisted a content provider with preparing commission letters for a campaign to ensure licences are in place for the duration of an airline campaign, where the airline contracted with local artists for original artworks to be used in airline lounges and on their planes.
- Assisted a high-end confectionary manufacturer to issue cease and desist letters to a competing business which was using an identical display stand in the shop premises which was an infringement of our client’s registered design and copyright.
- Represented minority interests of a JV focusing on the oil and gas industry in a case where the client discovered the IP rights had not been transferred to the JV and new patents had been applied for by the inventor who was one of the majority shareholders.
Lewis Silkin > Firm Profile
Joint managing partners: Jo Farmer, Richard Miskella
International offices: Dublin, Hong Kong
The firm: We work with high performance businesses to protect and enhance their most important assets – their ideas and their people. We enable them to create endless possibilities for future success. We call this ‘Ideas. People. Possibilities.’
The firm has two things at its core: people, and a focus on creative, tech and innovation.
Lewis Silkin is passionate about people. Whether you are a fast growth start up or a large multinational business, the firm helps you realise the potential in your people and navigate your strategic HR and legal issues, both nationally and internationally. Lewis Silkin’s award-winning employment team is one of the largest in the UK, with dedicated specialists in all areas of employment law and a track record of leading precedent setting cases on issues of the day. The team’s breadth of expertise is unrivalled and includes HR consultants as well as experts across specialisms including employment, immigration, data, tax and reward, health and safety, reputation management, dispute resolution, corporate and workplace environment.
Creativity, technology and innovation are at the heart of everything the firm does. This is reflected in the way it works, as well as in the types of businesses it works with. Lewis Silkin helps bring your ideas to life by working alongside you as a trusted partner and bringing together leading commercial, corporate, data and privacy, dispute resolution, employment, immigration, intellectual property and real estate lawyers to help create, optimise, manage and protect your ideas and your business.
With offices across the UK, Ireland and Hong Kong, and with strategic alliances across the globe, the firm is recognised by clients and industry alike as being distinct for our unique culture and for providing solutions to complex, multi-jurisdictional business challenges with a pragmatic and human touch. So whether it is providing international employment law advice, managing a global IP portfolio or leading on a cross-border corporate transaction, Lewis Silkin can support you with the right people, in the right place, at the right time.
Lewis Silkin’s Hong Kong offices focuses on employment, intellectual property, litigation, data privacy, immigration and reward advice. The firm advises both businesses headquartered in, and those with operations in, Hong Kong on the full range of people and brand protection matters including:
Employment and immigration law
• day-to-day HR support
• employment documentation
• separation agreements
• employment disputes in the Labour Tribunal
• restrictive covenants and team moves
• whistleblowing and discrimination claims
• transfer of business undertakings
• restructuring
• immigration applications
• employee benefits sand incentives
• worker status (including worker status claims)
• advising senior executives
Intellectual property
• complex licensing
• issuing and defending proceedings relating to IP infringement
• assignment and manufacturing
• lodging opposition, cancellation, rectification and invalidation proceedings
• service and distribution agreements
• IP aspects of corporate transactions (including IP due diligence and stock exchange listings)
Data privacy
• compliance with the Hong Kong Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO)
• privacy policy documents
• workplace data privacy issues
• terms of business
• performing audits
• handling data breaches
• subject access requests
Commercial litigation
• disputes relating to commercial contracts
• director and shareholder disputes
• disputes relating to fraud
• interim relief
• arbitration
• mediation
The Hong Kong office supports various multinationals on international projects across the Asia Pacific region as well as global project. The office also advises Asia Pacific-based companies on the setting up of operations in the UK, in particular working closely alongside the firm’s London-based Chinese, Japanese and Korean desks.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment/ Immigration | Catherine Leung | catherine.leung@lewissilkin.com | +852 2972 7188 |
| Employment litigation/ Intellectual Property | Jezamine Fewins | jezamine.fewins@lewissilkin.com | +852 2972 7114 |
| Reward and incentives | Kenneth Leung | kenneth.leung@lewissilkin.com | +852 2972 7120 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Gladys Ching | Gladys’s clients come from a broad range of industries including financial services, technology… | View Profile |
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Jezamine Fewins | Jezamine’s practice focuses on both employment and intellectual property matters and has… | View Profile |
|
David Kong | David’s clients come from a range of sectors, including start-ups, tech firms,… | View Profile |
|
Kenneth Leung | Kenneth has 22 years of experience advising financial services organisations, multinationals, government… | View Profile |
|
Catherine Leung | Catherine has been advising clients on all aspects of Hong Kong employment… | View Profile |
Solicitor Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mr Matthew Durham | Foreign Legal Consultant | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of lawyers : 14 Number of other staff : 9Languages
Cantonese English MandarinMemberships
Ius Laboris International Chamber of Commerce The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong The Asian Patent Attorneys AssociationOther
Contacts : Jezamine Fewins (Partner, Head of Litigation) Contacts : Catherine Leung (Partner, Head of Employment) Contacts : Kenneth Leung (Consultant)Client Testimonials
CLIENT: Sebastian Gilbert Head of Operations (Hong Kong)
COMPANY/FIRM: Deliveroo
TESTIMONIAL: As our Hong Kong business has grown we have relied on their support to assist our immigration requirements and visa applications. Increasingly we have been working with Lewis Silkin to aid us in the employment sphere, where Antonia and the team have been extremely helpful. We have received a consistently high standard of service, and we look forward to continue working with Antonia and the team in the future.
CLIENT: Lee Bressler, Associate General Counsel, Employment
COMPANY/FIRM: Willis Towers Watson
TESTIMONIAL: We use Lewis Silkin’s employment advice service in APAC for all of our APAC employment law needs. It works particularly well for us because we have a single point of contact to help manage multiple requests and ensure that our queries get answered quickly and effectively. The quality and timeliness of the advice is excellent. We also benefit from having a member of the Lewis Silkin team review and sense check the advice before it comes to back to us.
CLIENT: Alice Hall, Global Head of HR
COMPANY/FIRM: YouGov
TESTIMONIAL: Lewis Silkin is now my number one go-to for all our employment law queries in APAC. Managing multiple counties in this region can be a challenge when it comes to employment law, but Lewis Silkin make it easy; they are responsive, professional, and provide excellent advice. No matter what query it is, I find they are always on hand to support, guide and provide pragmatic advice. I would not hesitate to recommend them, and look forward to working closely with them in the future as our APAC employment law partners.
CLIENT: Brian Foley Global head of Aircraft Trading
COMPANY/FIRM: Avolon
TESTIMONIAL: We initially worked with Lewis Silkin a number of years ago when setting up our business in Hong Kong. Over the last twelve months we have been building out our Hong Kong presence. The decision to rehire partner Antonia Grant and the team at Lewis Silkin was an easy one given our previous experience with the quality of their work around the immigration processes involved in building out our team. Once again, they did not disappoint and maintained a consistently high level of performance and delivery. We look forward to continuing that relationship into the future.
CLIENT: Managing Director
COMPANY/FIRM: High end international retailer
TESTIMONIAL: We have been working with Lewis Silkin in the UK for years now we worked with Antonia whilst she was in the Lewis Silkin London Branch when she relocated to the Hong Kong Branch we had no hesitation in using the expertise of Lewis Silkin there. Antonia and the team have been extremely helpful with all the immigration assistance we have required and in assisting in processing visa applications. The service we have received has been of a high standard and very professional. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Antonia and the team going forward
CLIENT: May Szeto Head of HR, Asia
COMPANY/FIRM: Grosvenor Group
TESTIMONIAL: We have no hesitation in recommending Lewis Silkin to any employer in APAC. In the past 2 years, our company has reviewed our employment handbook and a number of internal policies for HK, China and Japan. Lewis Silkin was heavily involved in these reviews and their inputs to the process were highly valued. Their advices are consistently of high standard and commercial, which helps us to strive for a balance between business needs and legal requirement. The team at Lewis Silkin has been extremely helpful, professional and responsive. I look forward to continuing our relationship with Lewis Silkin in the future.
CLIENT: Head of Legal, Asia
COMPANY/FIRM: Luxury sales company
TESTIMONIAL: We enjoy working with the young and energetic team of Lewis Silkin. They are very experienced in employment and immigration law matters and could share their global and regional experience in these areas which are very useful for inhouse lawyers who have to look after these issues from an APAC perspective. They are also good at staying in touch with their clients and understanding the latest development and needs of their clients
CLIENT: Head of Employment Law and Commercial Litigation
COMPANY/FIRM: Deliveroo
TESTIMONIAL: We work with Lewis Silkin in Hong Kong, the UK and Ireland. The team are fantastic. They have a deep understanding of their subject matter and our business. Their advice is practical, and delivered in a timely manner. We would be happy to recommend their services across each of these markets.
Client: Head of HR, Hong Kong
Company: Grosvenor
Lewis Silkin has been our trusted legal partner for the past few years. We found it much more efficient to have a single point of contact in the region to manage issues or requests from different countries. The timeliness of the response and quality of work of the team has been impressive. We have also been benefited from the regular seminars that Lewis Silkin organized for clients, to help us to stay abreast of the latest development of employment law of the jurisdictions we operate. We look forward to continue our partnership with Lewis Silkin in the future.
CLIENT: In House Employment Lawyer
COMPANY/FIRM: Willis Towers Watson
TESTIMONIAL: We use Lewis Silkin’s employment advice service in APAC for all of our APAC employment law needs. It works particularly well for us because we have a single point of contact to help manage multiple requests and ensure that our queries get answered quickly and effectively. The quality and timeliness of the advice is excellent. We also benefit from having a member of the Lewis Silkin team review and sense check the advice before it comes to back to us.
Client: In House Employment Lawyer
Company: LinkedIn
The team are my go-to for prompt and practical employment law advice across Asia Pacific. It’s no small feat to boil down complex regulations into business-friendly advice, but they deliver time after time.
- Labour and employment