Mark Side > Tanner De Witt > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Lawyer Profile

Mark Side

+852 2573 5000 markside@tannerdewitt.com

Work Department

Dispute Resolution

Position

Consultant

Career

Mark has been with Tanner De Witt since 2000 and is highly regarded in Hong Kong as a commercial and family litigator. Mark’s practice today focuses on contentious regulatory matters along with family and private wealth matters and disputes within professional partnerships, particularly within the legal industry. Mark has long-standing relationships with his clients and with professional intermediaries such as mediators, barristers, arbitrators and private investigators. Chambers Asia notes that Mark is “strategically very strong, mindful of our concerns and [he] always explains the contributing factors to his advice”.

Mark advises on a wide range of civil and commercial disputes. In recent years Mark has advised on a number of complex and high-value shareholder disputes. A large part of Mark’s practice continues to involve representing senior partners at domestic and international law firms in Hong Kong in their partnership disputes. Mark’s clients include high net worth individuals, financial companies, public companies, private individuals and accountants.

Mark was the driving force behind the creation of Tanner De Witt’s Family practice and continues to play an instrumental role within it alongside Joanne Brown. He is well respected for providing strategic advice and support to families going through challenging times both emotionally and financially. His role involves advising high net worth families and individuals on the structuring of estates and asset preservation in a divorce context.

A CEDR-accredited mediator, Mark understands the long-term consequences on individuals involved in high conflict commercial and family disputes and he encourages the use of less aggressive means to reach amicable agreements. This is particularly effective in achieving pre-action settlement in family and divorce cases. Whether acting in his capacity as a lawyer or as a mediator, clients choose Mark for his open and fair approach to sensitive matters and he builds excellent relationships with clients.

Mark is included in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2021 for his work advising individuals on contentious private wealth matters. This includes acting for a range of clients including trustees, executors and administrators, banks and beneficiaries and private individuals in trust and probate disputes. Mark has particular experience advising individuals and families on the Mental Health Ordinance (MHO) and advising on matters under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975).

Mark’s professional practice also includes advising clients engaged in complex investigations on white collar crime and regulatory issues. He is experienced in appearing before the regulators, tribunals and administrative bodies that control the affairs of regulated professions and industries in Hong Kong. Most recently this has included advising on the recently introduced National Security Law within the Hong Kong Police Force.

Memberships

Professional memberships

• Hong Kong Family Law Association
• The Law Society of Hong Kong

Other memberships

• Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong
• Royal Asiatic Society
• Royal Geographical Society