Deirdre Fu > Withers > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Lawyer Profile
Withers Offices
30/F United Centre
95 Queensway
HONG KONG
Hong Kong
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Deirdre Fu
Work Department
Private client and tax
Position
Partner
Career
She focuses on trust and succession planning, and advises high-net-worth individuals and institutional trustees on wealth protection structuring as well as the importance of planning for incapacity. She also advises on taxation in Hong Kong for individuals and family investment holding vehicles, and related planning opportunities. She has also advised corporations on the set up of employee share trusts.
Deirdre is listed as an ‘up and coming’ private wealth practitioner in Chambers’ HNW Guide 2021-2022. She has been recommended as a leading private client lawyer in Who’s Who Legal. Furthermore, she has been recognised in Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2019-2022; Citywealth’s 2019 Powerwomen List and Citywealth’s 2019 Leading Private Client Lawyers list.
She passed the STEP diploma on International Trust Management with Distinction in 2014. She is qualified in England & Wales, Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area of China.
Languages
English, Cantonese, Mandarin
Memberships
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
Hong Kong Ballet Company, Governor and Honorary Secretary
Hong Kong Ballet Group, Board member
Agricultural and Fisheries Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government, Advisory Committee
War Memorial Pensions Appeal Board of the Hong Kong SAR Government
Education
University of Cambridge, MA
City University, MBA
College of Law, Guildford, LPC
STEP Diploma in International Trust Management (Distinction)
STEP Advanced Certificate in UK Tax for International Clients (Distinction)
Lawyer Rankings
Hong Kong > Private Client and Family
Lauded by a client as ‘the most experienced and well-resourced private client and family team in Hong Kong’, Withers continues to excel in advising high-net-worth individuals, their families, advisers, and family offices. International and cross-border issues, such as complicated financial arrangements or estate planning, form a sweet spot of the firm’s offering. Katie Graves has particular expertise in advising UK expatriates and Asian families with UK connections on their personal tax issues, and co-leads the team alongside Jocelyn Tsao, who is praised as ‘simply the best, whether in terms of legal knowledge, or team and client management’ and has represented clients in some of the most high-profile cases before the courts of Hong Kong. Tsao is a keen advocate for the voices of children throughout the divorce and custody process. Other key names at a partner level include the ‘dynamic and hard-working’ Billy Ko, Alex Chung, who specialises in cross-border probate matters with an emphasis on estates with US connections; as well as Anisha Ramanathan, who is experienced in all areas of matrimonial law with a ‘deep understanding of children’s arrangements’. Trust and succession planning expert Deirdre Fu and experienced litigator Samantha Gershon are also recommended. In team news, Anisha Ramanathan was recently promoted to partnership, while Vanessa Duff joined Charles Russell Speechlys LLP in June 2023 and Tim George left to become the CEO at Loke Family Office.