King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) was honoured to be invited by the Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr. Paul Lam, SC, to join his 30-person delegation's one week visit to the Middle east, including Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE last week.
KWM partner Candy Chan, Head of KWM Hong Kong’s ECM practice, joined Mr. Paul Lam on his first overseas trip leading a delegation to promote Hong Kong's robust legal services capabilities to Saudi Arabian and UAE businesses, to enhance co-operation and exchanges and highlight Hong Kong's unique position as a common law gateway for accessing opportunities in Hong Kong and Mainland China.
The delegation included senior representatives from the Department of Justice, Invest Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Dubai Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Bar Association, as well as prominent law firms and related business sectors from Hong Kong.
Mr. Paul Lam remarked that Hong Kong's legal system is firmly rooted in common law, which continues under the "one country, two systems" principle. Hong Kong's well-established legal system, and first class legal and dispute resolution services give the city a unique edge which attracts business opportunities from across the globe.
Mr. Paul Lam’s visit to the Middle East came on the heels of the forum titled "Hong Kong - The Common Law Gateway for UAE Businesses to China and Beyond" for promoting Hong Kong's legal and dispute resolution services in Dubai on 22 May 2024.
The forum attracted over 300 participants from the legal, business, and other sectors in the UAE. Notable speakers at the event included the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the UAE, Mr. Zhang Yiming, as well as the President and CEO of the Dubai Chambers, Mr. Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah.
Candy Chan shared her insights at the breakout session on "Supporting Business Growth with Hong Kong's Legal Services" from a company law and listing in Hong Kong perspective, receiving a number of queries relating to the setting up of companies in Hong Kong and related issues immediately after the forum. Candy is appreciative of the HKSAR Government taking a proactive role in promoting Hong Kong’s super connector role across business and legal sectors, and looks forward to the continued developments and strengthened cooperation between Hong Kong and the Middle East.
“Hong Kong arbitration provides benefits which no other jurisdiction can confer, particularly when doing business with Mainland parties anywhere in the world,” says Paul Starr, Co-head of International Arbitration at KWM. “In particular, parties at the start of HK arbitration can seek asset protection from each of the Mainland and HKSAR courts, freezing and preserving assets and conduct until the end of the arbitration”.
KWM has been on the ground in Hong Kong SAR for nearly 35 years. We are deeply rooted in Hong Kong with a wealth of knowledge of Hong Kong’s legal and regulatory landscape. KWM advises on Chinese, Hong Kong SAR, English, U.S., Australian, and Japanese law, supporting our clients’ international strategies as they do business across the globe. In 2023, Legal Daily presented KWM with three awards recognizing the firm's outstanding legal work related to the Belt and Road Initiative.
*Any reference to “Hong Kong” shall be construed as a reference to "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China".
