Dispute Resolution: Litigation (International Firms) | Greater China Region

Herbert Smith Freehills enjoys a superb reputation for handling a vast range of local and international litigation for blue-chip clients from the firm's office in Hong Kong. The firm is also well placed to serve high net worth individuals and is distinguished by the depth and experience of its bench of litigators, allowing the team to commit substantial resources to the largest and most complex cases. It is notably visible in litigation arising out of financial services litigation and shareholder disputes, as well as general commercial disagreements. Clients benefit from the firm's alternative legal services team based in Shanghai, which offers support on the review of Chinese language documents, as well as from its joint-operation local firm, Kewei.

A&O Shearman has a hugely experienced Hong Kong-based disputes team with a distinguished track record acting for high-profile banking and corporate clients on contentious matters. The firm also offers expertise in regulatory investigations and mis-selling claims, leveraging the strength of its fraud, white-collar crime and money laundering practices. It is particularly noted for its work on multi-jurisdictional disputes across the Asia-Pacific region, with clients also benefiting from the firm's PRC joint operation, Lang Yue Law Firm.

Dentons boasts a deep Hong Kong-based bench with widespread coverage of the Greater China and wider Asia region. The team acts on a broad range of commercial disputes, including shareholder disputes, real estate litigation, insolvency disputes and professional indemnity cases. It also regularly handles matters relating to judicial review and interim measures, as well as misappropriation of funds and fraud recovery. The client roster includes SOEs, professional services firms and corporates in the manufacturing, retail, tech and pharmaceutical sectors.

Baker McKenzie offers a highly capable team acting on major disputes in the PRC and Hong Kong. It is particularly active in cross-border disputes, especially those involving breach of contract and fraud as well as insolvency and restructuring. The team also advises clients on shareholder and joint venture disputes, as well as contentious trust and estate issues, banking disputes and disputes over land ownership. Clients benefit from the support of the firm's extensive network of global offices. The team advises an impressive roster of clients, including financial institutions and multinational companies.

Debevoise & Plimpton offers an experienced team based across offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai. The team specialises in advising financial services clients and banks on commercial litigation and contentious regulatory matters. It advises on complex cross-border disputes concerning fraud, white-collar crime, insolvency, and shareholder and joint venture disputes. Clients also include blue-chip multinationals and private individuals. The litigation team frequently supports its robust arbitration practice with the securing of interim measures.

DLA Piper's robust Hong Kong-based practice offers capable litigators covering the full range of commercial disputes. It acts for notable corporations, insurance companies and financial institutions on domestic and multi-jurisdictional matters such as shareholder disputes, insolvencies and financial litigation, including debt recovery. The team is regularly mandated to assist with contentious regulatory investigations, as well as on estate and probate disputes. The team is also a popular choice for real estate developers and investors on their disputes.

Hogan Lovells' Hong Kong office enjoys an excellent reputation for handling a broad range of litigation, including investigations, shareholder disputes and financial regulatory matters, with notable strengths in insolvency disputes, acting for both liquidators and receivers. The firm is able to assist clients with disputes involving Hong Kong, China and jurisdictions throughout the Asia-Pacific region. It is noted for its contentious construction practice and is additionally well placed to advise on anti-corruption investigations and public inquiries. Its wide-ranging clientele includes corporates, statutory bodies, high net worth individuals and senior management staff at multinational companies.

Johnson Stokes & Master offers clients a large team with deep expertise in both local and international disputes. The team, which split from Mayer Brown in late 2024, is noted for its longstanding presence in the Hong Kong market, as well as for the impressive breadth of its litigation capability, covering contentious construction, employment and financial services matters. Its additional areas of focus include real estate disputes and regulatory investigations, as well as probate disputes.

Howse Williams is an independent Hong Kong firm with a well-regarded disputes practice offering a wide range of litigation expertise. It is frequently active on mis-selling claims and fraud recovery matters, often assisting clients with securing injunctions and interim measures. Its clientele spans MNCs, SOEs, financial services firms and individual employees.

King & Wood Mallesons' deeply experienced Hong Kong bench is bolstered by a significant Mainland China team offering clients extensive coverage in the region, backed by a wider global network. King & Wood Mallesons acts on a wide range of commercial and financial disputes for major listed companies and SOEs. The team possesses additional expertise in shareholder disputes, insolvency litigation, cross-border enforcement actions, compliance matters, debt recovery, copyright claims, competition disputes, probate litigation and fraud claims. It is also noted for its expertise in construction and infrastructure disputes.

Norton Rose Fulbright has a major cross-border practice presenting solid litigation capabilities in Mainland China and Hong Kong. The firm continues to attract prominent international and domestic banks, technology companies and financial services firms, as well as high net worth individuals. It handles a broad range of commercial litigation, tracing and recovery matters and restructuring and insolvency-related disputes. It also maintains an active practice advising on cyber-fraud cases.

Offering a robust Hong Kong litigation practice advising on contentious matters related to restructuring and insolvency, construction and finance, Stephenson Harwood frequently acts on shareholder disputes, professional negligence, employment and insolvency litigation and fraud claims. The firm offers longstanding experience handling complex international instructions and advises clients across a range of sectors, including insurance and financial services, often acting for domestic and international banking clients. It is frequently sought out by liquidators and administrators in insolvency disputes.

Ashurst boasts a full-service Hong Kong-based team with a strong focus on the financial services sector. The team is regularly instructed in shareholder and contractual disputes and is well regarded for insolvency-related litigation. Clients benefit from the firm's extensive network of offices in Asia and alliances with local firms in China and India. It is valued for its contentious regulatory practice and also handles regulatory investigations.

Fangda Partners offers a well-regarded Hong Kong team noted for its capabilities in Mainland China, with demonstrable strength in handling cross-border disputes involving Chinese entities, including SOEs, as well as domestic disputes. It also acts for a range of foreign clients in addition to its strong PRC and Hong Kong client base. Particular areas of expertise include joint venture and shareholder disputes, regulatory matters and fraud claims. The team is capable of advising clients on cross-border disputes across the Asia-Pacific region.

Hill Dickinson offers clients experience across a range of commercial litigation matters, with additional capabilities in arbitration-related matters, including the enforcement of arbitral awards. The team is regularly sought out by regional and global funds, banks and corporates, as well as high net worth individuals, for assistance with insolvency-related disputes, fraud tracing and recovery, the enforcement of debts and shareholder disputes.

A sizeable Hong Kong-based litigation practice handling a wide range of commercial disputes, in addition to a strong track record for shipping disputes, Reed Smith is noted for advising on cross-border breach of contract and shareholder disputes. It also regularly acts on debt recovery mandates, as well as advising on various interim measures and judicial review procedures.

RPC has a strong Hong Kong litigation practice which is acknowledged for its strength in professional indemnity cases, regularly representing lawyers, accountants and other services professionals. The team often defends accountancy firms and auditors against allegations of misconduct and is also instructed on banking and finance disputes, particularly those with investment banks as counterparty. It offers additional expertise in insurance litigation and data protection cases, as well as recovery and enforcement actions.

Tanner De Witt is a respected, independent Hong Kong firm, acknowledged for its broad commercial disputes offering. Its areas of expertise include professional negligence claims, shareholder disputes, debt and asset recovery, fraud, and contentious trusts and probate. The team often acts for clients in the financial services sector, international investors and high net worth individuals and families.

Eversheds Sutherland provides clients with expert advice on a broad range of litigation matters, from finance and competition to insolvency and contract disputes. The Hong Kong-based team also acts for regional and international clients on regulatory and international trade-related disputes. It frequently acts on behalf of major financial institutions and also represents government agencies in judicial review proceedings.

HFW is a pioneering international law firm in Hong Kong specialising in matters across the litigation sphere. It demonstrates capabilities representing high net worth individuals in estate disputes, as well as handling a variety of debt recovery and enforcement mandates. It also frequently acts for liquidators in restructuring and liquidation cases with cross-border aspects.

Zhong Lun Law Firm is widely recognised as a top-tier PRC law firm with a strong presence in Hong Kong. The firm is noted for its strong stable of Chinese clients and is regularly mandated on various forms of commercial disputes, including substantial estate and probate litigation, breach of contract claims, insolvency litigation, debt recovery and enforcement matters. The team is regularly entrusted with cross-border and offshore litigation.