Withers LLP

Chairman: Justine Markovitz

Chief Executive Officer: Margaret Robertson

Managing Partner (Hong Kong office): Jocelyn Tsao

Number of partners (firmwide): 170+

Number of lawyers (firmwide): 450+

Languages: Albanian, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cantonese, Croatian, Dutch, Easter Min, English, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Hokkien, Hungarian, Hunnanese, Ilocano, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Khasi, Kiswahili, Konkani, Korean, Lithuanian, Malay, Malayalam, Mandarin, Marathi, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Shona, Sinhalese, Somali, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Teochew, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Welsh.

Firm Overview:

Withers is one of the world’s first international law firms dedicated to the business, personal and philanthropic interests of successful people, their businesses, families and advisers. With over 170 partners and more than 1,200 employees in 17 offices across Europe, US, Asia Pacific and the Caribbean, Withers has unparalleled expertise in helping businesses and individuals across all major financial centres around the world.

In 2008, Withers established its Hong Kong office to offer on-the-ground support in Asia for the firm’s international client base. Today, its multinational team of lawyers and legal professionals offers one of the most comprehensive arrays of client services across various major jurisdictions. Withers is also able to put together a cross-disciplinary team of advisers with the relevant experience and expertise for complex, cross-border transactions in the region. Its team understands both domestic and international issues and how different legal regimes interact and impact each other.

Main Areas of Practice:

Corporate & Commercial:

The corporate and commercial team in Hong Kong combines international deal execution capabilities with PRC regulatory expertise for a varied client base including listed and private companies, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, families and high net worth individuals and not-for-profit organisations. The team is very experienced in all corporaterelated matters, including M&A, capital markets, private equity, corporate finance, banking & finance, corporate tax, real estate and investment funds. Withers’ Greater China corporate and commercial practice is led by Mabel Lui who has significant experience in China-focused corporate matters. Her team continues to bring a well-rounded Greater China corporate background, complementing the firm’s other practices.

Real Estate:

The real estate team in Hong Kong has deep experience advising clients on their domestic and international real estate matters across the full range of property types, from residential, commercial, to industrial properties. It acts for matters across the entire real estate investment life-cycle, ranging from mergers and acquisitions, property joint ventures, disposals and tenancy matters, retail leasing, development and redevelopment, and conveyancing, however complex they may be.

Litigation & Arbitration:

Withers’ litigation and arbitration team in Hong Kong is headed by partner Soo Khim Keoy, who has more than two decades of experience assisting clients with their local as well as international corporate commercial disputes. He and his team have supported the firm’s global clients, whether they are investing into or out of Asia, in navigating through regulatory, and various other legal risks which the firm’s clients may face. The firm’s international arbitration practitioners specialise in both investment and commercial arbitrations, are well-versed under the leading arbitral rules and have a wide range of experience in various sectors.

Family:

Withers is widely regarded as one of the largest family and matrimonial law firms in Hong Kong and has dealt with numerous high profile and landmark cases. Its clients receive specialist advice on all aspects of family law, from divorce and finances, prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements, family wealth protection, mental health proceedings and elder law, to children custody, international child abduction, maintenance and child support, tax and immigration advice post-divorce. The team forms part of the firm’s leading global divorce and family practice and is well-equipped with the right set of skills to handle clients’ cases in the most effective and efficient way possible and to secure the best outcome.

Private Client & Tax:

Withers has the largest private client and tax team on the ground in Hong Kong. It has a wide range of clients, including but not limited to family offices, charities, families, financial institutions, high net worth individuals, and trustees. Withers typically acts for the creators of wealth and their families, and focuses on developing long term relationships with those clients across its international offices. We also work with their businesses, establishing ourselves as the top law firm focusing on private capital. Withers’ multi-disciplinary capabilities cover issues on immigration, philanthropy, matrimonial, cross-border investments, litigation, real estate and pre-IPO planning, providing clients with a fully integrated, one-stop service that other law firms cannot match.