Lewis Silkin supports local and international companies on the full range of employment, IP and immigration law issues both in Hong Kong and across Asia Pacific.

Why work with us

Lewis Silkin works with leading businesses to protect and enhance their most important assets – their ideas, their people and their future. Our locally licensed Hong Kong office offers high quality and cost-effective support in both Hong Kong and across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. We are rated in both of the independent legal directories; Legal 500 and Chambers.

Employment law

Lewis Silkin has one of the largest employment law teams in Hong Kong. We have received global recognition with Who’s Who Legal awarding us ‘Law Firm of the Year for Labour, Employment & Pensions’.

Our advice is practical and commercial, always taking into account your end goals and we also understand cultural sensitivities and where these might impact. We advise on the full range of employment matters including:

1. day-to-day HR support;
2. employment documentation;
3. separation agreements;
4. employment disputes in the Labour Tribunal and the courts of Hong Kong;
5. restrictive covenants and team moves;
6. whistleblowing and discrimination claims;
7. transfer of business undertakings;
8. restructuring;
9. employee benefits and incentives;
10. worker status (including worker status claims); and
11. advising senior executives.

We also have an unrivalled international offering through our alliance, Ius Laboris, where we work together with our partner law firms on cross-border projects across APAC on a daily basis and we offer multinational clients a variety of models to meet their needs such as fixed-fee work on an ad hoc basis to quick query helpdesks on a regional or global basis.

We have a number of internationally headquartered firms where we have set up successful helpdesk arrangements for their APAC services enabling us to assist with employment related matters across various jurisdictions on a regular basis.

IP law

We understand that the full spectrum of ideas come in many shapes and sizes. From new products and business models, creative pitches and novel sponsorship agreements, through to core intellectual property, data optimisation or the unique commercial contracts that underpin them. Whatever your ideas, our integrated 360 degree offering provides the specialist expertise you need to help you and your company build them into corporate strategies to support and drive key business goals, creating tangible value from your intangible assets.

Our experts advise on the full range of intellectual property rights, including patents, designs, trade marks, domain name portfolio management, copyright, database rights and confidential information. Uniquely for a law firm we have in-house patent, design, trade mark and domain name portfolio management teams, and our contentious and non-contentious transactional lawyers work closely together rather than being siloed in separate departments. This means we can deliver excellent advice and support to our clients in a joined up, efficient and cost-effective way.

We advise across a range of IP and IP-related contractual arrangements including:

1. complex licensing;
2. IP enforcement;
3. manufacturing and distribution;
4. handling opposition, cancellation and invalidation proceedings as well as customs recordals; and
5. IP aspects of corporate transactions (including IP due diligence and stock exchange listings).

Immigration law

We are renowned for our immigration services and have a strong track record of supporting international businesses (small to medium - multinationals), entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth individuals establishing or expanding operations in Hong Kong and the broader Asian region. We have a passion for creative, tech and innovative businesses: this passion runs through everything we do from entrepreneurial start-ups to global household names, leveraging our market-leading expertise across our employment, immigration, intellectual property, commercial litigation, data and reward practices to ensure we have our clients covered.

We offer high-quality and cost-effective support to ensure our clients’ relocation or business-expansion plans are met with the attention it deserves.

We believe immigration is rarely a ‘stand alone’ or ‘one size fits all’ need: it is often part of a broader business or relocation strategy. That is why we are able to combine expert immigration services with robust broader services, including tax and compliance advice – so clients benefit from specialised holistic legal support under one roof rather than fragmented assistance.

Our Core Strengths

1. comprehensive immigration solutions for inbound Hong Kong immigration needs (investment, employment, talent visas, dependent, permanent residence, visa variations and renewals etc) to global mobility and cross-border considerations and solutions;
2. integrated advisory services;
3. tailored service for business-migration and expansion projects;
4. multilingual, cross-jurisdictional and high-net-worth client capability; and
5. risk-aware, compliance-driven approach.

Data & Privacy

In today’s information-fuelled world, data can hold the key to generating competitive advantage. We don’t see data protection and privacy as a standalone issue, and regularly harness our experience in IP and employment law to address our clients’ data challenges. We advise on data and privacy issues including:

1. compliance with the Hong Kong Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO);
2. filing complaints to the Commissioner for Data Privacy;
3. privacy policy documents;
4. data access requests;
5. terms of business;
6. performing audits; and
7. handling data breaches.

Commercial litigation

We litigate high value and complex commercial and company disputes at every level in the courts of Hong Kong, and make effective use of all forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution including arbitration and mediation. Our experience covers disputes relating to commercial contracts, fraud, joint venture issues, director and shareholder disputes and interim relief.

Support across Asia Pacific

Our Hong Kong office offers a high quality and cost-effective service for all employment and IP law needs across APAC.

Our specialist international lawyers support start-up companies, SMEs and MNCs with operations in the APAC region and beyond, acting as a single point of contact. From understanding the advantages and risks of leveraging a brand in a particular jurisdiction, to carrying out a cross-border restructuring, our Hong Kong office can assist.

Working closely with clients, we map out projects and individual queries and manage them effectively through:

1. defining the scope of specific projects across APAC in collaboration with you and our wider international team;
2. ensuring we understand your commercial goals;
3. managing input from across our international practice and ensuring that deadlines are met;
4. refining, organising and optimising the information and advice you receive so it is practical, commercial and easy to understand;
5. assisting with implementation of advice when a course of action is approved; and
6. co-ordinating budgets and ensuring fees are dealt with in a streamlined and transparent manner.

Our team in Hong Kong regularly works with local clients on their employment and IP law needs in EMEA, and with US-headquartered multinationals on their global projects.