Our solicitors have achieved outstanding results in the most recent editions of Legal 500, Chambers and Partners, Asialaw, Benchmark Litigation, Who’s Who Legal, Spear’s 500, Private Client Global Elite, Citywealth’s Leaders List and Doyle’s Guide.
They have been recognised multiple times by Asian Legal Business and Community Business and been awarded by The Law Society of Hong Kong for their pro bono service to the community.
Employment law is a core area of focus for Hugill & Ip, and since its establishment in September 2018, under the guidance of ‘knowledgeable and responsive‘ name partner Adam Hugill, the team has rapidly made inroads into the local market on behalf of both employers and employees. Work covers the waterfront of issues facing companies and individuals, including advice on employee transfers and team moves, data privacy, immigration, and discrimination.
Hugill has an excellent track record guiding individuals and employers in Labour Tribunal matters, including representation in any pursuant High Court litigation, and has established a strong reputation in advising on high-profile equal opportunity/discrimination cases.
The arrival in June 2020 of Jade Tang from Oldham, Li & Nie strengthens the firm’s capacity on the non-contentious front, in particular, and adds further weight to a team that also includes Christopher Hooley, who regularly handles strategic employment advice as an offshoot of his corporate and commercial practice.
‘The firm provides a fast and professional turnaround.’
‘Adam Hugill is very professional, knowledgeable, and responsive.’
Adam Hugill is well respected by interviewees for his work assisting companies and individual employees with employment law advice and dispute resolution across a range of subjects, including immigration, discrimination issues, disciplinary actions and terminations. He represents clients in matters brought before the Hong Kong Labour Tribunal and the High Court.
Alfred Ip maintains a strong reputation for his contentious probate, trust and estate planning practice. He typically represents families and private individuals in estate disputes, probate actions and applications for declaratory relief. One source confirms that he is “very adept at dealing with probate matters.”
Christopher Hooley is held in high regard for his wide-ranging corporate law practice, with his recent activity spanning M&A transactions and joint ventures to commercial agreements and corporate organisation mandates. He co-heads the corporate and commercial law practice group at Hugill & Ip Solicitors.
Three of Hugill & Ip partners ranked as Asialaw Leading Lawyers in the following practice areas:
- Adam Hugill for Labour and Employment (Highly Recommended Firm)
- Alfred Ip for Private Client and Dispute Resolution (Recommended Firm)
- Christopher Hooley for Corporate and M&A (Notable Firm)
Client feedback:
“Excellent communication with clients. All issues, decisions, and implications are explained incredibly clearly, in a way that a non-legal person can understand and make decisions on. Extremely friendly, professional and responsive lawyers.” – Dispute Resolution
“Reactive and reliable. The firm is also very friendly.” – Labour and Employment
“Jonathan Gray is an excellent lawyer. Great at communication and explaining legal matters to a non-legal person, so that we are able to make a very well-informed decision.”
Asian Legal Business (ALB) presented the 19th Annual ALB Hong Kong Law Awards 2020 on 27 November – the pre-eminent legal awards and ALB’s biggest and longest-running awards in Asia.
Hugill & Ip has been awarded the winning prize for Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year and has been shortlisted as finalist in 8 other categories:
- HKGALA Award for Corporate Citizenship
- Immigration
- Labour and Employment
- Matrimonial and Family
- Private Wealth
- Rising Law Firm
- Tax and Trusts
- Transactional Boutique Law Firm
Alfred Ip, senior partner, said, “We are thankful for the recognition of Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year. Hugill & Ip’s reputation is rooted on handling a wide range of litigation cases: from general commercial and contractual cases, financial and partnership disputes, to banking, trusts, estate, employment and tax litigation.”
The Law Society of Hong Kong has presented the 2020 Awards for the Pro-bono and Community Recognition Programme to the firm and four partners:
- Hugill & Ip – Gold Law Firm Award
- Alfred Ip (Ip Woon Shun 葉煥信) – Individual Gold Award
- Adam Hugill – Individual Bronze Award
- Gary Wong – Individual Bronze Award
- Carmen Tang – Individual Bronze Award
Alfred Ip commented: “I am proud to dedicate part of my efforts and legal knowledge to pro bono campaigns, fundraisers and advisory activities to different causes and charitable organisations: from LGBT rights to people affected by illness (Cancer or HIV/AIDS). I look forward to the future and to contribute even more to causes that can positively impact Hong Kong society overall, both s an individual and as a founder of a law firm”.
Adam Hugill added: “At Hugill & Ip we are really proud to contribute our legal knowledge and time for different social responsibility activities, supporting different charity organisations about causes we feel very passionate about: from food banking and waste reduction to the BRACE Awards – from fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS and eliminating stigma for people living with HIV to raising funds and awareness about cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment”.
Client Service Excellence. Hugill & Ip has been recognised one of the highest rated firms to work with. The most successful law firms go to great lengths to ensure they provide their clients with consistent and high quality service.
As part of the research process for Asialaw Profiles, the survey screens buyers of legal services and ask them to assess and rate law firms for their quality of service in the following attributes:
- Clients management
- Fees and billing
- Firm setup
- Knowledge
Adam Hugill is recognised as Recommended Lawyer in the category of Leading Employment & Labour Lawyers.
Alfred Ip is recognised as First Tier Lawyer in the category of Leading Estates, Probate & Succession Litigation Lawyers.
They have been identified by their fellow Hong Kong-based lawyers and barristers for their expertise and abilities in the area.
Hugill & Ip has been ranked by Benchmark Litigation in the following practice areas:
- Notable Firms for Commercial and Transactions
- Highly Recommended for Private Client
Hugill & Ip is recognised for its work in dispute resolution and the firm has a distinct focus on employment and private client litigation. Key names in the dispute resolution team include partners Alfred Ip and Adam Hugill who led the majority of cases worked on during the research period.
One highlight saw the firm advise a beneficiary in challenging an action of the professional administrator in his estate administration by selling the family home. The home in question used to be the recording studio of Crown Records, one of the most renowned record labels in Hong Kong in the 1970-80s.
Since its establishment in September 2018, boutique independent law firm Hugill & Ip has quickly gained traction in the market for existing clients of lead employment partner Adam Hugill , many of whom followed him to his new firm. Praised for his ‘no-nonsense attitude and helpful, realistic way of giving advice’, Hugill is particularly accomplished at handling employment litigation for individuals in the financial services sector, including on disputes involving payment and clawback of bonuses, and vested and unvested remuneration rights. On the non-contentious front, Christopher Hooley excels at handling the employment aspects of M&A mandates and reorganisations.
‘The team provides direct advice within a practical framework.’
‘Adam Hugill clearly knows his stuff, but manages to exude a casual and relaxed air during meetings.’
Testimonials
What our Clients Say
Catherine Tso is a wonderful family lawyer. She provides very high-quality and detailed work to her clients.
Hugill & Ip law firm helped me to prepare my working contract. Excellent support to achieve the target I wanted.
Alfred Ip is the best trusts and estates solicitor in Hong Kong and has quickly become highly respected for his family work. He has a strategic and aggressive mind that allows him to solve the unsolvable. He understands business better than any of the other family lawyers and can arrange an effective team to execute. He has unparalleled technical ability and experience across the different areas of private client law that make him incomparable.
Excellent working attitude.
They have a truly rounded team – with expertise in trusts and estates, as well as the whole gamut of family disputes. They focus on strategic solutions, and are not afraid to give clients frank advice. They are very well resourced and have excellent partner-associate support.
Hugill & Ip Solicitors provides legal services conscientiously with on-point advises, opinions that matter the most to clientele… par excellence in deliverance of legal cases!
Great law firm. Alfred Ip and his team really understand the needs of private clients — they deliver amazing service to international clients and they really understand complications of working across different jurisdictions. I think it’s the to-go-to address in Hong Kong for legal advice.
It is no exaggeration to say that Alfred Ip is the pre-eminent practitioner in the area of private client, trusts, and contentious probate work in Hong Kong. Many of his cases have cross-border elements.
Highly recommended law firm in Hong Kong. Alfred Ip and his team are not only professional but very easy to communicate with and understand real world people.