Two of Hugill & Ip partners ranked as Legal 500 Leading Individuals in the following practice areas:
- Alfred Ip for Private Client and Family (Tier 2 Firm)
- Adam Hugill for Labour and Employment (Tier 3 Firm)
Moreover, the firm is recognized with Tier 3 ranking in Commercial, Corporate and M&A for the independent Hong Kong law firms category.
Private Client and Family
The team at Hugill & Ip has ‘great capability over the spectrum of contentious and non-contentious private client work’, from wealth and estate planning to shareholder disputes and will enforcement. The firm is also active in the family sphere, guiding high-net-worth individuals in Hong Kong and Greater China through issues such as nuptial agreements, divorce and adoption. Team head Alfred Ip has established a strong regional reputation, especially for his expertise regarding trusts and estate planning, with clients claiming he is ‘very adept at dealing with probate matters’.
Testimonials
‘Hugill & Ip stands out as they have deep knowledge and experience in private client and estate administration related litigation. This is a very specialised area where there is relatively little choice in terms of selection of competent legal advisors.’
‘The team has great capability over the spectrum of contentious and non-contentious private client work, including working on cross-border matters.’
‘I would classify Hugill & Ip private client team as a dream team, for both advisory and contentious practice.’
Work highlights
- Successfully challenged the DoJ on an issue related to probate in a same-sex marriage.
- Successfully struck a deal for an estate in a compulsory sale of property with Kerry Properties.
Adam Hugill leads the employment team at Hugill & Ip, which covers all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law including individual and mass terminations, high-profile transfers and labour restructurings. The team is also involved in a number of high-profile equal opportunity and discrimination cases, which remains relatively rare in the Hong Kong market. Supporting the team is Christopher Hooley, who has developed a strong reputation regarding the hiring and termination of senior executives and employment strategy advice. Jade Tang bolsters the regional presence, her practice focusing on advising clients throughout PRC and Asia Pacific.
Testimonials
‘Very efficient team that manage clients well.’
‘I work mainly with Adam Hugill. He is very quick and alive to the real issues.’
‘The team are remarkably commercial compared to their competitors in the Hong Kong market. They are very well suited to working with western clients.’
Work highlights
- Acting for BFAM Partners, a Hong Kong hedge fund, to obtain an injunction against its former Chief Technology Officer to restrict his ability to work for a key competitor for the duration of his non-competition covenant.
- Acting for Lim Advisors on a case involving, as a preliminary issue, the consideration of the jurisdiction of the Labour Tribunal and High Court when parties have contractually agreed to arbitration.
- Acting for Charles Taylor and 9 individuals in connection with ongoing claims by their former employer McLarens, for breach of contract, fiduciary duties, procurement to breach and unlawful conspiracy arising from the transfer of their employment in 2019.
Commercial, Corporate and M&A: Independent Hong Kong Law Firms
Hugill & Ip has a broad practice across both corporate and commercial law, advising them on joint ventures, licensing, cooperation and distribution agreements, and acquisitions. The team is jointly led by Christopher Hooley, Jade Tang and Gary Wong. Hooley has a decades-long track record handling M&A deals in both the UK and HK, while Wong is qualified to practice in Hong Kong, New York and Hawaii. In addition to her corporate work, Tang has additional expertise in employment law.
Work highlights
- Advised Hargreaves Services PLC on a wide range of commercial and banking issues in Hong Kong,
- Acting as primary counsel to Chinney Alliance Engineering Limited on the successful bid and subsequent matters for the Hong Kong $800 million Facility Control Systems for the Hong Kong International Airport Third Runway Project.
- Advised T Creative Limited on its partnership and joint venture agreements with business partners and on its business agreements, including licensing agreements and cooperation agreements for exhibitions.