A webinar jointly held by Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the Asian Academy of International Law (AAIL) and the Hong Kong Chinese Enterprises Association (HKCEA) Legal Affairs Steering Committee last Friday (26 February 2021) with an aim to explore Hong Kong’s leading legal hub status in the region of Asia attracted more than 900 participants from around the globe.
Top-notch legal and dispute resolution practitioners at the “Why Hong Kong is Irreplaceable” webinar shared in-depth insights into Hong Kong’s unique strengths as a legal hub for deal-making and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region and why it is a gateway to and from the Mainland for doing international business.
The Chairman of the AAIL, Dr Anthony Neoh, SC, and the Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Stephen Phillips, opened the event bygiving welcoming remarks. The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Mr Eddie Yue, and the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, also gave keynote speeches and concluding remarks at the event.
Mr Phillips said at the event, “Hong Kong is a preferred choice for international investors from around the world and the Mainland. The rule of law and the common law legal system in the context of ‘one country, two systems’ provides a solid and robust foundation for businesses to operate in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s comprehensive range of specialist legal services is highly valued by the international and Mainland investor community.”
Partner & Chair (Asia) of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP Mr Martin Rogers moderated the panel on deal-making. Drawing on the panel’s collective 150 years of providing legal advice, Partner of King & Wood Mallesons Mr Paul Starr, Partner of Herbert Smith Freehills Mr Tommy Tong, Partner of Kwok Yih & Chan Mr Conrad Chan and General Counsel of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited Ms Carmen Kan shared their insights in their areas of specialism.
Partner of Mayer Brown Dr Thomas So moderated a panel on dispute resolution covering Hong Kong’s highly regarded status as a legal hub for a variety of modes of resolution. The panellists, all leaders in their field, were Partner of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP Mr David W Rivkin; Partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP Mr Brian Gilchrist; Partner of Steptoe & Johnson HK LLP Ms Susan Munro; and Partner of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Mr John Choong.
The expert panellists discussed Hong Kong’s unique strengths as a legal hub for deal-making and dispute resolution services. They said that the city is a preferred international legal hub given its strong rule of law characterised by an independent judiciary guaranteed by the Basic Law and under “one country, two systems”. This impartiality lays the very important foundation of a fair, predictable and transparent environment for international investors to make deals and resolve disputes in Hong Kong. In addition, the common law system in Hong Kong and the use of both English and Chinese in Hong Kong courts are distinct advantages.
Speakers at the dispute resolution services panel highlighted that eBRAM, the online arbitration system, has proved to be very effective under the current pandemic situation. The Arrangement Concerning Mutual Assistance in Court-ordered Interim Measures in Aid of Arbitral Proceedings by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was described as a game-changer. The Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) has received applications to Mainland courts covering assets of US$1.9 billion and to date Mainland courts have granted orders totalling US$1.5 billion. And Hong Kong is the only jurisdiction outside the Mainland that can provide this service.
Supporting organisations included the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association, the HKIAC, the South China International Arbitration Center (HK) and the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, plus major international law firms.
由投資推廣署聯同亞洲國際法律研究院和香港中國企業協會法律專業委員會合辦的網上研討會上星期五（2021年2月26日）舉行，活動吸引超過九百名來自世界各地的參加者，研討會旨在探討香港在亞洲區內領先的法律樞紐地位。
「為何香港是無可替代」網上研討會，講者包括頂尖法律及爭議解決專業人士，他們闡述香港獨特的法律樞紐優勢，有利在亞太地區內進行商業交易和爭議解決服務，以及企業為何以香港作為進出內地經營國際業務的門戶。
網上研討會首先由亞洲國際法律研究院主席梁定邦資深大律師和投資推廣署署長傅仲森致歡迎辭，香港金融管理局總裁余偉文和律政司司長鄭若驊資深大律師分別在會上作主題演講和總結𦤶辭。
傅仲森在會上表示：「香港是國際及內地投資者開展業務的理想地點，香港的法治及普通法制度得到『一國兩制』保障，為企業在香港經營業務提供堅實的基石。國際和內地投資者對香港提供的全面專業法律服務亦有高度評價。」
達維律師事務所合夥人及亞洲負責人羅嘉誠主持關於商業交易的小組討論，講者包括金杜律師事務所合夥人保羅仕達、史密夫斐爾律師事務所合夥人唐鎮邦、郭葉陳律師事務所合夥人陳智聰和中國銀行（香港）有限公司總法律顧問簡慧敏。小組主持人和講者合共擁有150年提供法律意見的經驗，他們分享了關於商業交易範疇的專業見解。
孖士打律師事務所合夥人蘇紹聰博士則主持關於爭議解決服務的小組討論，探討香港備受尊崇的法律樞紐地位以及不同形式的排解爭議方法。講者都是業界精英，包括德普律師事務所合夥人David W Rivkin、格信律師事務所合夥人喬柏仁、Steptoe & Johnson香港律師事務所合夥人Susan Munro和富而德律師事務所合夥人鐘津翰。
與會講者討論香港作為法律樞紐在進行商業交易和爭議解決服務方面的獨特優勢。他們指出基本法及「一國兩制」確保香港司法獨立，法治基礎穩固，讓香港賴以成為一個理想的國際法律中心。這種獨立性構建一個公平、可預見及透明的環境，讓國際投資者可以放心在香港進行商業交易和解決商業爭議。此外，香港奉行普通法制度和法院採用中英雙語審理案件亦具有明顯優勢。
講者於爭議解決服務的小組討論亦重點提及「一邦國際網上仲調中心」網上爭議解決平台，在現時的疫情下發揮作用；他們亦形容《關於內地與香港特別行政區法院就仲裁程序相互協助保全的安排》是業界重要改革，香港國際仲裁中心受理向中國內地法院提起的仲裁保全申請達19億美元，當中內地法庭已經獲准達15億美元的保全金額。香港成為唯一在內地以外能夠提供此項仲裁服務的司法管轄區。
研討會得到香港律師會、香港大律師公會、香港國際仲裁中心、華南（香港）國際仲裁院、中國國際經濟貿易仲裁委員會和主要國際律師事務所等法律團體支持。
