.png)
I recently acted as a judge at the International Commercial Mediation Competition in Hong Kong when I was enormously impressed by students from across Asia demonstrating superb fluency and confidence in mock mediations – as often as not in a language that was not their mother tongue. How much the world has changed since I embarked on my legal career half a century ago.
Author: David Ravenscroft, Senior Consultant
A fresh start in Hong Kong in ’82, starting my own practice in ‘85
I came to Hong Kong in 1982 after a stint in London, mostly doing trust and tax work. I wanted to see the world or at least that part of it on the other side, and Hong Kong, on the doorsteps of China, was one of the few places where I could work. It was also much in the news for the impending 1997 deadline when the lease of most of the territory would come to an end. It was also justly famous for its vibrant energy and unique position as a bridge between East and West.
I first worked for H.M. So & Co, before commencing my own practice on 2nd March 1985 in a small office in Causeway Bay. With a handful of staff, we spent a lot of our time rushing between the courts and magistracies. We did legal aid work and sought to build up our clientele. The staff was entirely local back then. The only non-local staff in Hong Kong at that time were from the United Kingdom. None were from the US or Europe. In fact, there were no such things as foreign registered lawyers.
The legal landscape in 1980’s Hong Kong: local firms and a hands-off Law Society
Except for a very few city firms, international law firms did not have branches in Hong Kong; the legal scene was dominated by a few large local firms and lots of small partnerships and sole practitioners. The Law Society operated from a small almost one-room office and took a hands-off approach. Solicitors could appear in court with gowns but were not required to wear wing collars and bands. The huge regulatory burden on matters such as AML were well into the future.
...there had been a time when the whole legal profession could gather together in one room for a cocktail party!
One of the biggest changes since then has been the growth of the legal profession. There are now nearly 11,000 practicing solicitors compared to just about a thousand in 1985, an incredible tenfold increase. And I can remember being told that there had been a time when the whole legal profession could gather together in one room for a cocktail party!
Hong Kong’s volatile 80’s: economic growth, scandals and bank robberies
The eighties was a volatile time for Hong Kong. Continued fast growth and development combined with uncertainty and emigration as the 1997 handover approached. There were scandals and crimes, whether bank robberies or large-scale frauds. The territory became increasingly political and angry. 1987, which prompted large demonstrations and strong feelings, was a watershed. Some of the anger was directed towards the United Kingdom, which was perceived as failing to live up to its responsibilities.
However, as a result of its growth as a financial centre, Hong Kong became more international. Its arts scene flourished. 1997 may have been viewed with trepidation in advance, but the event itself over a five-day holiday was a happy one without rancour.
The firm has always been outward-looking, happy to act for clients from any background and anywhere in the world in a wide variety of matters. We have handled both big and small cases, including one of the last appeals to the Privy Council before 1997, which was also the last successful appeal.
Technological advancements, from clunky ‘mobile’ phones to the first website
In the 1990s there were then unthought of developments on the technical front. The fax machine came and went. After the mobile phone (then large, heavy and clunky) came the world of the internet and websites. Now we have sleek mobile devices with which we can communicate with the world by any means, stay up-to-date with the news and watch movies. How did we ever live without them!
Lawyers do not excel at marketing and were slow to adapt to the marketing possibilities of the internet. We set up our website in 1998 – relatively early compared to most firms. It was designed by Vincent Ching who still works with us doing IT work.
An evolution in law and in our law practice: the introduction of mediation and meeting Stefan Schmierer
Of the many developments in the law since this period, the introduction of mediation in 2009 must be one of the most important and one that we welcomed from the beginning. For the first time, a non-adversarial form of dispute resolution, approved and supported by the courts, was introduced to legal procedure.
On 1st April 2020, the firm was joined with the practice of Stefan Schmierer, one of the most important developments in its history, which broadened the size, scope, and visibility of our practice. I met Stefan through Michael Lorenz, who was then a German registered foreign lawyer who had firms in Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City advising chiefly German-speaking SMEs which had set up operations in the region. Stefan, already qualified in Germany, was then a trainee solicitor and working for Michael. We worked together on a few projects and we eventually joined up to make the current firm.
The early 2020s will be remembered world-wide for the pandemic and in Hong Kong for the introduction of the National Security law. We did not have a full lockdown but even the partial lockdown was a depressant on life and almost any kind of social activity. The courts closed and we were introduced to online hearings. The riots of 2019 and the introduction of the National Security law profoundly changed Hong Kong.
For 2025 we are a ‘recommended firm’ by Legal 500.
The new partnership began on a bright note on 1st April 2020, and we soon moved into offices in the Western district with fine harbour views. At the same time as we moved offices, we were joined by Anna Lau who brought with her a substantial litigation practice with its interesting niche of crypto disputes. We began to be ranked by international agencies, firstly by asialaw in 2023, and then by Benchmark Litigation and asialaw in 2024. For 2025 we are a ‘recommended firm’ by Legal 500. With more lawyers from different backgrounds, the firm is set to grow and prosper whatever political changes may bring.
50 years of change, some big, some hardly noticeable – here’s to another 50 more!
What incredible changes there have been over the last 50 years as a legal professional but what remains unchanged is the dedication to the concept, meaning and importance of the word ‘Justice’, viz clause 40 of Magna Carta:
to no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay right or justice.
And what changes will we see over the next 50 years? Speculation is fun but usually inaccurate. I prefer the observation of the great art historian E. H. Gombrich at the end of his book, the Story of Art:
‘As for the future, who can tell?’
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice of any kind. You should seek your own personal legal advice before taking legal action. We accept no liability whatsoever for loss arising out of the use or misuse of this article.
For specific advice about your situation, please contact:
Senior Consultant
+852 2388 3899
Comentários