With extensive experience in defending major Labour Tribunal claims and overseeing sexual harassment investigations, Baker McKenzie leverages its regulatory, tax, and ethics expertise to provide commercial solutions. The firm routinely represents domestic and international clients from across the TMT, consumer goods, and financial services spheres. ‘Very responsive’ co-head Tess Lumsdaine is an expert in contractual disputes, restraint litigation, and safety-related prosecutions. The second co-lead, Jonathan Isaacs, brings in-depth insight into termination and data privacy issues to the outfit, while Roberta Chan concentrates on all aspects of commercial and corporate litigation. Sonia Wong regularly supports companies on employment due diligence, Ken Ng focuses on post-termination restrictive covenants, while Emily Rayner is hailed as an ‘absolute stand-out’ for her cross-border work.

Spearheaded by the ‘seasoned employment lawyer’ Cynthia Chung, the Deacons practice has extensive expertise in formulating cross-border employment arrangements, alongside assisting with complex sexual harassment and whistleblowing claims. The team stands out for supporting employers who require employment pensions, employee benefits, and immigration advice, with Chung primarily focusing on restructuring, redundancies, and flexible working arrangement in the transition to the post-covid era. The ‘extremely efficient and knowledgeable’ Elsie Chan has experience of handling litigation proceedings before the Labour Tribunal and disputes concerning discrimination and harassment, while Helen Liao regularly acts for multinationals in the life science, telecoms, and construction space. Stephanie Yip covers both contentious and non-contentious employment matters.

Specialising in all aspects of employment law, spanning from contentious and advisory to regulatory and transactional, the Johnson Stokes & Master team is praised for its ‘breadth of experience’ and ‘responsiveness’ by its Chinese and international clientele. The practice is especially well-equipped to handle disability discrimination claims, misconduct allegations, and employment contract disputes, often before the High Court of Hong Kong. Spearheading the group, Hong Tran specialises in strategic labour force issues and privacy matters, whilst Duncan Abate primarily focuses on termination of employment and discrimination affairs. The ‘very helpful and efficient’ Jennifer Tam examines data privacy disputes, offering solid experience in acting for clients before the Labour Tribunal up to the Court of Final Appeal.

Boasting a marquee client list including international investment banks, government agencies, multinationals, the Simmons & Simmons team demonstrates ‘very strong and solid’ expertise in complex whistleblowing claims and internal policy breaches. The firm is particularly well regarded for organising internal investigations in relation to employee misconduct and employee grievances, with co-heads Fiona Loughrey and Wendy Wong specialising in employment arrangements, termination strategies, and Labour Tribunal claims. The ‘very smart’ Wong is also an expert in restrictive covenants, data privacy, and discrimination cases, and Jane Chan predominantly focuses on employment contracts and handbooks. The group has broad sector knowledge, primarily concentrating on the financial services, energy, and asset management fields.

Fielding specialist employment lawyers focusing upon employment aspects of major spinoffs and employee transfer issues, the Bird & Bird practice routinely represents domestic and international corporations from across the life science and tech spaces. On the contentious side, the group has expertise in defending Labour Tribunal proceedings, often relating to contractual severance payments and sexual harassment claims. The team’s head Diana Purdy has vast knowledge on all elements of discrimination cases, restrictive covenants, and employment litigation, whilst Nathalie Sit and Sophie Wang stand out for their contentious and non-contentious employment work.

Offering ‘very clear and pragmatic advice’, the DLA Piper outfit specialises in employee data privacy issues, and internal investigations regarding sexual harassment, alongside complex whistleblowing complaints. The practice is renowned for its ‘multiregional support’, frequently handling cross-border reorganisations and employment projects in Asia Pacific, while team leader Helen Colquhoun demonstrates vast expertise in advising director-level sensitive terminations and investigations. Described as an ‘amazing legal partner’, Colquhoun is especially well versed in allegations of misconduct scenarios, and Wundy Lee acts for multinationals on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law.

The Howse Williams practice is described as ‘very responsive’ and ‘precise’ when advising clients from within the aerospace, financial services, and pharma sectors on cross-border breach of employment contract and wrongful termination disputes. The team has in-depth experience in supporting companies in Labour Tribunal and High Court of Hong Kong proceedings, with the ‘outstanding’ head Patricia Yeung specialising in drafting employment contracts and handbooks. Michael Withington is knowledgeable in commercial litigation, Margaret Wo focuses on data privacy issues, and Jacqui Lee stands out for her work on post-termination restrictions and harassment disputes. Bella Chan is also highlighted as a key contact.

The Seyfarth Shaw LLP practice has extensive experience advising multinational employers on all Asia-Pacific HR-related law needs, including employment law, immigration, data privacy matters. The firm also covers the contentious side, predominantly handling defamation proceedings from former employees, bullying allegations, and redundancy disputes. Kathryn Weaver heads the Hong Kong offering, specialising in restrictive covenant disputes and problematic terminations, while Wan Li is knowledgeable on cross-border transactions and investment matters. Joni Wong focuses on discrimination issues, and Leon Mao is also cited as a key contact for his employment litigation expertise. The team welcomed Rebecca Lim who joined from Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP in June 2024.

Spearheaded by the ‘veteran operator’ Russell Bennett, the Tanner De Witt outfit has extensive expertise in employment-related claims surrounding allegations of race discrimination and constructive dismissal. The team is predominantly instructed by multinational corporations, SMEs, and public sector bodies, with Bennett being an expert on all aspects of employment law, including termination entitlements, harassment, and bonuses. The group of ‘agile thinkers’ is further bolstered by the knowledge of Mark Chiu, who specialises in assisting with contentious issues, including representing clients in the Labour Tribunal, District Court, and Court of Appeal within Hong Kong.

Displaying ‘exceptional legal acumen’ and ‘dedication’, the specialists at Clifford Chance routinely act for international financial institutions and listed companies in complex disputes, often relating to wrongful termination and employment contract claims. On the advisory side, the practice has vast experience of handling large-scale workforce restructurings and strategic hirings, while Jonathan Wong heavily specialises in regulatory and internal investigations. Helen Fu draws upon her ‘profound professional legal knowledge’ when addressing misconduct and redundancy cases, and both Ruby Chik and Latifah Sat are highlighted for their work involving C-Suite exits and breaches of internal policies. Former joint practice head Anita Lam departed in October 2024.

Demonstrating vast expertise in contentious employment issues - ranging from unreasonable dismissals to discrimination and harassment - the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP practice is well versed in representing clients from across the financial services, pharma, and TMT fields. The team regularly oversees internal investigations, often relating to trading misconduct and sexual harassment, with the team head Gareth Thomas being an expert in multi-jurisdictional employment disputes. Rachael Shek focuses on commercial litigation, whilst Veronica So is highlighted for assisting multinational conglomerates and financial institutions.

With the ‘good, experienced’ Adam Hugill at the helm, Hugill & Ip is frequently instructed by domestic and global corporations to handle high-profile workplace discrimination and harassment cases, often dealing with High Court appeals and Labour Tribunal proceedings. The team is heavily accustomed to breach of employment contract and constructive dismissal claims, with Hugill being an expert in all aspects of contentious and advisory employment-related work. The group is described as possessing a ‘wealth of experience’ and being ‘very strong’.

By following an approach based on ‘clear communication’ and ‘practical advice’, Lewis Silkin has vast experience of handling disputes before the Labour Tribunal and High Court, with notable expertise in unreasonable variation and non-compete clause claims. The practice is especially skilled in advising on data privacy matters and complex immigration affairs, as the head Catherine Leung is an expert on the whole spectrum of employment-related work. Jezamine Fewins supports clients in high-profile litigation cases, whilst both Gladys Ching and David Kong are cited as integral team players.

Demonstrating in-depth knowledge of all employment aspects within cross-border spinoffs and joint ventures, the ‘incredibly nimble and responsive’ team at Linklaters is consistently called upon to advise major financial institutions and tech companies. The practice is well versed in managing bonus arrangements, employee incentive plans, and post-termination restrictive covenants. The ‘brilliant’ Joshua Li co-leads from Hong Kong, specialising in advisory, transactional, and contentious employment affairs, while Stephanie Lok regularly works with HR professionals and in-house legal counsel on employee investigations and disciplinary procedures.

Leveraging its experience in Labour Tribunal proceedings, RPC’s ‘hard-working and knowledgeable’ practice stands out for its advice in allegations of misconduct and insider trading claims. The firm shows strength on the advisory side, predominantly assisting with hiring strategies and redundancy processes, whilst being frequently instructed by clients from across the TMT, financial services, and insurance spheres. The group is led by ‘a real specialist’ in Andrea Randall, who specialises in post termination restrictive covenants and breach of contract claims.

Drawing upon extensive experience of handling High Court of Hong Kong claims - often concerning fraudulent misrepresentations and complex redundancy proceedings- Clyde & Co LLP is heavily praised for its ‘pragmatic advice’. Led by the ‘trusted partner’ Simon McConnell, the department is especially well versed in advising on contentious employment disputes, ranging from restrictive covenants to injunctive relief matters. Ruby Cheuk is noted for her expertise on management matters and breaches of duty.

Providing extensive expertise in internal investigations, whistleblowing claims, and major restructurings, the CMS team displays special knowledge across the automotive and tech industries. The firm regularly acts for multinationals on day-to-day employment matters and compliance in Hong Kong, with the team head Jonathan Chu specialising in employee data protection and transactional issues. Candy Tong is knowledgeable on termination matters, and Mengyi Chen focuses on complex employment contract issues.

Spearheaded by the ‘very practical’ Richard Keady and ‘exceptional’ Jenny Zhuang, Dentons Hong Kong has vast knowledge on all aspects of employment law, particularly relating to HR advice, policy reviews, and employment-related agreements. Keady has in-depth experience in both the Labour Tribunal and the High Court of Hong Kong, routinely handling breach of confidence claims and disciplinary proceedings, while Allan Leung oversees discrimination claims. Zhuang is an expert on restrictive covenants, while Linda Ngan is also cited as key.

Representing a broad array of domestic and international clients from across the telecoms, aviation, and tech fields, Eversheds Sutherland specialises in employee transfer issues and termination of employment matters. The Hong Kong employment offering is co-headed by Mark Hughes and Joe Choy, with the ‘very experienced’ former being an expert in commercial court litigation and regulatory affairs, while the latter regularly provides ‘practical and effective solutions’ in sensitive investigations and disputes.

Displaying vast insight into post-termination restrictions, internal investigations, and discrimination claims, Gall is highly regarded for representing financial institutions and fund managers. The team is co-headed by the ‘standout partner’ Felda Yeung and Nick Gall, each specialising in complex contractual disputes, fraud investigations, and employment litigation. The firm is especially strong in breach of contract and post-termination cases.

Frequently advising on all aspects of employment law, including the reviewing and implementing of employment-related policies, alongside showcasing experience in the Labour Tribunal, King & Wood Mallesons is described as ‘responsive and helpful’. Peter Bullock heads the Hong Kong offering, and is an expert in whistleblowing claims and internal investigations, while Barbara Chiu primarily focuses on commercial litigation and international arbitration.

Minter Ellison offers a ‘highly personalised service’ on the whole spectrum of contentious and advisory employment matters, including general employment contract advice and complex harassment and discrimination claims. The team is led by the ‘very strong’ Desmond Liaw and Jonathan Green, with each being well versed in the Labour Tribunal and High Court of Hong Kong proceedings. The firm is especially renowned for handling the enforcement of restrictive covenants and confidentiality obligations.

Reed Smith Richards Butler LLP has vast expertise in discrimination and harassment litigation, alongside executive compensation and employee benefit programs, routinely advising multinationals and financial institutions. The team has experience in High Court of Hong Kong claims, with the team leader Asha Sharma being an expert in professional disciplinary codes and competition law compliance issues. Steve Tam is highly knowledgeable on termination of employment and enforcement of restrictive covenants.

Displaying vast knowledge in Labour Tribunal claims, often revolving around sexual harassment complaints and discrimination, Stephenson Harwood consistently acts for clients in the aviation, tech, and shipping spheres. Ian Childs spearheads the practice, specialising in commercial litigation and remuneration disputes. Dorothy Siron focuses on disciplinary defence and asset recovery, and joined the firm from Zhong Lun Law Firm in January 2024. Both Karis Yip and Tracy Chan are also cited as key ports of call.