Anthony Siu & Co

Hong Kong (HK)–a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)–has a distinct and independent legal system under the ‘one country, two systems’ policy.

Although HK retains numerous distinctions from Mainland China, one factor that most extensively impacts business operations and the resolution of cross-border disputes in the locale is its unique legal system.

Civil judgements or arbitrations awards issued in HK are not automatically enforceable in Mainland China’s jurisdiction and vice-versa as they can only be recognized on condition that certain requirements under the bilateral agreements on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement are met, making the whole legal framework complicated to navigate.

In the middle of this tangle of cross-border regulations stands the calming presence of the multi-jurisdictional and multinational litigation specialist, Anthony Siu & Co. The Hong Kong-based law firm specializes in cross-border contentious practices and provides businesses with quick resolutions in an efficient and effective manner.

Anthony Siu & Co. offers client-centric legal services for general corporate, commercial, and capital market affairs. It counsels on routine business operations, M&A, cross-border trade spanning HK, Mainland China and abroad, and secretarial duties. From China-appointed attesting to corporate rescue and insolvency services, the firm covers the gamut of HK and PRC’s legal framework, advising clients on compliance with many regulations and laws.

“Our team of cross-border contentious practice experts, holding licenses to practice law across many countries, utilizes its understanding of different jurisdictions to seamlessly analyze complex legal issues and provide befitting legal advices,” says Mr Anthony Siu, principal and founder of Anthony Siu & Co.

For its notary public services, the firm’s experts prepare and witness powers of attorneys for overseas applications and provide authentication and secure transaction records. On the commercial side, it assists clients with contracts like agency and distributorship agreements, joint ventures, licensing, and more.

Anthony Siu & Co. advises businesses on employment and service agreements, handbooks, HR policies, disputes arising from non-competition clauses, restrictive covenants, and more. An expert in compliance and security-associated legislation, it assists clients in ensuring conformity with listed companies and security regulations. In addition, it provides legal advice on corporate finance matters, getting involved in initial public offerings on local and international scales.

Anthony Siu & Co.’s dispute resolution team is well-versed in a spectrum of commercial litigation matters, including commercial transactions, banking, finance, employment, insolvency, defamation, and more. These experts deal with allegations of large-scale corporate fraud and develop strong working relationships with regulatory bodies including the Securities and Futures Commission, Independent Commission Against Corruption, Hong Kong Police Force, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Inland Revenue Department, and Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department. Over the past few years, as many bilateral agreements for cross-border recognition and enforcement of civil judgements and arbitral awards (including interim measures in aid of arbitration proceedings) have been introduced, Anthony Siu & Co. has strengthened its ability to deliver more diverse and holistic services via cooperation with its team of industry experts and distinguished legal network.

Seasoned Experts in All Things Legal

(a) Mr Anthony Siu has been involved in the legal profession since 1995, when he started practicing as a solicitor at the High Court in HK. A few years later, he obtained the license to practice law in PRC, England, Wales, and eventually in New York. Mr Siu is a China-appointed Attesting Officer and a Notary Public and a Fellow Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators. Mr Siu has handled numerous cross-border conflicts involving HK and PRC with his expertise in litigation and arbitration. He has also been appointed as the Chairman of the Appeal Board Panel of Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance (Cap. 456), the Chairman of the Appeal Tribunal Panel of Section 45 the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123), a member of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal Panel, and a member of the Disciplinary Tribunal of Association of China-appointed Attesting Officers Limited.

(b) Mr C.M. Chan, Chairman of the Law Society of HK, heads the Trust and Private Client Department at Anthony Siu & Co. Mr. Chan has extensive experience in advising high net-worth clients and corporations in relation to their asset management, trust, succession, and tax planning matters. He was an in-house legal adviser of different Family Offices for Hong Kong prominent families.

(c) Ms Bonita Chan, a former council member of the Law Society of HK, is also a part of the team, bringing her 27 years of practice experience in complex commercial litigation, shareholders disputes, directors’ duties and minority shareholders’ rights, and more.

(d) Ms Alice Leung, the primary annotator of The Hong Kong Companies Ordinance, offers advice on commercial and corporate matters at all levels.

(e) Mr Terence Chiu, a partner of Anthony Siu & Co., also brings his decades of experience to the team, helping businesses address the emerging challenges of M&A, venture capital and private equity investments, sino-foreign joint ventures, venture projects, and more.

(f) Mr Paul Lo, expert in Fintech Law who focuses on China Practice, often provides regulatory, licensing, and compliance support to few of the largest payment brands.

With such venerated subject matter experts on board, Anthony Siu & Co. has developed a network of legal professionals who advise clients on strategic planning for litigating engagement and offer a profusion of auxiliary services. This network of experts has footprints across PRC, Australia, the UK, the US, Singapore, BVI, and more.

“We have strong connections with our counterparts in other jurisdictions,” adds Mr Siu. “Our services are increasingly client-centric, and we foster multinational cooperation for contentious practices.”

While consulting a client, Mr Siu and his team collaborate with counterparts in other jurisdictions to study the distinct laws and regulations and determine which jurisdiction litigation should be launched. This cross-country cooperation enables clients to benefit from the dexterity of various legal advisors, experience a seamless and expert-backed process, and mitigate the inefficiencies and challenges of their litigation. This line of communication between specialists remains open throughout the process as Mr Siu and his team regularly touch base with their clients and counterparts.

Archetype of Customer-centricity

The cornerstone of Anthony Siu & Co.’s operations is its dedication to providing legal services of the highest quality and practicing a solution-oriented methodology. This approach ventures beyond corporate boundaries and enables it to offer a personal touch to its services, addressing emerging modern-day demands. Mr Siu and his team go the extra mile to deliver services and ensure high levels of attentiveness in each case.

Carrying extensive understanding of different cultures and diverse linguistic skills, experts at Anthony Siu & Co. enable clients to steer clear of having their finger on the pulse of the intricate laws of HK and PRC. They are armed with the expertise to deal with commercial matters unique to Asia, empowering international enterprises to conduct business in the region without worrying about legality. In addition, it fosters a strong sense of belongingness and translates the same into its long-term client relationships.

Anthony Siu & Co., with a relationship-first mindset, has helped many businesses regarding their litigation and arbitration matters. While executing arbitration for a plaintiff in HK, it thoroughly searched the defendant’s properties and located assets in PRC, Australia and other jurisdictions around the world. Before the arbitration commenced, Anthony Siu & Co.–due to its bilateral agreements with counterparts–successfully applied for a freezing order on all the properties. Mr Siu has retained the advice of King’s Counsel from England and other local Senior Counsel.

The firm is currently assisting a millionaire defendant in a bankruptcy petition in HK. The client, a UK emigrant, had her assets in the UK located by the creditor. The creditor commenced another plea to recognize the HK bankruptcy order in the UK. Here, Mr Siu is defending her and collaborating with lawyers from Luxembourg and France to protect her business interests. Along the same lines, Mr Siu is advising his counterparts in New York regarding an ongoing misrepresentation case of a renowned cryptocurrency exchange.

These client success stories are a stark representation of its experts’ proficiency in investigating international legal scenarios and formulating strategies that protect clients from the bureaucracy and red tape associated with diverse legal ecosystems. As the legalities of HK and Mainland China get more complicated, Anthony Siu & Co. is setting the stage for businesses to leverage the substantial economic opportunities the region offers and expand their businesses.