RPC
RPC's dispute resolution team in Hong Kong is one of the largest among international law firms in the region, comprising 10 partners, two senior consultants, and 21 associates. The firm's practice spans professional negligence defence, commercial and banking disputes, and cyber and crypto-related litigation. Its professional negligence practice acts for a wide range of professionals including accountants, law firms, and financial advisers, with a notable concentration of work for the Big 4 accounting firms and second-tier audit practices. Its commercial disputes practice covers complex multi-jurisdictional litigation, with a particular focus on banking and financial services, and conflict referrals from other firms form a meaningful part of its caseload. Charles Allen, who heads the dispute resolution team, focuses on commercial litigation and international arbitration, acting for a wide range of commercial clients.
In commercial and transactions, the firm's caseload reflects a concentration of high-value, technically complex disputes in the audit negligence and cross-border insolvency space. The firm is defending PricewaterhouseCoopers, including both its Hong Kong and Mainland firms, in a claim by Tenwow International Group, one of the largest food and beverage businesses in China, valued at over Rmb4 billion. The case is the first in which a Mainland audit firm has been sued for audit negligence in Hong Kong, and the firm recently secured a landmark Court of Appeal decision recognising the prosecution risks facing auditors under Mainland state secret laws and endorsing a letter of request mechanism for cross-border document production, the first time a common law court has done so in this context. Separately, the firm is defending BDO in an 11-year audit negligence claim brought by the Sino-Forest Corporation Litigation Trust, with the initial claim of $1.95 billion revised to over $250 million for trial, which concluded in late 2024 with judgment pending and a number of novel legal issues under Hong Kong and English law expected to be resolved. The firm also acts for the bankruptcy trustees overseeing the estate of the former ultimate owner of Baccarat, the French luxury crystal maker, in a complex multi-jurisdictional matter spanning Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, France, and China, with a net asset deficiency exceeding HK$800 million.
Other key clients are FTI Consulting (Hong Kong), Noble Prestige and TrueCoin.
Client feedback
"They provide analysis from different angles, outlining the pros and cons to facilitate the decision-making process. Approachable and committed to the tasks assigned, they are supported by a strong team and ensure clear and effective communication." – Commercial and transactions
"They provide follow-up and support whenever I need to respond to other parties." – Government and regulatory
"Their communication is effective, supported by a detailed understanding of legal principles." – Insurance
"They offer swift responses, clearly presenting the pros and cons of a case along with viable solutions that are easy for a layperson to understand. They also closely monitor progress to ensure timely updates." – International arbitration
Charles Allen
"He is clearly a very knowledgeable individual but also has the ability to connect on a human level, which creates a sense of comfort. His direct communication style was refreshing and allowed us to have frank discussions on the relative merits of different aspects of the case."
"He demonstrates excellent listening skills, maintains a friendly yet professional manner, and is always well-prepared for meetings."
Jonathan Crompton
"Communication, reliability, and integrity are hallmarks of his approach."
Samuel Hung
"He provides down-to-earth, tailored advice after thoroughly understanding the scenario, ensuring his guidance is practical, relevant, and delivered with approachability and responsibility."
Andrea Randall
"As someone familiar with Andrea’s work since September 2019, I can say that Andrea has built an outstanding reputation within the legal industry over the past several years. Her contributions to the employment law practice at RPC have been consistently praised for their quality, strategic insight, and client-focused approach."
Yi Shun Teoh
"He is attentive to issues and consistently responsive."
Withers
Withers’ family and matrimonial practice positions itself as a formidable player in the market with the largest dedicated team in Hong Kong. The team includes specialist accredited Hong Kong lawyers, trained collaborative lawyers and English family law specialists. It has profound experience acting for high-net-worth individuals with international trusts and complex corporate assets. The firm also expanded its general litigation and international arbitration practice by hiring experienced partners and teams. Its newly established team covers a wide range of disputes across the construction, commodities, energy, financial services, healthcare and technology industries.
Jocelyn Tsao, managing director of the Hong Kong office, leads the divorce and family team, specialising in high-profile and complex matrimonial cases, including those involving digital assets, trusts, and cross-jurisdictional issues. Joseph Chu, a partner in the litigation and arbitration team, focuses on commercial disputes, regulatory investigations, fraud recovery, and cross-border litigation, with expertise in addressing challenges in the digital economy. Partners Michael Chik and Sherlin Tung are key names of the firm’s international arbitration practice.
The firm's commercial litigation practice is acting for an ultra-high-net-worth individual, the ultimate beneficial owner and director of a Hong Kong-headquartered multinational corporation with roots dating to the 1920s and a globally recognised position in evaporative cooling products, in a complex shareholders' and employment dispute before the Hong Kong High Court valued at over $65 million. Partner Michael Chik is leading the matter, which has escalated from an internal shareholder dispute into full-blown High Court litigation against a former director and senior executive for breach of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment, with parallel employment proceedings successfully transferred to the High Court on the firm's application. The adverse party has since mounted unfair prejudice allegations adding a further layer of complexity, and the matter remains ongoing.
On the international arbitration front, the firm is acting for a leading technology company in eight high-value HKIAC arbitrations seated in Hong Kong, valued at approximately $400 million, concerning disputes arising from investments in China and redemption claims. Partners Joseph Chu and Alex Ye are leading the matter, which spans related court proceedings and involves complex jurisdictional challenges across multiple fronts, with the firm also advising the client on broader strategic planning and settlement. The matter remains ongoing.
In a landmark pro bono constitutional challenge before the Hong Kong Court of First Instance, partner Jocelyn Tsao acted for the birth mother in a case concerning the legal recognition of parenthood in same-sex families. The case arose from a same-sex couple married overseas who had conceived a child through reciprocal IVF — where the egg of one partner was fertilised and carried to term by the other — leaving only the birth mother recognised as a legal parent under Hong Kong law while the genetically linked parent had no legal standing. The firm successfully argued that this exclusion infringed the child's rights to family and privacy under the Hong Kong Bill of Rights and the Basic Law, with Justice Coleman upholding the constitutional challenge and signalling the need for legislative reform. The ruling, completed in September 2025, is regarded as a significant step forward for inclusivity and the legal recognition of modern families in Hong Kong.
Client feedback
“Top-notch evidence preparation. Top-notch support to barrister.” – Family and matrimonial
Billy Ko
“Highly attentive and practical.”
