Capital Markets; Corporate and Commercial; Mergers and Acquisitions; Joint Ventures; PRC Practice; Real Estate and Conveyancing; Litigation and Dispute Resolution; Intellectual Property; Telecommunications and Information Technology; Entertainment Law.
The Firm
Woo Kwan Lee & Lo is one of the largest law firms in Hong Kong and has been in practice for over 37 years. The firm was founded in 1973 when two law firms Woo & Kwan (established 1962) and Charles Lee & Stephen Lo (established 1971) merged. Over the years, the firm expanded both in size and areas of practice. The firm now has over 70 lawyers, many of whom have been in practice for more than 30 years, and over 230 other staff providing a complete range of legal services for large commercial entities as well as individuals through its three major departments (Corporate and Commercial, Real Estate and Conveyancing, and Litigation) and its PRC Division.
In 1993, the firm set up a branch office in Beijing to meet growing demand for legal expertise in cross-border work. In 2009, the firm set up another branch office in Shenyang.
Areas of practice
Corporate and Commercial: The firm has a strong Corporate and Commercial practice and has been involved in many significant transactions since the early 1970’s. The firm’s Corporate and Commercial Department fields over 30 lawyers specializing in initial public offerings (including H-shares of PRC companies), capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, joint ventures, financing and banking transactions, property development projects, tax planning, tax appeals, trusts, on-going compliance by public listed companies, information technology and telecommunications, and general commercial work. Since 1991, the Corporate and Commercial team has completed over 130 initial public offerings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, acting for companies seeking a listing or underwriters.
The PRC Division, which forms part of the Corporate and Commercial Department, oversees PRC related projects and the operation of the firm’s branch offices in Beijing and Shenyang. The Division comprises a team of experienced lawyers including 5 PRC qualified lawyers dealing with a broad range of matters relating to the listing of PRC companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, purchase and development of property, hotel and infrastructure projects in Mainland China, formation of Sino-foreign joint ventures, financing for property and infrastructure projects.
Real Estate and Conveyancing: The firm is a market leader in the fields of real estate and conveyancing in Hong Kong. The firm’s Conveyancing Department has 23 experienced and highly skilled lawyers advising developers on development and leasing projects of residential, commercial and industrial properties (including many development projects along mass transit railway lines), as well as financing arrangement for real estate projects. The conveyancing team also advises government and statutory authorities on their property development projects, and individual clients on conveyancing and leasing transactions. Since 1973, the firm has undertaken numerous large scale real estate development projects for corporate and individual clients, and for developers with business interest in Mainland China.
Litigation and Dispute Resolution: The firm takes pride in its expertise in litigation practice. The Litigation Department comprises 18 lawyers and a team of experienced supporting staff dealing with dispute resolution ranging from pre-litigation advice, legal proceedings in courts of all levels in Hong Kong, proceedings before various statutory boards and tribunals, co-ordination of litigation process in other jurisdictions (where overseas lawyers are instructed), domestic and international arbitration and enforcement of judgments and awards both in Hong Kong and in other jurisdictions as well as settlement negotiation. The firm also represents clients in commercial disputes, land related disputes, tax appeals, construction disputes, statutory inquiries and criminal matters, and advises on intellectual property matters as well as entertainment law and contracts.
Telecommunication and Information Technology: The firm’s telecommunication and information technology practice is a cross-departmental practice combining the experience and expertise of the members of the firm’s Corporate and Commercial Department and Litigation Department. Members of the team have substantial experience in handling information technology and telecommunications projects such as telecommunications services and regulatory licences, systems integration, outsourcing and data centre services, e-commerce, domain name registration, transfer and dispute resolution.
In the last three decades, the firm has grown from strength to strength and stays ahead of the league as a top law firm in Hong Kong. The firm is poised for further expansion to cater for the need of clients.
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