About
The firm: Gallant was established in 1977 and is one of the largest and most well-known local law firms in Hong Kong. It offers comprehensive legal services to individuals and corporate clients alike, covering various aspects of commercial, corporate and property-related activities including banking finance, joint ventures, project finance, mergers and acquisitions and listing of companies including ‘H’ shares in Hong Kong. Apart from banking, real estate and litigation work, which have always been the backbone of the firm’s services, it is particularly noted for its cross-border legal services between Hong Kong and mainland China. Areas of practice: The firm’s China practice began as early as 1979 and work included joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, project financing, ‘H’ share listing, trade mark and patent registration, arbitration, mediation and dispute resolution. In 1979, it advised and prepared documentation for the first real estate project in Guangzhou for sale in Hong Kong. In the early 1980s, when the Special Economic Zone was set up in Shenzhen, the firm was naturally called upon to advise and assist in the development of tracts of land near the Shenzhen railway station. It was involved in the joint venture, financing and management documentation of over 20 hotels across China when China first opened up and developed its tourist industry. Hotel projects include the South Sea Hotel in Shekou, the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou and the Hilton Hotel in Shanghai. In the mid 1980s, the firm was involved in financing the documentation of the ’Ping Shuo Coal Mine’ in Shanxi, the single largest Sino-US joint venture at that time. In May 1990, China first introduced the leasehold concept to its land system, thereby ushering in a spate of real estate development activities in China. The firm has since handled over 150 real estate projects across 25 major cities in China. In recognition of the firm’s extensive activities in China, it was among the first batch of 12 law firms world wide granted permission by the PRC Ministry of Justice to set up an office in China in 1992. The early 1990s witnessed the opening up of the securities and financial markets in China and the firm was involved in a number of ‘B’ share listings in Shenzhen and a number of ’Red Chip’ and ‘H’ share listings in Hong Kong, including Founder (Hong Kong) Limited; Anhui Expressway Company Limited; Anhui Conch Cement Company Limited; Sinopec Kantons Holdings Ltd. as well as Jutal Offshore Oil Services Limited; Wuyi International Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Tianneng Power International Limited. The firm also assists listed companies in their corporate compliance work and prominent clients include China Resources Land Limited and Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises (Group) Company Limited and its services also include preparing announcements and notices for annual reports and half-yearly reports; attending annual general meetings; and advising on notifiable transactions, connected transactions and disclosures of interest. It also frequently provides compliance training to directors. More recently, the firm has acted for many banks in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China to advise on the loan and security structures as well as regulatory and compliance issues in relation to cross-jurisdictional acquisition financing. In recognition of the firm’s quality services, it is appointed by many banks, securities companies and enterprises in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China as their annual retainer law firm. The firm’s litigation and dispute resolution department has advised and assisted clients, particularly public companies and financial institutions, in enforcing their securities and contractual rights or defending legal actions in various courts and arbitration commissions in China. The firm also frequently advises on SFC-related investigation matters. The firm also offers comprehensive international notarial services as well as attestation services for the PRC. We have seven Notaries Public for international notarial services and seven China-Appointed Attesting Officers for attesting documents for use in the PRC. On 1 April 2024, Gallant and Guantao & Chow, solicitors and notaries (“Guantao Hong Kong”) entered into association. Guantao Hong Kong was established by Beijing Guantao Law Firm in Hong Kong in 2008 and completed its localization in February 2016. Since December 2005, the firm has been a member of Meritas, one of the largest associations of independent law firms in the world. The firm is the sole member of Meritas in Hong Kong. The firm ensures that clients receive the same high-quality legal work and service, just like clients of every Meritas firm world wide. This gives clients using Meritas member firms the comfort of knowing their legal work will be handled reliably and consistently around the world. The firm’s Meritas affiliation offers it access to a network of over 180 accomplished law firms in more than 90 countries. It gives the firm a virtual presence in almost 200 cities worldwide. ### Languages - Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) - English ### Memberships - Meritas ### Staffing Figures - 48 Number of Lawyers
Practice areas
Lawyers in this office
Alice Lau
Partner of Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department · Litigation
Andrew Chin
Partner of Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department · Litigation
Andrew Wong
Partner of Real Estate DepartmentExperience Substantial experience in handling various kinds of property transactions including sale, purchase and mortgage of commercial, industrial and residential properties for individuals, corporations, financial institutions and banks Experience in handling complicated leases, tenancies or licences for different types of properties Wide experience in handling different kinds of property-related litigation and disputes Experience in handling divorce and matrimonial litigation and proceedings Experience in handling probate application and estate matters Experience in handling contentious probate litigation involving estates in Hong Kong and overseas Legal adviser of various Incorporated Owners and Management Companies for building and management issues Member of a special team formed to advise Hong Kong Housing Authority on the transfer of title of shopping malls to “LINK”, a REIT listing vehicle in Hong Kong and to prepare legal documentation. Advising developer clients on compliance issues under the Residential Properties (First-hand) Sales Ordinance Cap.621 and providing full legal services for compliance work thereunder · Real Estate
Angela Lau
Partner of Commercial Department Corporate Advisory and Compliance Providing advice to both local and international companies on day-to-day corporate governance and compliance issues in Hong Kong, including listing compliance for listed companies in Hong Kong (Main Board and GEM) and regulatory compliance for companies licensed under the Securities and Futures Ordinance. Mergers and Acquisitions Local and overseas mergers and acquisitions Acquisition financing and pre or post-acquisition restructuring Joint venture and shareholders agreements Corporate reorganization General Commercial Drafting, reviewing and advising on a wide range of commercial agreements such as distribution and supply agreements, franchise agreements, consignment agreements, agency agreements, consultancy agreements, etc. · Corporate / M&A
Annie Wong
Head of Real Estate Department Experience Focus on real estate and development projects in Hong Kong. Extensive experience in acting in all stages of real estate investment cycle including acquisition, financing, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and disposals Specialize in project conveyancing (advising developers in Hong Kong on sale of first-hand properties (including residential, office, commercial, industrial, retail shopping malls, mixed-use composite developments), commercial real estate (M&A, acquisitions and sales of shares and joint ventures), strategic acquisitions for redevelopment purpose, building plans and town planning matters (including judicial review, building appeals and planning appeals), land compulsory sale Advise on compliance with first-hand sales legislations Advise on Government leases matters (including applications for in-situ land exchange, modification of Government leases, assessment of land premium, master layout plans applications, lease extensions, removal of non-offensive trade clause and extension of building covenant) Advise on large-scale leasing projects in Hong Kong and stamp duty matters Advise banks and financial institutions on secured loans, project loans, construction loans, acquisition financing and syndicated lending A delegate of the firm’s team in advising the HKSAR Government in its negotiation with The Disney Group in setting up a theme park in Lantau Island, Hong Kong Publication Contributing Editor of Professional Conduct and Risk Management in Hong Kong (Sweet & Maxwell Asia, 2007) · Real Estate
Aurelia Keung
Partner of Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department · Litigation
Claudia Kwok
Partner of Commercial Department · Corporate / M&A
Cynthia Tse
Partner of Commercial Department · Banking & Finance
Daniel Wai
Partner of Real Estate Department · Real Estate
Dennis Chan
Partner of Litigation and Dispute Resolution DepartmentExperience Handling complex commercial and shareholders dispute Expertise in dealing with cross-border disputes involving PRC Advising clients on international trade, letters of credit and PRC joint venture disputes Handling land related disputes, including repossession for redevelopment, compulsory sale, trespass and adverse possession Handling tenancy disputes, Lands Tribunal applications and building management matters Handling matrimonial cases and ancillary relief applications Acting for and advising clients on Departmental Summonses Acting for and advising clients on investigations by the Commercial Crime Bureau, ICAC and Securities & Futures Commission · Litigation
Emily Chick
Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department Experience Handling a wide range of contentious intellectual property work such as instituting and defending trademark / copyright / patent / registered design infringement claims and applications for cancellation of existing registrations; advising on domain name dispute; handling claims against passing off; representing clients in their applications for interlocutory injunctions to protect their intellectual property rights Extensive experience in handling property disputes; representing clients in the Court of Appeal and the Court of Final Appeal in various property disputes involving arguments on land title and forfeiture of deposit Wide experience in banking litigation; acting for local and international banking corporations and advising on various aspects of banking practice; instituting proceedings and taking enforcement action to recover securities Handling a wide range of contractual disputes, including shareholders' disputes and international trade disputes Advising on enquiries and investigations by the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Commercial Crime Bureau Handling bankruptcy and winding-up cases; advising creditors and liquidators on insolvency matters; acting as liquidator and trustee-in-bankruptcy · Litigation
Frederich Li
Partner of Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department Advisory Advising statutory bodies on statutory compliance and applications for statutory payments Advising hospitals on statutory compliance, professional liability and insurance matters Dispute Resolution Acting for statutory bodies in intervening court proceedings where liabilities were uninsured or involving insurance policy disputes Acting for statutory bodies in both appeal and final appeal cases on the interpretation of statutory provisions Acting for and advising insurers, insureds and statutory bodies on employees’ compensation insurance policies, motor insurance policies and public liability insurance policies Acting for insurers and hospitals in defending medical negligence claims Acting for individual and institutional victims of cyber-crime in recovery and tracing proceedings Acting for applicants in applications under Part II of the Mental Health Ordinance Acting for and advising owners and incorporated owners on public liability and insurance matters Acting for clients in general civil disputes · Litigation
Helen Law
Partner of Litigation and Dispute Resolution DepartmentExperience Wide experience in banking litigation and complex loan recovery. Extensive experience in acting for various international and local banks; acting for and advising creditors on loan restructuring; handling various receivership cases Considerable experience in insolvency and restructuring work. Assisted liquidators in winding up and trustees-in-bankruptcy in place of the Official Receiver in administering bankrupts’ estate and distributing assets and dividends to creditors Handling a wide range of contractual disputes, including shareholders’ disputes, trade disputes and construction disputes Advising and representing clients in litigation in Hong Kong Courts and arbitrations administered by Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre · Litigation
Irene Lee
Partner of Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department · Litigation
Kelvin Leung
Partner of Commercial Department · Banking & Finance
Philip Wong
Managing Partner Head of Commercial Department · Banking & Finance
Rebecca Lo
Consultant of Intellectual Property Department Experience Extensive experience in intellectual property (IP) filing and prosecution, opposition / revocation / invalidation proceedings, IP portfolio management, enforcement of IP rights (including interlocutory and permanent injunctions and administrative enforcement) and commercialization of IP rights Conducting IP audit and IP due diligence in connection with IPO and merger and acquisition transactions Advising, drafting and negotiating a wide range of commercial contracts involving IP rights and information technology, such as co-branding and marketing collaboration agreements, licence and franchise agreements, brand development agreements, website development agreement, software development agreements, hardware procurement agreements, outsourcing and facilities management agreements, escrow agreements. data centre agreements, consultancy agreements, commissioning agreements, ODM and OEM agreements, supply, distribution and agency agreements and confidentiality agreements Advising on issues relating to doing business online, such as website terms of use, online marketing and advertising, privacy data retention, and related agreements Advising film and digital content production companies on production agreements, distribution agreements, licence agreements, adaptation agreements, artiste agreements, spokesperson agreements and product placement agreements Advising a leading university in Hong Kong on technology transfer, technology licensing, and commercialization of technologies, including drafting and negotiating research and development agreements, university-industry collaboration agreements, sponsorship agreements and commercialization agreements Advising a world-renowned Internet Content Provider from time to time on Hong Kong law issues relating to various aspects of its business Drafting and negotiating the full suite of agreements entered into with market information vendors, subscribers, sub-licensees, payment gateway, etc. for a financial information portal headquartered in Hong Kong Resolving disputes relating to above agreements through litigation, arbitration and mediation · Intellectual Property
Winnie Tai
Partner of Real Estate Department · Real Estate