Labour and employment

Deacons

Deacons stands tall as a frontrunner in the employment arena, boasting an expansive advisory practice adeptly addressing a multitude of employment concerns, including post-pandemic issues, such as civil claims and discrimination matters. This proficiency is complemented by an impressive contentious offering, which draws advantage from one of the most established and extensive litigation practices in Hong Kong, with the team frequently appearing on behalf of clients in every court level, from labour tribunals to high courts. At the helm of the employment team is Cynthia Chung, a veteran lawyer with almost three decades of experience. Over recent years, Chung has seamlessly navigated contemporary challenges, advising both local and international clients on pertinent topics like redundancies and flexible working arrangements in the transition to the post-covid era, while being ‘well aware of the bigger picture and where her advice sits within this’. The ’very hands-on’ Elsie Chan provides ‘practical and excellent employment law advice’ and is an expert in contentious matters, handling a myriad of disputes including, but not limited to, discrimination and harassment. Another important figure within the team is Helen Liao, a key port of call for international corporates and financial institutions in guiding them through various employment matters related to terminations, discriminations, and discretionary bonuses under Hong Kong law.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘Cynthia Chung is knowledgeable, practical, approachable and quick in her response.’
‘Elsie Chan offers practical and excellent employment law advice to our company in a very professional and efficient manner. She offers very professional and quality work to our company in a very expeditious manner. I appreciate her work very much.’
‘Deacons is a reliable law firm providing excellent legal advice and practical solutions, taking clients' needs and local market practices into consideration. The labour and employment team is always responsive and fully engaged with client's discussion seeking for solutions. The billing is also transparent and reasonable compared with other law firms in HK. ’
‘I have been working with Elsie Chan for years. As a partner, she is very hands on and can always promptly respond to client's enquiries. Not only will she render professional legal advice, but also share local practice and advice according to actual situations. She is a trusted advisor and we are looking forward to a long-term partnership.’
‘A well-established and independent law firm in Hong Kong we have worked with for many years. Deacons has a very capable and experienced employment team that has advised us on a range of HR issues in Hong Kong and mainland China. All Mandarin speaking.’
‘The excellent Cynthia Chung is easy to work with and very commercial in terms of approach. She’s well aware of the bigger picture and where her advice sits within this. A trusted advisor.’
‘We usually work with Elsie Chan. We are very happy working with her. She gives sharp and practical advice. She knows her stuff and the market trend very well. She is an outstanding negotiator and can give very accurate judgement of the situations. She can always suggest good tactic moves which make our case in the best position. So far she wins all cases for us.’
‘In addition to Cynthia Chang, I've worked with Elise Chan and Helen Liao. The team works seamlessly together and each of them are very well-versed in employment law matters. I would not hesitate to introduce my clients to them.’

Key clients

MTR Corporation
Bain & Company
Sequoia Capital
Oaktree Capital Management
Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited
Meituan
BOCI Trustee
Mitsubishi Electric
Lindt
Toshiba

Lawyers

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