Spearheaded by the ‘seasoned employment lawyer’ Cynthia Chung, the Deacons practice has extensive expertise in formulating cross-border employment arrangements, alongside assisting with complex sexual harassment and whistleblowing claims. The team stands out for supporting employers who require employment pensions, employee benefits, and immigration advice, with Chung primarily focusing on restructuring, redundancies, and flexible working arrangement in the transition to the post-covid era. The ’extremely efficient and knowledgeable’ Elsie Chan has experience of handling litigation proceedings before the Labour Tribunal and disputes concerning discrimination and harassment, while Helen Liao regularly acts for multinationals in the life science, telecoms, and construction space. Stephanie Yip covers both contentious and non-contentious employment matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Deacons' employment team is very strong, as they have capable lawyers with both contentious and non-contentious experiences.’
‘Deacons' employment partner, Cynthia Chung, is a seasoned employment lawyer with very strong technical knowledge to help clients to resolve complicated employment issues. Cynthia is also very practical and understands how to realistically resolve a labour dispute.’
‘The employment law practice at Deacons is highly commendable. My personal experience is that their employment lawyers are not only well-versed in the legal aspects of employment law but also possess a keen understanding of the business implications involved.'
'They aim to help their clients anticipate likely legal problems before they arise and offer effective solutions. This unique combination enables them to provide strategic guidance that aligns with our organisational needs while ensuring legal compliance.’
‘I am greatly impressed by the dedication and expertise of their partner, Elsie Chan. Her commitment to understanding the intricacies of the cases from my organisation and her professionalism have been truly outstanding.'
- Elsie Chan's proactive approach to communication and responsiveness is highly appreciated and commendable. She is always accessible, promptly addressing any queries or concerns, which have been instrumental in helping me and my organisation make informed decisions.’
‘Elsie's team has is the top employment team in HK. It attends to client's needs and handles stuff in a practical manner. It gives sensible advice and balances the potential risk and outcome. I am very happy with its service.’
‘Elsie is a very capable lady. Sharp at law, ethical and gives practical solution. She is extremely efficient and knowledgeable (not only at law but on overall market trend with business sense). She is also a good negotiator. I have every confidence in her.’
Key clients
- MTR Corporation
- Bain & Company
- HongShan(Formerly known as Sequoia China)
- Oaktree Capital Management
- Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited
- In the merit
- BOCI Trustee
- Nankai
- Toshiba
Work highlights
- Assisted the client in summarily terminating a senior staff who has committed serious misconduct.
- Assisted a client in exiting an employee who has extreme psychological issues and became disruptive at the workplace.
- Acted for a client in conducting an investigation against a senior executive on allegations of discrimination, harassment and office bullying.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Elsie Chan
DeaconsPractice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Cynthia Chung