Leisure, Travel and Aviation

The firm acts for a variety of companies and associations within the travel, leisure and aviation industries. Our local and international client base includes airlines, travel agents, travel trade associations, and the hotel, restaurant and catering sectors. This practice area is headed by Ian De Witt, who is a member of the Institute of Travel and Tourism and the National Representative for the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Law Newsletter published by the International Bar Association.

Our comprehensive knowledge of the travel, leisure and aviation industries in Hong Kong ensures that we have a thorough understanding of all aspects of our clients' businesses. By way of illustration of our experience, on the one hand we are retained Hong Kong counsel for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the world’s largest airline association; on the other we act for a variety of restaurants and bars, from inception through to franchising.

Examples of our recent cases include:

• On behalf of an airline suing a director of a company personally for his breach of trust; on behalf of a second, taking pre-emptive litigation action to recover sums owed from debtors; on behalf of a third advising and acting in sponsorship and marketing agreements.
• Advising IATA on the regulatory impacts of the Industry Trust Fund, and drafting relevant documentation relating to it.
• Advising and acting for Hong Kong’s leading hospitality and tourism PR and marketing consultancy on commercial matters, and in successfully bringing a negligence action against a former financial adviser.
• Acting for the world’s second largest travel agency in a contractual claim in the Hong Kong Court of Appeal.
• Acting for several clubs and restaurants in Hong Kong, dealing with all aspects from concept through to finance, intellectual property, subscription and shareholders' agreements, leases, health & safety issues and employment matters.
• On behalf of several Hong Kong travel agents, acting and advising on regulatory matters relating to ticketing and litigation matters.