Gifts in wills can stir up strong emotions, especially if someone feels they have been treated unfairly by the person who made the will.
If the person writing the will (called the testator) wants to give gifts that might seem unfair, they can consider including a “no-contest clause” also known as in terrorem or forfeiture clause. This will hopefully have the effect of discouraging litigation by the relevant beneficiaries. A gift to a beneficiary who contests the will may be forfeited. However, these clauses need to be carefully drafted. Here are some things to keep in mind, especially for wills in Hong Kong:
1. Certainty
The clause must be clear about what counts as a challenge. For example, it could say:
“If a beneficiary contests or disagrees with my will…”
“If a beneficiary questions the validity of this will and the trust created under it…”
“If a beneficiary takes any steps to challenge this will (whether directly or indirectly) …”
2. Repugnancy, ouster and public policy
A no-contest clause might be void if:
repugnancy, if it is inconsistent with the terms of any gift to a beneficiary;
ouster, if it ousts the jurisdiction of the court; or
public policy, if it is contrary to public policy, such as ousting a beneficiary’s statutory benefits.
3. Gift over
A no-contest clause should provide for the forfeiting of the interest of a contesting beneficiary and a gift over of that interest to other non-contesting beneficiaries or to the residuary estate.
Eddie Look and Raymond Liu
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Disclaimer: This publication is general in nature and is not intended to constitute legal advice. You should seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters dealt with in this publication.
The recent ruling in the case of WLK by MYW her next friend v. CCIW & Others [2024] HKFC 157 underscores the necessity of making reasonable provisions for a surviving spouse when drafting a will. It also affirms the Court’s discretion to award the spouse 50% of the deceased’s estate, similar to what would be granted in divorce proceedings.
Brief Background
The deceased Husband and the Wife were married in 1953 and had 10 children during their marriage. The Husband was the family’s sole breadwinner and the wife a homemaker.
The Husband died in around 2016, with a will bequeathing all his assets to the 10 children, leaving nothing to the Wife. The Wife was suffering from dementia at the time of the application, and was therefore acted through the grand-daughter.
The Application and the Court’s Findings
The Wife applied for financial provisions from her deceased Husband’s estate, arguing that he was financially supporting her at the time of his death. However, the executrix for the Husband’s estate opposed this request, claiming that their marriage was essentially over (“fossil marriage”), they had arranged their lives if they were no longer married, and the Wife was not financially dependent on the Husband when he passed away.
However, the Court rejected the executrix’s arguments and found that:-
(1) The marriage has not broken down / ‘fossilised’ and that there was evidence the parties lived together and even went on holidays together in the 1980’s;
(2) Although the Wife spent a substantial portion of her time in the United States, she stayed with the Deceased whenever she was in Hong Kong;
(3) There was no evidence that the parties had completely severed their financial ties despite the executrix’s argument that there was a ‘clean break’ settlement of HK$1million.
(4) The Husband bought a plot of burial ground in anticipation to be buried together with the Wife; and
(5) The Court found that the Husband intended for the children to use their shares of the Estate to support the Wife.
The Ruling and Key Takeaways
The Court emphasised that it retains the discretion to make reasonable financial provisions for the Wife, notwithstanding that no financial provision was made under the Husband’s Will.
In particular, the Court reiterated that it must consider all relevant matters and that ‘there is no hierarchy among the matters to which the court must have regard and each of them may be of infinitely variable weight.’ Further, the Court accepts that the “notional divorce’ enquiry should be made to cross check against the surviving spouse’s reasonable financial needs. Further, the needs of the other beneficiaries should also be taken into consideration when deciding the outcome.
In the end, the Court awarded 50% of the Estate in favour of the surviving Wife, in a similar manner as Wife would have received as if the parties had divorced prior to the Husband’s passing.
Key Takeaways from the decisions are as follows:
Regardless of the disposition under the Will, the surviving spouse is entitled to make a claim for financial provision from the deceased’s estate pursuant to the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Ordinance.
The Court will have to consider a basket of factors when making a determination, none of these factors are determinative and necessarily carry more weight than the other factors;
A ‘Fossil Marriage’ is one which cohabitation ended some time before the death of the deceased, and the parties to the marriage had arranged their lives on the footing that the marriage had ended. In that case, the Court would likely treat the surviving spouse (albeit still legally married) similar to that of a former spouse for the purposes of an IPFDO application.
When determining the financial provisions for the surviving spouse, the ‘notional divorce’ enquiry was conducted to cross check the reasonable financial needs of the surviving spouse.
If a will was in place to either include the spouse as a beneficiary or deliberately excluding the spouse for specified reasons, then the parties may have averted expensive litigation that could give an uncertain result.” Generally, if we have more explicit statements about “excluding” any beneficiary, that would help mitigate the risk of litigation.
Eddie Look and Adrian Au
Reach out to our private client team to discuss wills preparation, probate, estate administration, financial provisions for dependents and divorce matters.
Disclaimer: This publication is general in nature and is not intended to constitute legal advice. You should seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters dealt with in this publication. This article was last reviewed on 12 February 2025.
Recently, I have been asked if we can obtain a grant of representation based on a will hand-written and executed by the testator but without the formal requirements of having two witnesses signing at the same time. Incidentally, a decision in the recent case of Choi Cheung Hung v. Leung Fung Ha [2023] HKCFI 2822 provides some insight on the requirements.
In this case, the deceased hand wrote and signed a brief note to say that after her death, she gives all her assets to the plaintiff applicant (“Written Document”). In addition, on a subsequent date, she had on her phone a note to say effectively the same thing (“Mobile Phone Note”). The plaintiff applicant in this case was the de facto (but not legally married) husband of the deceased of over 40 years.
The court considered section 5(2) of the Wills Ordinance which provides “A document purporting to embody the testamentary intentions of a deceased person shall, notwithstanding that it has not been executed in accordance with the requirements under subsection (1), be deemed to be duly executed if, upon application, the court is satisfied that there can be no reasonable doubt that the document embodies the testamentary intention of the deceased person.”
In this case, the court has to be satisfied “beyond reasonable doubt” that the document embodies the testamentary intention of the deceased. Fortunately for the de facto husband, the facts were clearly in his favour and no other potential beneficiaries under intestacy objected to the application, the court propounded the Written Document as the last will of the Deceased. Interestingly, the court refrained from deciding whether the electronic file of the Mobile Phone Note can be considered “a document” under section 5(2) and treated the electronic file as supporting the testamentary intention under the Written Document.
For those considering making a will, it is advisable to hire a law firm to draft a will that is properly signed by the testator in the presence of two witnesses who are present simultaneously and attest and sign the will. This approach would make the probate process of such a will more cost-effective than relying on a document like the written one in this case.
Disclaimer: This publication is general in nature and is not intended to constitute legal advice. You should seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters dealt with in this publication.
In Re the Estate of Yeung Kam (HCAP 19/2022), the Hong Kong High Court refused to appoint 2 beneficiaries of the Estate to be the administrator ad colligenda bona (for the purpose of collecting assets) and administrator pendente lite (pending litigation) and decided to appoint an independent professional instead.
Against a number of other factors such as the deceased’s wish as stated in the will that the 2 nominated beneficiaries be appointed as the joint executrices of the Estate, and the lack of support from other beneficiaries for the appointment of an independent professional, the Court nevertheless considered that it would be appropriate to appoint an independent professional as the administrator ad colligenda bona and administrator pendente lite.
The primary reason for the Court’s decision was that that there had been friction and hostility between the 2 nominated beneficiaries which had adversely affected the administration of the assets. The Court held that it was unrealistic to expect that appointing the beneficiaries as administrators would prompt a change in their conduct. On this basis, the Court considered it justifiable for a professional administrator to be appointed.
This decision reminds us again that the effective administration of an estate is a material factor for consideration when the Court exercises its discretion as to whether a professional administrator should be appointed.
Our private client’s team is experienced in resolving disputes between administrators and beneficiaries and can in appropriate circumstances act as executors of Estates. If you would like to discuss any of the matters raised in this article, please contact our partners Eddie Look and Pamela Mak.
Eddie Look, Pamela Mak and Kevin Siu
If you would like to discuss any of the matters raised in this article, please contact:
Disclaimer: This publication is general in nature and is not intended to constitute legal advice. You should seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters dealt with in this publication.
Tanner De Witt is delighted once again to be recognised by Chambers & Partners in their inaugural 2023 Greater China Region Guide for each of its main practice areas. Please see full results and editorial commentary below.
Corporate/M&A: Independent Hong Kong Firms (Band 2) Full ranking here.
Tanner De Witt remains part of a global referral network with elite law firms, frequently handling cross-border mandates. Its services cover the full range of corporate and commercial matters, including investments, joint ventures and M&A transactions. The team is strong in dealing with regulatory compliance work related to corporate transactions. Tanner De Witt is additionally able to assist clients on venture capital transactions, as well as restructurings and reorganisations. The firm counts ZV France and Newborn Town among its major clients.
Strengths One client comments: “I always have very efficient and responsive communication with Tanner De Witt.”
Another client compliments the team’s “very commercial and practical advice without complicating the issues.”
Work highlights
Tanner De Witt assisted Qima in its acquisition of an inspection services provider.
Eddie Lookwins praise for his handling of cross-border M&A, joint venture establishments and private equity transactions. He is regularly mandated by clients from the manufacturing, financial services and life science industries.
One client says “Eddie not only has vast experience of corporate transactions in Hong Kong, but also has a deep understanding of our business.”
While another adds, “He is easy to communicate with and very willing to help.”
Edmond Leungfocuses his practice on multi-jurisdictional private equity and M&A, and frequently acts on behalf of international companies and investors. He has extensive experience advising on acquisitions, divestments and corporate reorganisations. Clients comment that he is “technically sound but pragmatic as well in his advice to deliver effective legal solutions” while maintaining “good client relations and [being] very good to work with.”
Tim Drew co-leads the corporate department of Tanner De Witt. He has over two decades’ experience in the Hong Kong corporate market, handling all manner of cross-border corporate and transactional mandates, including M&A, disposals and shareholders’ agreements.
“Tim takes a highly commercial approach combined with a positive ‘can do’ attitude. Tim gets deals done and is a pleasure to work with. He is accessible and I can always get hold of him” says a client.
“Tim has a good awareness of the potential commercial pitfalls we may face and always has a good solution for us.”
Dispute Resolution: Litigation (International Firms) (Band 4) Full ranking here.
What the team is known for
Tanner De Witt is a respected, independent Hong Kong firm, acknowledged for its broad commercial disputes offering. Its areas of expertise include professional negligence claims, shareholder disputes, debt and asset recovery, fraud, and contentious trusts and probate. The team often acts for clients in the financial services sector, international investors and high net worth individuals and families. Its key clients include Kroll, KPMG and FraudNet.
Strengths A client comments that “The team are all very capable and articulate and offer immediate responses, even when on holiday. They are also aware of latest events and case law that will have an impact on the matters at hand.”
A different client praises the team for being: “always ready with documents and advice and the team all worked well together.”
A third happy client states: “Tanner De Witt always offers exemplary levels of service and is one of our go-to Hong Kong firms. They are always commercial and responsive.”
Work highlights
Tanner De Witt acted for a Chinese cement producer in a longstanding shareholders’ dispute case.
Jeff Lane is well versed in fraud claims and various tracing and recovery actions. He is also experienced with cyber-fraud claims. A client states: ““He’s very experienced and efficient, with a good network.”
Mark Sideis head of the firm’s dispute resolution team. He is known for handling employment disputes, as well as contentious regulatory matters and white-collar crime investigations. Chambers Asia notes that Mark is “strategically very strong, mindful of our concerns and [he] always explains the contributing factors to his advice”.
Pamela Makis co-head of Tanner De Witt’s China practice group in Hong Kong and often acts on contentious probate cases, as well as shareholder disputes and asset tracing and recovery. One source praises her client skills, observing that “she’s very skilled at handling even the most demanding client.” Other clients comment that she “is excellent at handling sensitive matters.” and that “She’s very good at managing complex matters and gives practical and commercial advice.”
Richard Wilmot is a consultant in Tanner De Witt’s Hong Kong office. He frequently acts for lenders, bondholders and investors on recovery and enforcement actions.
One client says “working with Richard is a very good and interactive experience.” Another saying, “I have worked with Richard for many years. He and his team have never failed to solve any issues referred to him”
Employment: Hong Kong-based (International Firms) (Band 2)
What the team is known for
The strong contentious employment team at Tanner De Witt possesses notable expertise representing employees in high-profile litigation cases. It is active on matters involving individuals employed in Hong Kong, including supporting foreign domestic workers on a pro bono basis, but it also advises employers on work policies, contracts and post-employment restrictions. Tanner De Witt is highly active on cases related to race and sex discrimination, and white-collar crime investigations.
Strengths One client appreciates its “ability to translate a complex matter into bite-sized issues for discussions and considerations.”
One impressed interviewee finds the team’s analyses “clear and concise.” Another client observes: “The employment team works closely with their civil litigation team and provides fast response on contentious matters.” While another adds, “They offer exceptional service and attention, with humour when needed!”
Russell Bennett is well placed to represent clients in disputes arising out of discrimination and harassment claims and contested terminations, with a focus on advising clients from the financial services sector. One happy client reports: “Russell is one of the few employee-friendly lawyers in town. His advice is practical and covers all corners.” Another source states: “Russell is a very experienced lawyer specialising in employment law.” And clients comment that “Russell is a great adviser. He’s realistic, reliable and totally practical.”
Family/Matrimonial (International Firms) (Band 3)
What the team is known for
Tanner De Witt is an independent Hong Kong practice offering advice on a range of family and matrimonial matters. The firm is experienced in handling divorce proceedings and child-related cases. It assists on cross-border abduction matters, with particular expertise in cases involving the Hague Convention. The team also provides support in nuptial agreements and trust arrangements.
Strengths “The team has a hands-on, friendly and practical approach. They have the skills to break down stubborn parties and barriers and seek resolution with ease.”
Clients appreciate the team for “care(ing) about their clients and try to protect them. Their preparation is very on point, and they are knowledge of the law and procedures.”
Joanne Brown draws widespread support from sources and is especially skilled in divorce, custody and nuptial matters. Her expertise in cross-jurisdictional matters is regularly sought by clients. Clients find her to be “extremely fair and very practical” adding that “she has a very good strategic mind.” Another source also comments that “Joanne is solution-oriented, so she doesn’t shy away from telling the truth. She is respected among solicitors.”
Restructuring/Insolvency (International Firms) (Band 2)
What the team is known for
Tanner De Witt fields a well-established independent Hong Kong restructuring and insolvency team that holds a strong reputation, particularly in relation to high-stakes contentious insolvency cases. The team regularly handles complex domestic and cross-jurisdictional litigations. Its clients include distressed companies and liquidators.
Strengths “Tanners De Witt is a big team and able to deploy team members in larger situations.” Sources also comment that the team are “excellent problem solvers.”
Work highlights
Tanner De Witt assisted a private bank and asset management firm, as petitioning creditor, with obtaining a bankruptcy order against an individual who held directorships in several companies listed in Hong Kong.
Ian De Witt‘s deep expertise spans both the advisory and contentious aspects of restructuring and insolvency-related work. He is a counsel of choice among liquidators and creditors. Clients see him as an “excellent problem solver” and that “He is commercial, approachable and a fountain of knowledge in Hong Kong law and procedure.”
Robin Darton is a highly regarded authority on international insolvency and liquidation matters. He offers impressive expertise handling contentious and non-contentious cases for liquidators and debtors.
Sources speak highly of Robin as “he knows very well how things work in the Hong Kong market, and what you need, be it legal advice or strategy.”
A client comments: “Robin has buckets of experience, and is technically strong.”
TMT (International Firms) (Band 4)
What the team is known for
Tanner De Witt’s TMT practice offers considerable experience in multi-jurisdictional technology transactions and offers technology businesses broad legal support through all stages of their growth and development. Key clients include DaRen Biotech, Bowtie Life Insurance and Brinc.
Strengths Sources praised the team for their timely, high-quality work: “Things move fast in our world, and the team at Tanner De Witt move fast with us, though urgency does not change work quality. Their documents are well laid out, and in language non-lawyers can understand. Their advice is clear and actionable. They are very reliable.” While a client states: “I was impressed with the turnaround time, the thoughtfulness of the documents, the responsiveness to my comments and the partner-level attention.”
Work Highlights
Tanner De Witt advised Nomura on the extension and modification of a transaction with Hitachi Vantara to provide the bank with global data capacity on a utility compute basis.
Pádraig Walsh
He received high praises from sources, stating: “Padraig was a joy to work with. He is responsive, smart, friendly and very accommodating of special requests – an excellent lawyer.” While clients admire his expertise, commenting that “He is a very highly skilled IT law expert with whom it is a pleasure to work.” Also that “He has in-depth knowledge of conducting venture capital investments and deep experience in various commercial and business issues. Mr. Walsh always considers our business needs and provides us with practical advice.” Speaking highly of Pádraig as he “has fulfilled and surpassed (their) expectations for legal expertise.”
For an archive of Tanner De Witt’s Chambers rankings, please click here.
Tanner De Witt, 17th Floor, Tower One, Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Tanner De Witt expertly leverages its independent Hong Kong origins to provide comprehensive advice across all elements of restructuring and insolvency, particularly relating to domestic matters. The firm has seen an increase in listed company work and has been active for a number of PRC property developers in recent months, as well as being regularly instructed by investors, financial institutions, insolvency practitioners and debtor companies. The R&I team is active in both contentious and non-contentious matters and has international capacity and experience. Practice heads, Ian De Witt⭐ and Robin Darton⭐, have extensive experience dealing with contentious and insolvency related matters, both in Hong Kong and cross border, and winding-up proceedings, bond restructurings and cross-border recognition proceedings, with expertise in off-shore matters.
‘When it comes to insolvency, TDW is really the best in town. They have probably forgotten more about insolvency than most know. Truly excellent in terms of knowledge, approach and service to clients. Could not recommend them more highly.’
‘Sunny Hathiramani and Veronica Chan are well connected in the Hong Kong market and add supporting firepower.’
‘Deep bench of talented and commercial lawyers led by Ian De Witt and Robin Darton. The firm offers seamless service with pragmatic and strategic advice.’
‘Tanner De Witt is a leading restructuring and insolvency law firm in Hong Kong. Their partners are trustworthy and always consider issues from different perspectives.’
‘Independent HK law firm with incredible depth of experience and packing a punch if not leading the pack amongst the international firms in the same area.’
‘Very knowledgeable about the insolvency landscape in Hong Kong. One of the most sure-footed insolvency firms in Hong Kong.’
‘An independent local practise focused on insolvency/restructuring situations. Whilst being a local practise, the size and spectrum of its team should rank ahead of many international firms.’
‘Ian de Witt and Robin Darton provide a very desirable mix of prior international law firm experience and working in a local team that has operated successfully in Hong Kong for many years, combining local knowledge with cross-border expertise.’
Employment – ranked: tier 2
The established and longstanding employment team at Tanner De Witt has been heavily involved in many of the contemporary issues within the Hong Kong market caused by the global pandemic, including vaccination requirements and remote working. The firm has an extensive advisory practice, providing advice to domestic and international clients in relation to employment documents, potential redundancies and terminations and discrimination claims. The practice still benefits from the wealth of experience provided by employment veteran Kim Boreham, despite stepping into a consultancy role. Russell Bennett is the founder and head of the team, with a significant part of his practice involving advising clients in the financial services industry, particularly when it comes to matters which require input on potential regulatory consequences.
‘The team looks at the big picture and very accurately addresses the way the Court will view the case. In one case, the team chose to attack ‘abuse of process’, which they did successfully. The Judge himself considered it a big leap, but he agreed.’
‘Russell Bennett always has a good view of the way to present a case.’
‘Mark Chiu is excellent at resolving details and issues of a case.’
‘I worked with Kim Boreham and her team on several employment related cases, they are responsive to client’s questions and give practical advice. The quality of her work is very good.’
‘Kim Boreham is a very experienced employment lawyer representing both the employers and the employees, hence, she gives very practical advice when advising employer’s. Her outstanding experience has successfully helped our company in stopping an ex-employee who kept on sending harassing emails to management for over 3 months.’’
Dispute resolution: litigation – ranked: tier 3
Benefitting from an ‘excellent understanding of Hong Kong and the wider region’, independent local firm Tanner De Witt provides ‘responsive, very sensible and commercial advice’ directly to clients, as well as part of cross border teams with other firms. The scope of the work is broad and includes contentious insolvency matters, probate disputes, shareholder litigation, fraud and asset tracing. Pamela Mak ‘is particularly skilled at dealing with mainland clients’ and co-heads the team alongside Mark Side , who specialises in contentious regulatory matters. ‘Top disputes lawyer’ Jeff Lane is also recognisedparticularly in the context of fraud and asset recovery matters.
I have been impressed by Tanner De Witt’s thorough approach to every litigation matter I have worked on with them. They also have excellent relations with attorneys located in many other jurisdictions that gives them tremendous depth to address complex cross-border issues.’
‘Tanner De Witt is a highly sophisticated complex litigation firm in my experience and because they are independent they are more flexible than many of their competitors. The have a really good understanding of Hong Kong and the wider region and are staffed with experienced, diligent and careful associates.’
‘The team provides responsive, very sensible and commercial advice.’
‘The team is strong in disputes where there are allegations of serious wrongdoing and in applying for or responding to injunctive relief. They are also commercially sensible when it comes to pricing and are collegiate in the way that they work.’
‘Pamela Mak is particularly skilled at dealing with mainland clients, and skilled at soothing difficult clients.’
‘Jeff Lane is a top disputes lawyer, with particular expertise in fraud and asset recovery matters.’
Private client and Family – ranked: tier 3
Tanner De Witt possesses considerable depth and breadth in terms of its private client and family practice, involved in both complex cross-border work as well as contentious and non-contentious domestic matters. The team has a particularly strong family offering, with Joanne Brown heading the family side and regularly instructed regarding nuptial agreements, child removal and access and requests for injunctive relief. Eddie Look also heads the team and is highly active on private client matters, advising a wide range of clients including trustees, executors and administrators. Mark Side also comes highly recommended.
Testimonials
They have a truly well-rounded team, able to deal with the full gamut of family work. The partners have very different approaches and experiences, and are able to work off of that breadth of expertise.’
‘Tanner De Witt’s family law team is highly regarded in the sector. They are experienced and deliver a high level of service to their clients. They are very good at navigating family litigation, including complex cases, and also at avoiding contested litigation altogether.’
‘Joanne Brown’s team are some of the best family practitioners in Hong Kong, running cases with the minimum amount of conflict that is possible in their clients best interests.’
‘I have worked closely with Eddie Look on a number of matters and cannot praise his professionalism enough. He always makes himself available for an initial chat and his responses are thorough, clear and well-reasoned.’
‘Joanne Brown is a first class family lawyer, who always has time for her clients and can handle the toughest cases. She is both practical and strategic, and gets the best possible results.’
TMT – ranked: tier 3
Fielding ‘a very robust TMT practice‘, Tanner De Witt is consistently selected as Hong Kong co-counsel on major international technology transactions. Focused on founder representation, the firm’s domestic technology practice in Hong Kong routinely partners with government bodies, accelerator and incubation programmes, and other technology sector intermediaries. The practice of technology team leader and ‘standout lawyer‘ Pàdraig Walsh covers issues arising from new technologies, such as cloud, blockchain and AI. Foreign legal consultant Nigel Stamp, a commercial TMT law and outsourcing specialist, is a 2021 hire from K&L Gates, while Tara Chan and Alan Wong are the associates to note.
‘There is a great team at Tanner De Witt. The lawyers are friendly and approachable, and they really know what they are doing.’
‘Tanner De Witt has a very robust TMT practice that can handle a variety of matters, including data privacy, telecoms, cybersecurity, and fintech issues. It is well known for transforming complex legal issues into pragmatic solutions that make sense to clients.’
‘Tanner De Witt has a very strong TMT practice team. Although it is not big, it is solid, and its fee arrangements are flexible and can be tailored to the client’s budgeting needs. The advice the lawyers provide is also very practical.’
‘Pàdraig Walsh is a seasoned TMT attorney, who understands the client’s business and commercial needs. The advice he provides is solid and practical, and he is supported by a group of talented attorneys.’
‘Pàdraig Walsh is very experienced and understands clients’ business. He has deep knowledge of the market, bringing all this to bear with straightforward and strategic advice. Clients know they are getting good advice that they can rely on.’
‘Pàdraig Walsh is a standout lawyer who is known for his ability to handle complex matters for clients from the fintech and technology sectors. He is certainly a leader in this practice area.’
‘Foreign legal consultant Nigel Stamp is very supportive and will go the extra mile to find out information that will be helpful for clients’ projects. Clients greatly appreciate his devotion and determination.’
‘Associate Tara Chan is very responsive, clear and direct in her advice. Clients know they can get the help they need even if there is a tight timeline.’
Commercial, Corporate and M&A: Independent Hong Kong Law Firms – ranked: tier 3
Tanner De Witt is highly active in the Hong Kong corporate market, advising on both domestic and cross-border deals including the HK aspects of large-scale, multi-jurisdictional deals. Eddie Look and Tim Drew jointly lead the team and between them offer decades of experience in M&A, investments and joint ventures; elsewhere, River Stone stands out for his focus on public market transactions such as share sales and acquisitions. The team’s client base is broad and encompasses Hong Kong and international companies across sectors including technology, manufacturing and consumer goods.
‘The Tanner de Witt team are always great to work with. They have very talented lawyers, attract a fantastic calibre of clients, and are always a great bunch of people to work with.’
‘River Stone who heads the China desk, Edmond Leung (corporate/M&A) and Eddie Look are the key practitioners in the team. They’re always very approachable and responsive and give very practical and commercially savvy advice.’
‘We have worked with Tim Drew and Carol Ling from Tanner De Witt. Both are excellent and professional lawyers, who were extremely on the ball and highly responsive.’
‘An exceptional practice. A real feeling of total teamwork, from the most senior in the team which was assigned for my advisory work, to the next levels in the team. Each team member knew their role and there was evident synergy across the team members which meant that as a client, I felt all were aligned and on the same page with my situation and the details of my matters.’
‘The corporate practice has a strong bench and take a very hands on and pragmatic approach. The partners are really experienced and understand the market. They take the time to understand the client and what they are looking to achieve.’
‘Tim Drew has deep experience in the market. He is a delight to work with and gets deals done. He has a way of cutting through complexity and making you feel that you are in very safe hands.’
‘An independent boutique Hong Kong firm which punches above their weight. Very knowledgeable, commercial and value for money.’
‘Capable, quick and experienced.’
For an archive of Tanner De Witt’s Legal 500 rankings, please click here.
Tanner De Witt, 17th Floor, Tower One, Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
