Letters | How Hong Kong’s legal sector could enhance the city’s role as a gateway

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In addition to Hong Kong’s current finance-focused economic engine, it has been suggested that other strategic areas be developed, such as innovation and technology, international higher education, and Chinese medicine. Thus, legal services should not be clustered in conventional business districts.

The Hong Kong government is planning a rail link between the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen new development area in Hong Kong’s northwest and Qianhai in Shenzhen. The government is also exploring ways to enable wholly owned Hong Kong businesses in Qianhai to adopt Hong Kong law for their commercial contracts and to refer their disputes to Hong Kong for arbitration and resolution. Legislation on an outcome-related fee structure for arbitration is anticipated.

Given this, demand for quality legal services in different parts of Hong Kong – including dispute resolution services – may surge. The capacity and capability of legal services outside traditional central business districts should be enhanced, particularly in areas under the Northern Metropolis development strategy. If additional infrastructure, facilities and training could be carefully considered and planned, the competitiveness of Hong Kong, both in the Greater Bay Area and internationally, could be further reinforced.

Hong Kong has a unique role as a two-way gateway, connecting mainland China and international markets. The importance of retaining lawyers with diversified experience in Hong Kong is apparent. In addition to the three jurisdictions where most foreign lawyers are registered as their home jurisdictions – currently the United States, mainland China, and England and Wales – we may attract more foreign lawyers from other jurisdictions, such as those encompassed by the Belt and Road Initiative and participating countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, to practise the law of their jurisdictions in Hong Kong. With a greater population of foreign lawyers, Hong Kong can further strengthen its role as the two-way gateway between mainland China and international markets.