The Opening of the Legal Year in Hong Kong

INTERNATIONAL

The Opening of the Legal Year in Hong Kong

Whilst attending Rentrée du Barreau de Paris’ in November 2022, I had the privilege of meeting representatives from law societies from all over the world. Representing The Law Society of Hong Kong was Amirali Nasir. Amirali has a strong connection with Westminster but lives and practices law in Hong Kong. There are of course many former London lawyers now working in Hong Kong and vice versa, and there is the potential for a collaboration between our societies in the future.

Amirali kindly presented me with a gift during a reception at the Sénat and when I returned home to London, I received an invitation to the opening of their legal year. The event was hosted by the Hong Kong Bar Association and The Law Society of Hong Kong. Whilst I was unable to attend in person, it was a pleasure to attend a roundtable of Presidents from across the globe on 16 January 2023 via Zoom. The focus was navigating international disputes in an era of global upheaval and uncertainty. It included a particularly interesting presentation on World Trade Organisation agreements, disputes arising from these and enforceability of decisions, from Melissa Pang, President of LAWASIA.

The roundtable was followed by the ceremony itself held at City Hall in Hong Kong. It was an honour to be invited and worth getting up in the early hours for! My thanks to Mr C M Chan, President of The Law Society of Hong Kong and to Amirali Nasir and their colleagues.