Litigation Associate

About the role

Our disputes practice sits in Admiralty rather than with the rest of the firm, for the simple reason that we are in court most weeks. Nine lawyers, two clerks, and a caseload running from HK$3 million contractual claims to unfair prejudice petitions between family shareholders.

Declan O'Leary is taking on two substantial matters in the autumn, a construction arbitration and a section 724 petition, and needs an associate who can hold a file rather than assist on one. You will have your own smaller matters from day one and second chair on the big two.

We instruct counsel, but we do not hide behind them. Associates here draft the witness statements, attend the conference, and know the trial bundle better than anyone else in the room.

What you'll do

• Manage a caseload of commercial disputes from letter before action through to trial or settlement.
• Draft pleadings, witness statements, affirmations and skeleton submissions for counsel's review.
• Handle interlocutory applications including summary judgment, security for costs and injunctions, with the supporting affidavit evidence.
• Run discovery on document-heavy matters, including e-discovery scoping and privilege review.
• Attend hearings at the District Court and Court of First Instance, and conferences with counsel.
• Prepare arbitration submissions under HKIAC rules and manage tribunal correspondence.
• Keep clients briefed with costs estimates they can plan around.

What we're looking for

• Hong Kong solicitor with 1-3 years' post-qualification experience in commercial litigation.
• PCLL and a contentious training seat; we will consider a strong trainee retention candidate.
• Confident with the Rules of the High Court and the practice directions on case management.
• Cantonese for client and witness interviews, English for everything that goes to court.
• Organised enough to run six live matters without a partner asking where anything is.

Nice to have

• Arbitration experience under HKIAC or CIETAC rules.
• Regulatory investigation work, including SFC section 179 or HKMA enquiries.
• Insolvency or shareholder dispute exposure.

What you get

• In-house advocacy training plus external coaching before your first application
• Discretionary bonus and a fixed annual review every April
• Medical, dental and life cover from day one
• Practising certificate, CPD and Law Society fees paid
• No formal billable target in your first year with the firm