On his first visit to China in 2004, Alexander de Nerée liked what he saw. So when he was asked to set up De Nerée Advocates in Hong Kong, it did not take him long to decide.
“I am really fascinated by China, but I also feel fortunate to be living in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is really ‘China-light’. Not so much fun, but healthier for you. With the fairly Westernised attitude of the Hong Kong people and the relatively high standard of English, the business climate for foreigners is better here then in most parts of China. It’s like Switzerland in Asia. Everything is well-organised and clean.”

So there is not much work to do for lawyers in Hong Kong then? “Quite the opposite. Many businesses choose Hong Kong as their base to start operations in Asia. An obvious choice: all the leading banks, insurers and accountants are around the corner. Hong Kong also plays an important role because of its favourable tax regulations and the excellent legal infrastructure. It is actually a sort of ‘home away from home’. A safe haven to start if you are looking to do business in mainland China. Where of course other legal concepts and basic business rules apply. In that last category, when clients ask about do’s and don’ts I generally advise them to Read the rest of “Lawyer’s advice on legal self-protection in China” or post a comment