Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have seen an overwhelming demand worldwide for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which includes respirators, surgical masks, gloves and face shields. Regrettably, unscrupulous traders never miss an opportunity to capitalise on public fears and concerns. Amid these difficult times, there has been a surge of fraud schemes associated with PPE transactions all around the globe. In Hong Kong, over 1,600 reports of online mask scams were received by the Hong Kong Police between January and March this year, consisting of more than 3,000 individual victims and local companies involving a total of HK$48.2 million. It has also been reported that fraudulent mask schemes totalling US$799 million were uncovered in United States in the last few months, and similar patterns have been observed across the Europe.
The Employment (Amendment) Bill 2019 (“Bill”) was passed by the Legislative Council on 9 July 2020. The Bill seeks to amend the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) “to extend the statutory maternity leave by 4 weeks; to introduce a cap on the maternity leave pay in respect of the extension of maternity leave; to shorten the period of pregnancy mentioned in the definition of miscarriage; to allow a certificate of attendance to be accepted as proof in respect of entitlement to sickness allowance for a day on which a female employee attends a medical examination in relation to her pregnancy; and to provide for transitional and related matters.” The details of the amendments to the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) have been have been discussed in our previous article which can be accessed here.
Hong Kong has one of the highest percentage of expatriate populations in the world. Expatriates come to Hong Kong to explore opportunities. Unfortunately, Hong Kong also has the reputation as the ‘graveyard of marriages’.The question then becomes where should they file for divorce? Can they get a divorce in Hong Kong or do they have to return home? This article will set out the eligibility for filing for divorce in Hong Kong and examine the similarities and differences between the regime of the Hong Kong and the Courts of England and Wales.
Not everyone can get divorced in Hong Kong. Section 3 of the Matrimonial Causes Ordinance (Cap 179) sets out when the Hong Kong Court has jurisdiction over divorce proceedings.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Hong Kong Courts were closed for several months and thousands of court hearings were adjourned during this General Adjourned Period (“GAP”). Although the Family Court has now reopened there are social distancing measures in place which mean that hearings are continuing to be adjourned. We expect this to be the ‘new normal’ for some time to come.
The Government has announced the much-awaited implementation details of the ESS along with the penalties in case of breach of undertakings. Our most recent update on the details of the ESS can be viewed here.
This practice note considers the applicable legal principles in respect of an application for a springboard injunction as well as key takeaways for employers seeking to protect their businesses when key employees depart.
The Government has recently provided more clarity on the Employment Support Scheme (“ESS”) and expanded its scope.
For directors, the winding up of a company could be judgment day when their past misdeeds come back to haunt them. If insolvency is on the horizon, there are various matters directors should bear in mind lest incurring personal liability if insolvency becomes inevitable.
Registered Foreign Lawyer Takashi Ugajin was seconded to Gall from Mori Hamada & Matsumoto (MHM), one of the Big Four law firms in Japan, last September. He shares how the opportunity to be seconded arose, what he enjoys about working at Gall and how the legal industry differs in Hong Kong to Japan. He also offers his advice to other Japanese lawyers exploring secondments.
