APF Committee Meeting - September

AustCham's People Forum Committee invites you to join us for our September meeting all about employment law with Russell Bennett and Mark Chiu of Hong Kong legal firm Tanner de Witt on Wednesday 25th September from 12:30-1:30pm online and in person at Macquarie's offices.

Russell is Head of Tanner de Witt's highly awarded Employment Practice having joined the firm in 2003. Recognised by Chambers Asia Pacific as a "good technical lawyer" and a "safe pair of hands with regard to financial services clients", Russell has extensive experience acting for both employers and employees across a wide range of sectors, with particular emphasis on high-value employment disputes in the financial sector, notably winning a landmark Hong Kong Court of Appeal judgment on employment law in 2020.

Russell advises on all aspects of employment law, termination entitlements, post-termination restrictions, bonuses, discrimination, harassment, drafting employment contracts, handbooks and other HR related policies and documentation. This includes all matters relating to contentious employment law and litigation in the Labour Tribunal, District Court and High Court. Russell also advises on immigration, health and safety and related criminal investigations and prosecutions. Russell also frequently advises on pro bono causes, specifically in relation to the protection of pregnant migrant workers.

Russell is involved in all aspects of litigation advice and procedures relating to proceedings to trial, summary judgment and seeking and opposing injunctive relief. This includes the enforcement of post-termination restrictions by injunctions, international jurisdictional disputes and Magistrate Court proceedings.

Russell acts for regulated individuals, brokerages, private equity funds, independent financial advisers and groups within the wider financial services and insurance industries on regulatory and compliance matters including licensing matters and dealing with and defending clients during Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) investigations and prosecutions. He advises clients on issues surrounding direct marketing of regulated financial products and instruments, Collective Investment Schemes (CIS), the facilitation of trades and on 'naked' or 'uncovered' short selling as regulated by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX).

Russell has also been involved in the conduct of several successful mediations of employment disputes relating to disputed termination, discrimination and harassment claims and stock option entitlements.

Mark is a Consultant in Tanner de Witt's Employment Practice​ having joined the firm in 2018. His practice involves advising employers and employees on different aspects of employment law regarding recruitment, termination, separation, post-termination restrictions, discrimination, harassment, drafting of handbooks and other HR related policies/documents and other labour disputes. Mark has experience in contentious employment law and litigation in the Labour Tribunal, the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal.

He has conducted a number of internal investigations by employers into potential misconduct and serious breaches of employment contracts by employees. He also assisted clients in relation to criminal investigations relating to employment related matters.

Mark Chiu read law at the University of Durham and completed his Postgraduate Certificates in Law at the University of Hong Kong. Prior to joining Tanner De Witt, he worked as an Assistant Legal Counsel at the Equal Opportunities Commission of Hong Kong, specialising in advising and representing discrimination/ harassment complainants with their claims under the Anti-Discrimination Ordinances.

Please register if you would like to attend.

Please note: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the speaker(s) belong solely to the speaker, and are not representative of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.