To boost Hong Kong as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre, the Department of Justice (DoJ) nurtures legal talent to empower them to become well-versed in international law via secondment programmes.
Hong Kong practising barrister Kevin Lau, who has developed a broad civil practice and a deep interest in international law, embarked on a unique professional journey through the DoJ’s secondment programme last year.
“As a private legal practitioner in Hong Kong, it is actually not that easy to find many opportunities to work consistently on international law. So, when the opportunity for the secondment arose, I simply took the plunge and clicked the ‘yes’ button,” he said.
Mr Lau served as a legal officer at the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, or UNIDROIT, in Rome, Italy.
Throughout his six-month secondment, he concentrated on conducting legal research, co-ordinating work meetings, and navigating a steep learning curve.
Widening horizons
Assigned to UNIDROIT Deputy Secretary-General Anna Veneziano, Mr Lau focused on the Best Practices for Effective Enforcement project.
He portrayed it as an interesting research task because he had the unique opportunity of exploring the laws of different jurisdictions on enforcing court judgments.
Mr Lau noted that UNIDROIT works in many different fields, dealing with concepts and issues that may not be familiar to lawyers in Hong Kong, such as laws related to agricultural development.
“Like the law concerning agricultural products and how they are stored in warehouses and how the warehouse receipts can be commoditised.
“So, there is a lot of very quick catch up that you have to do in order not to get lost when you are thrown into the crucible,” he explained.
Mr Lau expressed that there were colleagues from diverse nationalities, for example the US, Brazil and Germany, describing the work environment as huge cultural exchanges.
He saw the greatest benefit of the secondment as broadening horizons, believing it is beneficial for both career and personal growth.
“It is just the whole perspective of trying to come to grips with the values, or how people see things in Italy. My Italian friends really taught me about the value of being still and chill.
“There is really no universally better practice, right? So, there is always something you can learn from one another,” he added.
Mr Lau also paid more attention to the latest dynamics worldwide, such as the popular legal debates across Europe, which he believes will help him to excel in his practice in Hong Kong.
Significant contributions
On the day of this interview, Mr Lau moderated a panel discussion, at Hong Kong Legal Week 2024, with one of the guest speakers being UNIDROIT Secretary-General Ignacio Tirado, whom he worked under during his secondment.
Prof Tirado hailed the secondment arrangement with the DoJ as a success, recognising the contributions made by Hong Kong legal professionals.
“Their abilities are fantastic, and they have helped us so much in very different projects, from the enforcement of the Cape Town Convention to international commercial contracts to digital assets.
“They can bring their expertise from one of the world’s leading legal and financial centres. They bring a common law culture, which is also used to grappling with the differences of other legal communities, like civil law cultures as well,” Prof Tirado explained as he expressed his wish to welcome more secondees from Hong Kong in future.”
Dream-fulfilling experience
“When I was very young, my father took me to visit international organisations such as the United Nations in Switzerland. So, this seed of a dream has been rooted in my heart since then.”
Hong Kong solicitor Beryl Wu realised her childhood aspiration when she became the first private practitioner seconded to the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, or HCCH, in The Hague, the Netherlands.
She described the six-month journey as a valuable experience as she immersed herself in the transnational litigation team’s work and jurisdiction projects.
“Members from different countries come together to discuss the provisions for future conventions in relation to parallel litigations in commercial matters.
“For private practice lawyers, it is a rare opportunity for us to observe the workings behind the drafting and negotiation of an international convention. So, this has been an eye-opening experience for myself.”
Crucial opportunity
The DoJ’s secondment programmes to UNIDROIT and HCCH are open to legal professionals from both the public and private sectors.
It also has secondment arrangements with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, or UNCITRAL, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, or AIIB, exclusively for government counsels.
Department of Justice Legal Enhancement & Development Office Assistant Principal Government Counsel Kwok Hin, a secondee to UNCITRAL and AIIB, worked in Incheon, Korea, and Beijing.
She provided legal advice and participated in negotiations on legislative amendments to international commercial transactions as well as the Bank’s internal legal framework.
Miss Kwok said the secondment experience has enhanced her adaptability and communication skills, helping her to quickly integrate into new tasks and effectively express opinions in a multicultural setting.
“Most importantly, the secondment has pushed me out of my comfort zone to explore new possibilities.”
Miss Kwok emphasised the department’s commitment to promoting secondment programmes, nurturing local legal professionals, and offering continuous training.
“So far, over 20 local legal talents have participated in the secondment programmes.
“By participating in the work of these organisations, local legal talent could gain invaluable knowledge of the operation of international organisations, broaden their horizons through working with international law experts, and insert a Hong Kong perspective in shaping the development of international law.”
