Hong Kong Legal Survey & Guide 2015

Transcription

1 Hong Kong Legal Survey & Guide

2 INTRODUCTION Aquis Search is delighted to present our annual legal salary survey for Hong Kong Our aim in producing this survey is to provide guidance to clients and candidates on current compensation levels post year end reviews and predict how the market will shape up over the next six months. Our information has been researched and collated with the help of our clients and candidates and from our knowledge of the marketplace. As with all surveys, we represent the mainstream view and there will be individual situations that fall outside the data published here so please use this survey as a guide and do not hesitate to call for further clarification on the compensation trends in the market. Coverage Our Singapore legal survey covers the private practice, in-house financial services and in-house commerce community. Information on each can be found below. Private Practice P.3 In-house Commerce P.7 Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

3 PRIVATE PRACTICE TRENDS Following a predominantly cautious market of 2013 before a notable uptick at year end, we are pleased to report that 2014 has proven a consistently more encouraging year. Recruitment has branched outside the ubiquitous corporate/capital markets space and we have seen steady hiring needs across all practice areas. The restructurings/ redundancy programmes that have been recurrent in the legal market post Lehman have proven less visible and we are consequently seeing candidates approach the market with greater confidence. Vitally and to be explored in further detail, law firms are revising how they compensate their lawyers in order to secure the best talent possible and this is proving a powerful incentive to invite lawyers to go to market. US firms and UK firms (particularly the Magic Circle) continue to vie for the niche Hong Kong legal talent. The business models of these firms have been historically different with UK firms retaining their multidisciplinary, full-service offering and US firms focusing on a select few practice areas, often leveraging on their US strengths. However, the distinctions between these firms are blurring in Hong Kong with the UK firms proving more strategic in their focus and the US firms proving more inclined to diversify into different practice areas and to enter into local markets. The hire and fire concern commonly linked to US firms continues to create anxiety amongst UK lawyers but the substantial salary increase offered by US firms continues to be attractive especially as there are many UK lawyers who have watched their colleagues join US competitors for a dramatic increment only to see them work similar hours. Corporate/ Capital Markets In terms of corporate roles, activity has been consistent. The IPO market notably slowed down during the first half of 2013 but steadily picked up towards the end of the year with our clients seeing an uptick in terms of IPO instructions. This increase consequently translated into a more pressing need for IPO lawyers at the beginning of Fickle as ever, the IPO promise did not quite crystallise as anticipated over the course of 2014 and we witnessed a resurgence of corporate M&A instructions, prompted by an upturn in China outbound investment, an increase in mid-market deals and other Asian economies investing across the region. The mid-market deals were often picked up by mid-tier UK/US firms offering cost effective rates to be retained on such work. Such firms are in a position to offer clients a global platform but they are well-connected with domestic clients, accepting instructions which the global giants would deem incongruous to their elite business model. The market shift drove an emphasis on more diverse corporate roles, requiring lawyers to undertake a combination of corporate M&A and IPO work. Such roles proved attractive to candidates especially those siloed into a predominantly IPO role and concerned at the limitations such experience would present for their long term career. With today s complicated regulatory environment and active regulators, we also saw an increase in corporate regulatory roles however the candidate pool was small for this skillset making roles tricky to fill. US Securities The US securities market in Hong Kong has enjoyed a high profile in 2014 primarily mirroring the growing confidence in the US market and an increased appetite for Chinese issuers on the New York stock exchange this year. Many US firms have sought to address this need by redeploying associates from their US offices but equally, it has led to the creation of US corporate associate roles. A Magic Circle firm has made the bold move of abandoning its longstanding tradition of not hiring lateral partners in its appointment of a leading US partner to provide both a Hong Kong and US offering for the firm in Hong Kong. Litigation In terms of litigation, we did not quite see the volume of instructions which characterised 2013 but activity levels were nonetheless steady. In addition to a broad stream of commercial litigation, we witnessed an increase in banking litigation/ financial services regulatory work in response to the tightening of regulation in Hong Kong and a deluge of enforcement actions against investment banks and financial institutions. FCPA and investigation practices have seen an upsurge in growth. US firms that have concentrated predominantly on developing their corporate/ capital markets offering are identifying the potentially lucrative revenue stream from litigation/ regulatory work and are opportunistically making inroads in this market. Some of the newer UK firms are equally capitalising on this space and have parachuted London financial services regulatory partners to Hong Kong with a view to bolstering their existing Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

4 practice. Interestingly, international firms have demonstrated a refreshing flexibility in terms of candidates eligible for consideration for the relevant litigation roles. Candidate sourcing which is almost always restricted to peer international firms has been opened to local Hong Kong firms and there is veritable appreciation of the exposure and connections which such lawyers have enjoyed. Banking A highlight of 2014 has been the notable increase in banking roles, predominantly towards the end of the year. The leading UK firms continue to hold dominance with longstanding relationships with many of the key global banks. We can confirm that candidate mobility within the banking space remains at best conservative and akin to corporate lawyers of previous years, banking lawyers are currently in a strong position to negotiate title and remuneration. In addition to broad corporate lending roles, we saw an increased need for lawyers with aviation and asset finance exposure but again such experience is not common. Derivatives and structured products roles were steady in private practice although given the nature of this type of work such candidates found themselves equally sought after for attractive in-house roles often with investment banks. Funds Funds has proven a consistently solid area of recruitment throughout the course of Coveted funds experience includes private equity funds, fund formation, infrastructure funds, real estate funds retail and PRC-related funds. We have witnessed a considerable shortage of funds candidates in Hong Kong to such an extent that we have actively sourced candidates from other global legal hubs to satisfy client demand. We are continuing to see a steady flow of funds lawyers leaving private practice to take an in-house role. The in-house roles are typically awarded to the lawyers from the select top few funds practices in Hong Kong. Offshore firms, who are traditionally strong in funds continue to grow in Hong Kong and as such, we anticipate funds to be an area of sustainable growth over the course of Other Prevalent Areas international firms or more boutique firms with a strength within one of these practice areas. Such hires tend to move at a moderate pace and there tends to a necessity for local Hong Kong/ China experience. They do however represent a sizeable constituent of Hong Kong legal recruitment and we anticipate this trend to continue into Newly Qualified Market The newly qualified market proved to be reasonably buoyant this year with the emergence of some very attractive banking, corporate and litigation roles primarily within Magic Circle firms, mid-tier UK firms and some of the elite US firms. Recruitment at this level appeared to be more opportunistic than growth driven and in some instances, firms ultimately elected not to hire at all at this level. We found this market to be ferociously competitive and the candidates that managed to secure mobility were absolute stars - highly advanced for their level, trilingual and equipped with high level experience from a leading firm in that particular practice area. Our clients also looked to the London market and there was demonstrable interest in London trained candidates with Mandarin language skills. Equally, there was a reciprocal appetite from such candidates to return to Asia. The NQ interview process was partner driven with often highly rigorous technical questioning. We found that candidates who had not (for whatever reason) been retained by their current firm were subject to substantial probing on why this has proven to be the case. Given the finite number of NQ roles, such candidates found themselves in a vulnerable position with firms taking a risk adverse approach to their candidacy and favouring those who had secured a role with their existing firm. Consequently, we witnessed such candidates fall out of the market, substantially downsize firm or accept paralegal or contract roles in order to keep their legal experience alive. PRIVATE PRACTICE Other notable areas of interest have been private client, project finance shipping, real estate, intellectual property, shipping, insurance, employment, competition and construction law. Such roles tend to arise within the larger, full-service Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

5 Offshores Firms The offshore firms have hired steadily across the funds and corporate space. The candidate market for such roles tends to be smaller in light of their requirement for Commonwealth qualified lawyers (who in turn become foreign registered lawyers) but the offshore firms can offer competitive rates, high level work and something akin to a work/ life balance in comparison to other international firms. Associate Level Compensation Firms on average increased salaries amongst associates by approximately 5-8% across the board, although the percentage increment tends to be higher at the lower PQE range. A select few US law firms in Hong Kong continue to pay NY rates plus COLA to their Hong Kong qualified corporate lawyers. Support Roles In 2014, Aquis Search expanded its offering and has carved out a division solely dedicated to support roles within law firms and we are pleased to confirm that this area has proven busy with a positive forecast for In particular, we have seen an increase in roles within the paralegal and business development/ marketing space. In particular, the US and UK law firms have seen the value in embedding such staff within their business, supporting fee earners and partners and releasing time to dedicate to current client matters and further client development. Litigation paralegals have proven very popular especially in assisting in disclosure exercises for high value claims. We have found that paralegals have an existing legal background, having completed legal studies or completed an internship within a law firm. We have also witnessed PRC admitted lawyers relocating to Hong Kong and taking paralegals roles within law firms. Salaries at US firms have increased within their standard lockstep as associates matriculate into their next year and bonuses continue to be competitive and in line with the market, similar to last year. For those who have met billable hours targets, bonuses tend to start around 10,000 US$ for juniors and move up to 15-20,000 for mid level associates and going up 35,000 plus for senior levels. Additional bonus is available to lawyers who exceed target. PSL Roles PSL roles are traditionally a function of UK firms and widespread in the London market are now emerging ever more frequently in the Hong Kong market. Hong Kong lawyers have ambivalent attitude towards this role. On the one hand, they see it as a support function and lacking the kudos enjoyed by fee earning counterparts. On the other hand, many identify the positives of a PSL role, namely greater certainty of hours, flexible working and no time recording pressures. The compensation for a PSL has generally been about 10-15% below that of equivalent level fee earners. The bulk of PSL roles have been within the banking/ corporate space and whilst the role continues to focus on knowledge management, training and precedent documentation, its remit has now started to diversify to include pitch presentation and practice manager responsibilities. PRIVATE PRACTICE Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

6 Partners Partner level hiring has proven reasonably conservative in Our view is that firms are very much in consolidation mode vis a vis partner level recruitment especially in light of the high profile mergers and flurry of lateral partner hiring in recent years. Lateral senior associate to partner hires are exceptionally rare although by way of compromise, of counsel lateral promotions do occur. Firms are willing to put lateral hire lawyers on track to partnership but this is always subject to stringent performance objectives, ongoing favourable market conditions and the overall performance of the firm. The risk very much falls on the lawyer joining in this instance and detailed due diligence is required to drill down on how credible prospects really are. The bulk of partner mobility remains within corporate and capital markets practices. Litigation practices tend by their very nature to be less portable. Parachuting partners from offices in the UK and US is proving less common in a market where local language skills and legal knowledge are paramount. SALARY SCALES Associate UK Firms Level Monthly Salary (HK$) Average Salary (HK$) Newly Qualified 65,000 75,000 70,000 1 year 73,000 83,000 78,000 2years 80,000 91,000 86,000 3 years 85,000 97,000 91,000 4 years 88, ,000 98,000 5 years 95, , ,000 6 years 100, , ,000 7 years 110, , ,000 8 years 120, , ,000 US Firms Level US$ per annum 1st 160,000 Outlook 2nd 3rd 170, ,000 The outlook for 2015 is proving favourable based on financial predictions for the market, work flow as predicted by our clients and consequently, the increase on mandates we have received. Lawyers are finding themselves to be better utilised and they have greater confidence about lateral opportunities. We look forward to updating you further later in the year. Please do feel free to contact one of our consultants listed below for a more detailed confidential discussion on the market. 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 210, , , , ,000 PRIVATE PRACTICE Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

7 IN-HOUSE Commerce Overview Hong Kong continues to be an auspicious location to house the regional headquarters or representative offices of a number of multinational companies to manage their commercial entities in the region, particularly China. An increasing number of Hong Kong listed PRC companies have also based their international operations in the city. Consequently, many Hong Kong based lawyers that oversee operations in the PRC conduct a substantial tranche of their work in Mandarin and are required to travel there on a regular basis. The objective of our salary survey is to examine trends across the in-house commerce market spanning all key industries outside the financial services sector. We are pleased to report that the market sentiment for in-house commerce lawyers has been stable, hiring has been predominantly targeted to mid-level lawyers and as identified above, a PRC centric role remit is increasingly required. Skills in demand Companies remain consistent in their preference for Hong Kong qualified corporate lawyers given that their listing rules and cross border M&A exposure are a valuable asset in-house. Such lawyers can handle the preliminary corporate work and companies avoid the requirement to instruct external and often costly corporate counsel. Corporate lawyers also tend to have solid drafting, commercial contracts and transaction management experience. Given the leanness of Hong Kong in-house legal teams, there is an increased expectation for commercial lawyers to undertake a more compliance focused role advising on FCPA, anti-bribery legislation and financial regulation. The compliance piece is often not within the lawyer s existing bank of knowledge and lawyers find themselves on a steep learning curve to pick up this evolving area of law. Equally, lawyers are often expected to undertake company secretarial duties. Again this is favourable to corporate lawyers given their familiarity with company law. Company secretarial works tends to be very process driven with very little technical law required and as such, lawyers are often reticent about undertaking a heavily company secretariat orientated role. That said, such work is an essential tenet to the efficient operation of a company and lawyers with this dual expertise are proving very marketable. In essence, they are often saving the salary of a separate company secretary to carry out this work and there is a compelling business case for such a role. In addition to compliance and company secretarial, companies are expecting commercial lawyers to diversify and opine on other areas of law including data protection, TMT, leasing and employment. Given the breadth of skills comprised in any in-house role, it is often difficult to come across a lawyer ticking all the boxes and companies had varying levels of flexibility on this point; some rejected candidates on this basis whilst others took a sensible view on their personality/ demonstrated aptitude as a lawyer and proceeded to offer on the basis that they felt there were competent to fill in any knowledge gaps. Commercial lawyers are keen to acquire experience in different areas and broaden their scope so that they can sustain their market value. Recruitment Challenges Given that Hong Kong has evolved as a leading capital markets hub, we have witnessed an emergence of lawyers whose experience is entirely limited to capital markets. Lawyers often become adept at this type of transactional work and have usually been paid well for their highly specialised skills. Unfortunately a number of in-house employers have had trouble translating this skill set in-house and often we find a gap between core skills these lawyers have and the nature of the role on offer. Some lawyers do not have partnership aspirations and from the outset their ultimate goal is to move in-house once they have the requisite experience. Consequently, these lawyers are now becoming more protective of their experience from a very junior level in private practice, often seeking to diversify into a broader commercial/ corporate role to ensure that it can facilitate an in-house role move at the desired point. The demands of an in-house lawyer are multiple with the expectation that they will handle as much as possible themselves without recourse to instructing external counsel and they will have an intrinsic understanding of the company s business, acting as a business partner in addition to a legal advisor. An in-house lawyer will also face resistance from the business who may perceive their advice as an obstacle to their commercial objectives. Consequently, we are balancing commercial acumen with solid legal knowledge, often in an area of law which is new to them in addition to robust communication skills in a multi linguistic work environment. Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

8 The salary differential in moving into an in-house commerce role from private practice can be substantial and it remains a challenge to manage candidate expectations. This is particularly acute with respect to lawyers receiving US salaries. To compound this challenge, annual increments on in-house salaries can be significantly more conservative than law firms where the lockstep system abounds and lawyers often see their salary increase by circa 10+% at each annual salary review. The bonus available in-house can be attractive but factoring in all of the above, the reduction can still be substantial and we encourage candidates to take a long-term view of their career, stressing work/ life balance, the autonomy that an in-house role can afford and the increased capacity to adopt a business facing counsel role. The contradiction remains in general perception that law firms are the most coveted source of talent for in-house roles but our view is that lawyers in an existing in-house role are preferred. Conversely, private practice lawyers with secondment experience do have a competitive advantage as they have a deeper understanding of the differences/ challenges of an in-house role. Our findings in 2014 have indicated that some lawyers in local firms have enjoyed substantial success in securing an in-house role. This can be explained by numerous factors. Namely, local lawyers are often required to diversify across different practice areas unlike their counterparts at an international firm, which mirrors the nature of an in-house role where lawyers are required to pick up and advise on the legal ramifications of whatever lands on their desk irrespective of whether this is within their particular practice area. Affordability is another factor as these lawyers do not tend to be as expensive and consequently, the salary reduction is not as marked. As ever with in-house hiring, personality fit remains a high priority with a focus on lawyers with gravitas, dynamism and the ability to hold their own with senior members of the business. We have witnessed a preference for Common law qualified candidates and language skills are critical with an increased requirement for strong Cantonese and Mandarin. Given the bias for mid-level candidates for in-house roles, lawyers at both the junior and senior end can find the search for an in-house role frustratingly slow. Senior or general counsel opportunities often only arise in the event of a departure and given the volume of senior lawyers in pursuit of such a role, these opportunities can be competitive. Conversely at the junior end, budget for legal in-house teams is strict and they cannot always justify the resource drain in training up a lawyer at that level who will invariably require support and supervision. Inhouse legal teams within companies are in essence a necessity but nonetheless a non-fee-earning support function and consequently teams tend to be as lean as possible. Compensation Salary in the Hong Kong in-house commerce community has remained stable with many employers offering only modest annual increments. For 2014, most salary increments were around 5% with only star performers receiving more than 10%, in line with previous years. Discretionary bonuses ranged between 15-25% although local companies might gear compensation towards a higher bonus. Additional benefits for senior staff can include long term share schemes but few offer expat packages such as housing with the employer preference to source talent from the local market or if they were bringing in overseas lawyers to offer local rates only. For those seeking a lateral role, a financial incentive was important with most obtaining a circa 20% increment. Our salary ranges in the tables below are quite wide which is indicative of the market we are representing. There are a host of reasons for this including but not limited to the type of role, organisation, typical workload and the kind of skills/ practice areas required. Forecast for 2015 It is our view that the Hong Kong market will continue to produce attractive opportunities for mid-level lawyers and we are optimistic about the state of the market. We see a continuing appetite for PRC companies to invest in Hong Kong as a hub and given the necessity of Chinese language skills/ understanding of the PRC market, we anticipate that these roles will be better suited for Hong Kong based lawyers. However, we do expect that new roles within more international companies will arise less frequently but when they do, it will more likely take the form of a sole counsel for North Asia or pan Asia opportunity. Lawyers with a strong commercial mindset and those whom can demonstrate flexibility can adapt to the challenges of building a successful long term in-house career. IN-HOUSE Commerce Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

9 Salary Scales Legal Salary Ranges in Hong Kong PQE/ Experience Minimum Monthly salary range ( HKD) Maximum Average annual bonus 0-2 years 3-5 years 6-8 years 9-11 years years 15+ (General Counsel) 45,000 60,000 75,000 85, , ,000 70, , , , , , months 1-2 months 1-3 months 1-4 months 2-4 months 3-6+ months Holiday entitlement generally ranges from days Company Secretary Salary Ranges in Hong Kong Title Experience Company Secretarial Assistant 0-2 years Company Secretarial Officer 3-5 years Sr. Company Secretarial Officer 6-8 years Deputy Company Secretary 9-11 years Company Secretary years Group Company Secretary 15+ years Holiday entitlement generally ranges from days Monthly salary range ( HKD) Minimum Maximum 20,000 30,000 30,000 40,000 37,000 60,000 50,000 85,000 70, , , ,000 Average annual bonus 0-2 months 0-2 months 1-3 months 1-3 months 2-3 months 3-6+ months IN-HOUSE Commerce Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

10 Contacts Scott Harrison Managing Director Legal, Compliance & Private Practice Hong Kong Scott Harrison is Co-founder and joint Managing Director of Aquis Search and heads up the firm s Legal & Compliance desks. He has more than a dozen years of recruitment experience spanning the major Asia Pacific markets. He specializes in middle to senior level assignments across Private Practice and in-house markets, including Legal, Compliance, company secretarial and government affairs roles, and regularly advises clients across the financial markets and traditional industries on recruitment strategies and talent pools. Scott leads a team of professional recruiters who focus in these markets and recruit at all level of seniority. His indepth Asia-Pacific experience has enabled him to foster a breadth of client relationships and given him access to talent at all levels in the region. Scott holds a master s degree in Applied Psychology and was trained as an organizational psychologist before moving into the recruitment industry. Scott is an MOM registered EA, registration number: R Ansir Mahmood Director Legal & Compliance Hong Kong, Asia Pacific ansirmahmood@aquissearch.com Ansir is a Director covering In-House Legal & Compliance where he focuses on roles within the Corporate Governance and regulatory functions. He recruits for a variety of clients across both the Financial Services and Corporate markets throughout Asia. Ansir has in-depth knowledge of the talent available in Hong Kong and Singapore as well as a breath of experience placing professionals into roles across the region, including India. He began his career in a support role with a law firm, where he gained in-depth experience of working in Private Practice. Ansir holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Coventry University, is fluent in English, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and has conversational Cantonese. Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

11 Contacts Miriam Leung Director Legal Private Practice Hong Kong Miriam is responsible for the development and recruitment of Legal Private Practice for the firm. She covers all areas of practice for lawyers from entry to senior levels for leading law firms across Asia Pacific region. She has experience working with key decision makers across the region including Partners and Human Resources professionals. In particular, her knowledge of the Greater China market has given her a great deal of success working with leading US firms in the region. She is extremely well-informed about the legal market in Asia and has also recruited on the In-house Legal desk. Prior to recruitment Miriam worked in a marketing role coordinating business related events for educational and non-profit programs and campaigns. Miriam obtained her degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Toronto and holds a law degree from the Manchester Metropolitan University. She is fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Ciaran Foy Associate Director Private Practice Hong Kong ciaranfoy@aquissearch.com Ciaran is an Associate Director responsible for the recruitment of private practice lawyers across Asia with a focus on the major hubs in Hong Kong and Singapore. His remit ranges from newly qualified lawyers to partner level placements and he has had proven success in recruiting within various practice areas of major law firms. Prior to joining Aquis Search, Ciaran worked as a qualified lawyer for five years at a top US law firm specialising in real estate transactions before joining a global London search firm. His background has afforded him a true understanding of the legal recruitment market and uniquely positions him to offer commercial, consultative advice to both clients and candidates alike. Ciaran grew up in Northern Ireland and read law with French at Queen s University in Belfast. He completed his legal practice course at Nottingham Law school and was admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

12 Contacts Elaine Weng Associate Director Legal, Compliance & Private Practice Hong Kong & Shanghai, North Asia Elaine is an Associate Director covering In-house Legal & Compliance and Private Practice roles across Greater China. She has over five years recruitment experience and brings a wealth of relationships and networks to her role with Aquis. She has placed a variety of Counsels, Regulatory and Compliance professionals as well as more traditional Associate roles within major UK and US firms. Prior to her current role Elaine worked with a global legal recruitment firm and she has also previously worked in a recruitment role with a premier international law firm in Shanghai. She has spent the majority of her career working the China legal market from Shanghai and Beijing before relocating to Hong Kong. Elaine holds an LLB degree from Shanghai University majoring in Intellectual Property Law. She speaks fluent English, Mandarin, Shanghainese as well as conversational Spanish. Edward Philip Senior Consultant Legal, Compliance & Private Practice Singapore, South East Asia edwardphilip@aquissearch.com Edward is a Senior Consultant based in Singapore responsible for the recruitment of Legal & Compliance professionals across South East Asia. He recruits across both the Private Practice and In-House markets and holds numerous relationships with Senior Partners, Heads of Legal & Compliance and Human Resources professionals. Previously, Edward worked as a lawyer with a boutique West London firm advising on commercial disputes before moving into the Financial Services Industry where he serviced Chinese clients investing in the UK. Edward holds a Bachelors degree in French from the University of Exeter and an LLB from the College of Law, London, UK. He was admitted as a solicitor in Edward is a MOM registered EA, registration number: R Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

13 Contacts Eileen Wang Senior Consultant Legal, Compliance & Private Practice Hong Kong & Shanghai, North Asia Eileen is a Senior Consultant covering in-house legal and compliance and legal private practice with a particular focus on Greater China. She has a strong network of relationships across the PRC and actively represents a number of international businesses developing their infrastructure in the legal and compliance functions. Her experience in recruiting Counsels at all levels has given her a strong understanding of current market conditions in China and has resulted in a proven track record in a very complex market. She completed her Bachelor s degree in Business from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and remains based in Hong Kong. She has also spent time at the Pace University in New York and is a Certified Practitioner of NLP. Eileen is a native Mandarin speaker and is fluent in English and Cantonese. Jennifer Ng Senior Consultant Legal, Compliance & Private Practice Shanghai & Singapore, North Asia jenniferng@aquissearch.com Originally based in Singapore and working with a number of in-house corporate clients in various industries on legal and compliance recruitment, Jennifer now spends her time between Shanghai and Singapore to better serve clients who are shifting their regional operations or hiring in the Greater China market and vice versa. As a Senior Consultant in the regional team, she is also able to effectively provide recruitment support for country roles across the APAC region. In her latest role, Jennifer focused on the Southeast Asia Market where she produced a strong track record of mid-to-senior level placements in various industries. Prior to this, she worked as a Professional Development Specialist with a international law firm in New York where she contributed to the firm in several areas of Human Resources including Learning & Development. Jennifer is a native New Yorker with Hong Kong heritage and earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature at Binghamton University, The State University of New York. She has also completed courses in Chinese language at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

14 Contacts Kardia Leung Senior Consultant Legal Private Practice Hong Kong Kardia is a Senior Consultant working in the Private Practice team responsible for the recruitment of fee earners at all levels into US and UK law firms across the Asia Pacific region. She is in touch with numerous associates advising on opportunities and providing advice to employers on talent in the market, compensation and hiring trends. She is part of an established private practice team that has moved numerous Associates and Partners in Hong Kong, Singapore and China. Kardia previously worked in Hong Kong for a leading UK recruitment firm where she gained exposure to recruitment within the Asian markets which has allowed her to build a solid network and develop a strong understanding of the legal community in Asia. She obtained her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Manchester where she acted as a student legal advisor for the university and interned with Eversheds before moving into recruitment. She has native level English and Cantonese and combines local relationships and a global outlook. Yeca Zhu Senior Consultant Legal, Compliance & Private Practice Beijing yecazhu@aquissearch.com Yeca is a Senior Consultant covering Legal & Compliance recruitment across Greater China. Previously based in Shanghai, and more recently Hong Kong, Yeca is currently based in Beijing as part of the regional recruitment team conducting search for talent at mid-to-director levels. She has experience working with global and national conglomerates, financial institutions and also start-up companies. Yeca has lived and worked in both Beijing and Shanghai maintaining long term relationships with clients and candidates alike, paying continuous attention to their development. Yeca obtained her LLB Degree from Southwest University of Political Science and Law. She is a native Mandarin speaker, fluent in English. Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

15 Contacts Joanna Wong Senior Consultant Legal & Compliance Hong Kong, Asia Pacific Joanna is a Senior Consultant based in the Hong Kong office. She recruits Legal & Compliance professionals across the in-house markets in Asia, with a primary focus on the financial services community in Hong Kong, and works with various General Counsels and Heads of Legal departments. She has a keen interest in the law and is rewarded by partnering with Legal & Compliance candidates to help them achieve their career objectives. Before joining Aquis Search, Joanna worked with a global recruitment firm where her clients spanned from Hong Kong listed companies to global MNC s. Joanna was educated in both Hong Kong and Canada and completed her final schooling in Vancouver before going on to complete a Bachelor s in Mathematics at the University of British Columbia. More recently she completed a Certificate in Legal Studies from the University of Hong Kong. She is a native English speaker, and is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin. Sophie Chen Consultant Legal, Risk & Compliance Shanghai, North Asia sophiechen@aquissearch.com Sophie is a Consultant covering Legal & Compliance across Greater China from the Shanghai office. She is responsible for recruiting Legal, Risk & Compliance professionals across multiple industries, including Financial Services, Commerce and Legal Private Practice. Prior to her current role Sophie worked for a global recruitment firm where she focused on placing professionals in Compliance, Risk and Accounting & Finance functions, and where she developed a strong network across the China market. Sophie was born in Sichuan and gained a Bachelor degree majoring in Process Equipment & Control Engineering from East China University of Science and Technology. She is fluent in Mandarin and English. Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

16 Contacts Richard Liang Consultant Legal, Risk & Compliance Shanghai, North Asia Richard is a Consultant based in Shanghai focused on recruitment of Corporate Governance professionals across Greater China. He is adept at building relationships and networks across the Legal, Risk, Compliance, and Finance functions in China. His remit extends across law firms, financial institutions and traditional industries. As a recruiter he values the importance of relationship building and takes a long term view when advising candidates about the market. He is an outgoing and engaging personality whom is passionate about recruitment. He previously worked for a well known German multinational before moving into recruitment. Richard holds a Master s degree in Intercultural Communication from Bayreuth University in Germany and a double Master s degree in English Language and Literature from Shanghai International Studies University, and a Bachelor degree in Education from Hunan Normal University. He speaks native Mandarin and fluent English. Morris Chan Consultant Legal & Compliance Hong Kong morrischan@aquissearch.com Morris is a Consultant with the In-House Legal & Compliance team. He specialises in recruiting legally qualified professionals from a variety of practice areas covering the Financial Services and traditional industries throughout Hong Kong and China. He has a solid understanding of the legal space, which allows him to collaborate efficiently with candidates and clients alike whilst maintaining productive partnerships. Prior to this, he covered the Human Resources & Corporate Services functions across Asia where he placed non-fee earners and legal/business support professionals within Private Practice Law Firms and Multinationals Companies. Morris was born in Hong Kong and raised in Australia, he holds a Bachelor of Business in Economics & Finance from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and he speaks fluent English and Cantonese. Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide

17 About Aquis Search Aquis Search is a regional leader for Corporate Governance and Control functions recruitment covering roles in Finance, Human Resources & Corporate Services, Legal, Risk and Compliance. We operate from offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Mumbai handling search assignments in numerous Asian countries. Our clients are members of a global network of prestigious financial institutions, leading UK & US law firms and many of the largest companies within the Fortune 500. Professional integrity is the key value on which our client relationships are built and the majority of our business is the result of personal referral. This is testament to the high level of professionalism for which we are known. For further information please contact Aquis Search below or to aquis@aquissearch.com Hong Kong: 19/F, Kailey Tower, 16 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong Singapore: 11/F Straits Trading Building, 9 Battery Road, Singapore Shanghai: Unit B21, 22/F, Tower 3, Jing An Kerry Centre, 1228 Middle Yan an Road, Shanghai, China Beijing: Room 68, China Life West, 5/F, China Life Tower, No.16 Chaowai Street, Chaoyang district, Beijing Mumbai: 1012, Level 1, Regus Bandra Kurla Complex, Trade Center, Bandra, Mumbai Taipei: 8F., No.367, Fuxing N. Rd., Songshan Dist, Taipei City 105 Taiwan Hong Kong Legal Salary Survey & Guide