Criminal Defence
Overview
Haldanes is the best-known criminal law firm in Hong Kong and has specialised in criminal law for 50 years. We have a team of criminal defence lawyers with vast collective experience, and our excellence has been consistently recognised by clients, peers and international legal directories such as Asian Legal Business, Who’s Who Legal / Lexology, Legal 500, Chambers and Partners, Benchmark Litigation, Doyles’ Guide, Mondaq and China Business Law Journal over the years.
We have a sizeable Criminal Defence Department and are the only firm in Hong Kong with two solicitor advocates who are solicitors with rights of audience to appear in High Court jury trials and all levels of appellate courts. We also have a 24-hour telephone answering service to ensure that clients’ needs are timely met.
Award-winning Criminal Defence Lawyers
Our award-winning team of criminal lawyers have a wealth of experience in dealing with criminal investigations and court proceedings the Hong Kong Police Force, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), the Immigration Department (IMMD), the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), the Customs and Excise Department (C&E), the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD), the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council (AFRC) and many other government bodies.
We advise individuals, multinational companies and financial institutions on a wide range of criminal matters including:
- corruption and bribery
- fraud
- money laundering
- misconduct in public office
- cybercrime
- insider dealing
- financial market misconduct
- national security law
- personal data privacy
- sexual offences
- immigration
- drugs
- traffic offences
In addition, we frequently handle international criminal matters involving extradition, mutual legal assistance and cross-border investigations.
Expert Advice and Advocacy on Criminal Law
Haldanes has been involved in many high-profile criminal cases, setting new legal precedents and developing a strong reputation in the field. Our criminal lawyers are familiar with criminal defence from the Magistrates’ Courts up to the Court of Final Appeal. We are able to respond quickly to clients’ needs from the moment of arrest, with representation at a police station or place of detention, until the conclusion of the trial or appeal. Our lawyers’ ability to respond immediately and effectively to clients’ needs is a cornerstone of our firm’s criminal practice.
Our criminal law team regularly provides expert views in media interviews, seminars and pro bono talks to professional groups, students and the general public. We are also committee officers who have contributed to the Business Crime Committee and Criminal Law Committee of the International Bar Association, and Criminal Law and Procedures Committee of the Law Society of Hong Kong for decades.
Recognition
Jonathan Midgley
“An outstanding lawyer of excellent reputation.”
“Charismatic and masterful in steering and focusing legal teams to develop and advocate the strongest points for his clients.”
Geoffrey Booth
“A great lawyer and ADR expert”
“A very active and well-known name especially in commercial mediations.”
“One of the founders of mediation in Hong Kong.”
Felix Ng
“Besides his exceptional professionalism, Ng is compassionate, empathetic and attentive … gave me the needed trust and confidence throughout the entire process and made this unbearable investigation a lot more bearable.”
Andrew Powner
“Andrew is an excellent operator.”
“He has excellent client handling skills.”
“Andrew is calm and unruffled under pressure.”
Paul Wang
“Paul effortlessly understands the culture of multiple jurisdictions, enabling his clients to be sure they have the best representation in what may not be their home jurisdiction.”
“Paul is an experienced criminal lawyer who considers from the client’s perspective. Paul provides high-quality succinct advice to the client.”
Paul Wang
“Paul Wang was born and raised in the PRC and is a native Mandarin speaker. He is intelligent and intuitive with a positive, cheerful and outgoing personality. He provides a strong and safe link across the border for those in need of help on the other side. He is warm and caring towards even difficult clients and inspires their trust and confidence. He leads his team with good humour, but is forceful when the need arises.”
Paul Wang
“Native Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking partner Paul Wang has developed a strong reputation advising on complex commercial criminal matters often involving a significant nexus to the mainland, where he is appreciated for his ability to provide clear and pragmatic advice.”
Paul Wang
“Paul Wang is highly recommended by market observers for his intelligent understanding of clients’ cases and ability to effortlessly straddle the cultures of PRC and Hong Kong.”
Paul Wang
Paul Wang is a long-standing fixture in the market and receives extensive praise from market commentators who describe him as “a great strategist and one of the top criminal solicitor in town”
Felix Ng
“Felix Ng is the partner leading the competition practice at Haldanes. With his unparalleled depth of knowledge and experience in both criminal and competition law, he is in pole position to deliver quality advice and effective results. Felix is razor-sharp and will leave no stone unturned to achieve the best results for the client and the case. He is incisive, practical, strategic and commercial. He picks up on issues quickly, is highly responsive and is always a pleasure to work with. His client skills are second-to-none… a smooth operator.”
“Top-notch white-collar crime lawyers who are technically sound and exceptionally good at assembling high-calibre legal and expert teams comprising barristers, forensic accountants, e-discovery specialists and other experts. Haldanes provides practical and considered advice, often achieving the best outcomes for their clients.”
Felix Ng
“Felix Ng is singled out as a ‘highly professional and extraordinarily capable’ white-collar crime lawyer”
Felix Ng
“Felix Ng boasts a stellar reputation in the Asian legal market and, according to sources, leaves no stone unturned in preparing his client’s defence”
Felix Ng
“Besides his exceptional professionalism, Felix is compassionate, empathetic and attentive…gave me the needed trust and confidence throughout the entire process and made this unbearable investigation a lot more bearable”
Felix Ng
“Felix is held in high regard for his top-tier business crime defence practice advising domestic and international financial institutions and corporations in complex white collar crime and securities matters”
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