US Lawyer In HK

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  1. #1

    US Lawyer In HK

    I am a US lawyer interested in moving to HK. My wife is a permanent resident and also a US lawyer. My background is insurance and commercial litigation, not transactions, so it seems like I would have very little chance of working for a US firm. US firms seem to be focused on financial transactions and intellectual property. If that's not my background, am I out of luck? UK firms seem to have more London insurance clients doing business in HK (I have represented a lot of London insurers over the years).


  2. #2

    there are a lot of US lawyers here represented. Go check headhunters for the legal field, such as Law Alliance, Tully, Taylor Root. Those guys are specialized in legal jobs. Ask them the question you may have. Pretty sure they can help you out in your search for a job.


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    829

    Would you consider working as an inhouse lawyer for American firms? E.g. American insurance firms?


  4. #4

    US Lawyer in HK

    I have been working with someone at Hudson in Hong Kong. She seems very together but finding the right opportunity is like the proverbial needle in the haystack. Thank you all for the comments.


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Midlevels / USA (MD) / London
    Posts
    2,219

    The Hong Kong bar has a publication which is just filled with classifieds (at least the paper copy, not the online version). http://www.hk-lawyer.com/2006-3/default.htm

    There is always a demand for US educated lawyers in HK. However, I would strongly recommend trying to find a job while you are overseas rather than coming to HK and interviewing as a local. It's a lot harder to get an expat package (or negotiate a salary in lieu of a package) once you are in HK.

    There are many search firms in HK, the US, and Australia that work on placing folks in HK. Don't just stick with one--branch out and see what you can get.

    HK firm lifestyle is a bit like NY. It can be very stressful, and some of the clients are not as professional as those you may have met in your dealings in the West. The presence of some UK firms lowers the salary, but there are also some very high paying UK firms so you just have to work something out.