Mayer Brown JSL partner Thomas So was elected to the position on 7 June after serving the in role of vice president since 2013. He will replace outgoing Law Society president Stephen Hung Wan-shun. An expert in mainland China law, Mr So was admitted to practice in Hong Kong in 1988 and is now also qualified to practice in Australia, Singapore and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). His work focuses on property-related, libel and media-related litigation.
Mainland moves
In an interview with the South China Morning Post in November, Mr So said that opening doors for Hong Kong lawyers and firms looking to do business on the mainland would be a top priority for the Law Society going forward. ‘We can form partnerships with mainland firms, but the shareholding is restricted to 51 per cent for the mainland and 49 per cent for Hong Kong. We have been calling for a relaxation of that rule,’ he said. Mr So will also guide the Law Society through decisions around a controversial new entrance exam for qualifying solicitors.
Sources; South China Morning Post; Legal Week
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