Our Real Estate Department is one of the most respected and leading real estate practice in Hong Kong. With 40 years solid experience in real estate transactions, our experienced and dedicated real estate lawyers offer cross-practice quality services in a wide spectrum of property and land related matters. Our clients include major real estate developers and statutory bodies in Hong Kong and we are on the panel list of law firms of MTR Corporation Limited and The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.
As one of the largest real estate practices in Hong Kong, we are experienced in every stage of the real estate cycle and deliver comprehensive and quality real estate advice through a team-oriented approach. Our full-service real estate team offers a wide range of professional services covering Development and Construction, Commercial Real Estate, Corporate and Retail Leasing, Project and General Conveyancing, and New Territories practice to cope with the needs of our local as well as international clients on all types of real estate transactions.
Development and construction
Our real estate lawyers in this practice group deal with real estate construction and development of various scales involving complex and exciting land or property related issues.
Our works include:
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Acting for developer clients in acquisition of urban as well as agricultural land and negotiation of the terms of land grants
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Advising on variations and modifications of the terms of land grants
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Advising on planning and zoning matters including applications and appeals in relation to the Town Planning Ordinance
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Advising on financing and re-financing of real estate, hospitality development and infrastructural projects
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Advising on and negotiating on behalf of developers in acquiring land or units of old buildings for re-development by consent or under the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) Ordinance
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Advising on property redevelopment projects including demolition of existing buildings and new development construction & procurement matters
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Acting for clients in partitioning and/or subdivision of the existing developments and/or buildings including preparation of Deed Polls, Sub-Deeds of Mutual Covenant (Sub-DMCs) and Management Agreements, negotiation with and application for various approvals from the Legal Advisory and Conveyancing Office (LACO)
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Representing landlords and/or tenants in negotiating and preparing design and construction matters for long-term leases of various large-scale developments
Commercial real estate
Our firm is experienced in acquiring and selling real estate in different asset classes in Hong Kong including office buildings, retail shopping malls, industrial, hotel development and undeveloped land through asset or share sales and purchases and tenders. Our real estate team regularly advises private investors, public as well as private companies on property holding structures and a variety of property development matters including joint ventures.
Our commercial real estate practice group has been participating heavily and handling a significant ratio of shopping centres, retail premises, car parks and other facilities within housing estates and commercial complexes divested from the Link REIT’s portfolios in Hong Kong since 2014.
Other value-added services provided by our commercial real estate practice group includes:
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Post-acquisition sub-division and divestment of carpark blocks and leasing in the commercial complexes
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Joint venture and strategic alliance, spin-offs, tender and exchange
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Share sales and purchases
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Acquisitions and disposals of investment property
Corporate and retail leasing
Our corporate and retail leasing practice group provides quality advice and services in respect of management of real estate assets to our clients including leasing, licensing and other rights of use in relation to different classes of properties. With our problem-solving approach, we always exceed our clients’ expectations in achieving their business objectives.
Our works include:
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Advising on corporate leasing including leasing compliance with Land Grants and Deeds of Mutual Covenant (DMCs) etc. and sale and leaseback transactions
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Acting for corporate and retail clients including reputable large corporations, Hong Kong listed conglomerates, stated-owned enterprises as well as their subsidiaries in the leasing of residential and commercial properties such as shopping malls respectively owned and managed by the MTR Corporation Limited along various rail lines and the shopping centres previously owned by the Link REIT across the districts in Hong Kong
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Advising on real estate developments under long-term leases including establishment of international educational institute
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Routinely representing both landlords and tenants in general tenancy matters
Projects and general conveyancing
Our firm is well-known for our strong project and general conveyancing practices as well as sale and mortgage of large number of units under various Housing Schemes.
Our dedicated real estate lawyers and professional teams in this practice group provide services on the following:
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Acting for the Hong Kong Housing Society in the sale and purchase of residential developments under "Hong Kong property for Hong Kong residents" policy and the leasing of The Tanner Hill, the first non-subsidized quality housing for senior citizens aged 60 or above in Hong Kong
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Acting for developers and building owners in the sale and purchase of residential developments including application for pre-sale consent from the LACO
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Attending to the sale, purchase, and mortgage of units of a development under different subsidised housing schemes launched by the Hong Kong Housing Society including the "Home Starter Loan Scheme", the "Flat for Sale Scheme", the "Sandwich Class Housing Scheme" and the "Flat-For-Sale Scheme - Secondary Market Scheme"
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Attending to the sale, purchase and mortgage of various units under different subsidised home ownership schemes launched by the Hong Kong Housing Authority including the "Home Ownership Scheme", the "Home Assistance Loan Scheme", the "Tenants Purchase Scheme" and the "HOS Secondary Market Scheme"
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Designing and preparing documentation for staff housing scheme for public companies and utility and transportation companies
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Advising international as well as long-established local bank and financial institutions on mortgage and security documentation
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Providing counselling services to elderly homeowners on the Reverse Mortgage Programme launched by The Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited
Our firm’s Real Estate Department has also been developing new practice area in the profession. Since the commencement of the Residential Properties (First-hand) Sales Ordinance in 2013, we have been regularly advising developer clients on compliance issues and providing full legal services for compliance work thereunder, including review of sales brochures, advertisements, price lists, sales arrangements, modified and unmodified show flats and sales offices.
New Territories practice
It is worth mentioning that we pride ourselves in our solid experience in the realm of conveyancing practice in the New Territories. In this respect, our services include but not limited to handling land resumption compensation cases, sale, purchase and mortgage of various land entitlement rights, disposition of land and interests in land held by T'so or T'ong and exercising of the powers under the New Territories Ordinance, in particular, applications under Section 15 and Section 18 of the New Territories Ordinance.
Tenancy
Our tenancy practice group advises corporate institutions as well as individual owners and tenants on renting, leasing or granting licence to use or occupy residential, commercial and industrial premises, be it individual unit, shopping mall, building or land.
Our works include:
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Drafting, approving, advising on Offer Letters
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Advising on preliminary matters relating to tenancies, such as restrictions in the Deed of Mutual Covenant and land grant conditions
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Preparing Agreement for Tenancy Agreement (e.g. pending issuance of occupation permit or completion of the sale and purchase agreement)
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Drafting, approving, advising on and negotiating formal Tenancy Agreement/Lease, renewal and extension of tenancy
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Application for Mortgagee's Consent
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Approving Tenancy Agreement on behalf of Mortgagees / Tenants
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Advising and issuing statutory or contractual notice relating to renewal, extension and termination of tenancies
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Advising, preparing documentation for granting licence to occupy or use certain proprietary rights such as carpark, TV/wireless antenna, advertisement sign, etc.
The tenancy practice group also advises on other tenancy related areas such as:
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Assignment of rent
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Assignment of tenancy
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Early Termination Agreement/Surrender Agreement
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Novation Agreement
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Power of Attorney
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Rental Guarantee
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Sub-Tenancy Agreement
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Supplemental Agreement to vary terms of Tenancy Agreement
With the burgeoning of commercial activities in Macau in recent years, our firm has been retained by an international casino group in mid-2005 to advise and prepare documentation for the leasing of units in a gigantic shopping mall to be built in COTAI, Macau.
