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Here’s a very innovative approach from the Hong Kong government and legislature summarised in the post below by Nicholas Fong. Companies will soon effectively and legally be able to emigrate/debase to Hong Kong. How cool is that? Think: lower corporation taxes, a highly respected and mature common law system, and one of the most efficient civil services in the world in one of the safest cities in the world. On top of that, Hong Kong has a superb public department called Investhk that helps companies with their business launch or expansion plans in Hong Kong - https://lnkd.in/gBdX9BFa In the private sector, there are quality providers who can offer contract and payroll services to keep your costs certain and tight during your initial move over, immigration consultants to assist with visa applications to move your key staff over, corporate service providers to incorporate a company for you, relocation providers to help you find your first accommodation and, when you’re ready to go all in and hire permanent staff, service providers to help with your search and selection of those employees in any role or function you can think of. If you’re interested to learn more and get recommendations on such providers or to be put in touch with InvestHK, DM me for a confidential chat and get your journey started.

Holiday planning in my family is like an art form. Or rather, holiday planning by my wife. It’s done with military precision. No stone is left unturned to ensure everything from the service, the quality of the room, to the facilities and breakfast spread is scrutinised to the nth degree. Me? Hit Agoda. Search city. Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5. That’ll do. Book. Done. Secretly, i know she loves the planning, so I send her really crappy hotels and recommend them to her, which sends her into meltdown as she then takes over the search and selection of accommodation, then appears days later from a dark room I never knew existed, goggle-eyed and exhausted, but with a look of delirious content as she’s found a better hotel than me that’s cheaper and closer, and a million times better than my choice. One that has windows too (true story). And I never see her more excited than the night before we set off. Don’t get me wrong, she’s loving the holiday as well, but it’s a different type of happiness mixed with a feeling of “I’m done” from getting to the destination. And career paths are similar. Those who get the most overall enjoyment are those living in the moment. It’s not the pursuit of happiness, as everyone seems to repeat as a mantra. Slap me silly, Will Smith. No, it’s the happiness of the pursuit. When your children reach toddler age, what is one of the most common things other parents of teenagers say? “Enjoy this, they’ll grow up fast and forget about you before you know it!” There’s almost a “‘mmmm mwww ha haha haaa!” silently playing in their heads after they say it. Added bonus points if they put their little pinkie to the edge of their mouth with a snivel. Again, what they seem to be alluding to, it’s the happiness of the pursuit. Because the feeling when you get to the outcome or result isn’t quite the same as the feeling earlier in that stage. What is the happiness in your career? It’s the feeling of putting your best foot forward each day, going to your gym or yoga session regularly, hanging out and having a laugh with the people you want to hang out with, enjoying the moment, and having a little / lot of gratitude for what you have knowing you’re building the foundations of who you will be in three, five, ten years, and beyond. For those familiar with the British classic comedy, Only Fools and Horses, in the words of good old Del Boy, “Carpet DM.” (That's a play on words on the latin phrase, 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑝𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑚).

When it comes to innovation in work practices, “bean counters” aka accountants, have been years ahead of legal eagles. Take my post last week about Hong Kong’s resilience and resurgence in the world IPO stage for example, which initiated quite a few animated offline discussions. One thing that came to light when speaking to employers was how to resource with confidence given the volatility and uncertainty we are all facing in this market. Hiring someone permanently simply on some promising build-up of your pipeline of work could prove disastrous six months down the line if there was a 180 reversal or abortion of IPOs or deals. Speaking to other alternative legal services suppliers in other parts of the world, it is clear that the use of contract lawyers and paralegals in both private practice and in-house from the US, Europe, to the Middle East, is far more prevalent. Yet there is still a long way to go in Asia with GCs and Heads of Legal commenting how legal spend is already tightly controlled and squeezed, and there simply is no room to allocate spend to contractors. Can't allocate or won't allocate? With law firms, there is a feeling that partners generally prefer control, stability, and long term solutions over a “quick fix”. But then there is an almighty scramble for mid-level lawyers and paralegals when a sudden flurry of deals come in that hits their team like a typhoon. In both cases, interim resourcing-where you contract with someone for a fixed period of time or for just a day or two a week to help give your desk a “clean sweep”-offers that relief to you and the comfort that your clients, be they external or internal, are being serviced. Why do I suggest that accountants are ahead of the curve? Even as a teenager, I had heard of the term “Interim CFO” or “Interim Finance Manager” but the interim equivalents in legal circles are rarely heard about with such appreciation. On the flip-side, there has been a monumental change in perception about such roles among legal job seekers. Pre-Covid times, few lawyers under the age of 50 would even entertain the idea of working on contract or part time. Thanks to the disruptions caused by Covid, there is a large community of willing and able lawyers of all ages looking out for legal gigs, from law graduates looking to find their first role in the law, to junior and mid-level associates wanting to embrace diversity in their career and get involved in different projects. For the organisation, additional skilled labour helps them handle sudden spikes in work without the burden of taking on a permanent and costly headcount and flexible lawyers can quickly demonstrate the value they can add to a legal function. This is one of the most visible demonstrations of opportunity-cost you will see in getting legal stuff done. Interim resource fits a need on both sides of the equation. No matter the size of your team or business, give it a try. Enquire with me for more: chris@yuzu.com.hk

Say it quietly, but more and more lawyers and professionals in Hong Kong are agreeing with what I have said in previous posts, that Hong Kong is coming back. Here's the latest, from crypto legal wizard, Joshua Chu (朱喬華). Some stupendously big IPOs are coming to the Hong Kong public markets this year. We're not talking 100s of millions of dollars, but billions of dollars raised on just ONE listing alone and companies with billions in market valuation. Few markets on this planet can match that in terms of size or frequency of such listings. Even US comedian Jimmy O'Yang is riding on the wave of excitement with two shows in his home town of Hong Kong over the past week selling out within one minute of going online. His show was so oversubscribed he could easily do ten sold-out shows on the trot here. Compare that to London where he's struggling to fill a couple of shows. Yet, why is he only promoting two shows in the city of his birth! See additional link on upcoming mega IPOs to come, in comments below.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗲: 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝗜𝗣𝗢 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. 📌 Q1 2025 saw nearly 3x more funds raised than the same period last year. That's the strongest start since 2021 according to KPMG, whilst PwC reports over 30 filings already in the pipeline, with mega-listings in biotech, EVs, and fintech leading the charge. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲? 🔍 𝑮𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒔: With US-China tensions stabilising (for now), global investors are returning. 🔍 𝑹𝒆𝒈𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑬𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈: HKEX’s faster approvals and China’s pro-growth policies are fueling confidence. 🔍 𝙋𝙀 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙑𝘾 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙩𝙨 A wave of private capital is seeking liquidity, pushing high-quality deals to market. 🔍 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 - watch as both US and Chinese governments inject stimuli into the market, Trump has openly admitted he needs the drive the value of the greenback down and he needs to do everything he can to avoid a recession. 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲? Big Four analysts predict HK$150-200B+ in total IPO proceeds in Hong Kong, potentially rivaling 2021’s peak. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀: 📍 Dual listings (HK + Middle East/SEA exchanges gaining traction) 📍 Mainland China’s economic rebound lifting all boats 📍 Tech & green energy sectors dominating deal flow 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 For lawyers, bankers, and advisors: The window is WIDE open. Demand for IPO expertise hasn’t been this hot in years. But with Fed rates still in flux and election risks looming, speed will be key. Hong Kong isn’t just recovering—it’s repositioning as the capital gateway of tomorrow. Agree? Skeptical? What do I know, I'm just a recruiter. Drop your take below. 👇 #HongKongIPO #CapitalMarkets #InvestHK (Sources: KPMG, PwC, SCMP, Finews Asia)

The past six years have been brutal for Hong Kong’s legal market—civil unrest, COVID, post-COVID economic strains—leaving many talented lawyers out of work, some for over a year. But the last few months has seen a remarkable shift in demand for lawyers across most practice areas. Same goes for corporate governance and legal support staff. If your LinkedIn profile is gathering dust, it’s time for a refresh. A lifeless account with no activity won't attract recruiters or employers. It's simply a turnoff, and that's all your doing. Or lack of, rather. Here are some easy wins to boost your visibility and get noticed in the jobs market: ✅ 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 & 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 – Don’t just list firms; say what you do! Example: "2019 Hong Kong Qualified Lawyer | Commercial Litigation | Risk Management & Dispute Resolution Advisor" ✅ 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 – even your smart phone is good enough! Use portrait mode (get out onto the street to take a photo) to blur the background and keep the focus on you. Or use an AI tool to help you create a dazzling corporate portrait. Stop using your graduation photo. Please. I urge you. Even if you just graduated. Banish these from social media. Forever. ✅ 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 – Comment on industry news, share insights, and join discussions. Your silence only creates missed opportunities. ✅ 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀..𝑹𝒆𝒈𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚  – Share practical tips, case commentary, or risk management advice. If you don't show your expertise, how will people know you're....an expert? ✅ 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 "𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁" 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – Tell your story. What’s your niche? What value do you bring? No one hires a mystery candidate. Keep it snappy. ✅ 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 – Follow firms, recruiters, and industry leaders. Engage with their content meaningfully. And speak to them offline regularly, give them a nudge or a wink from time to time to show you're alive! A stagnant profile hurts your prospects. If you’re serious about getting back in the game, start today. The market is tough, but invisibility only creates the market tougher for you. This is an oldie, but it rings true every day, it's a quote from Edmonton Oilers' ice hockey legend, Wayne Gretzky. “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take.” Think about it. ♻️ Repost to share this. Someone in your network might need it.