Overview

Joe Choy is a partner of Tanglau’s Employment & Benefits Group. He is dual qualified in Hong Kong and in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and advises employers in Hong Kong and the wider region on all aspect of employment-related issues, including recruitment; structuring of employment relationship; variation of employment terms and benefits; termination of employment; enforceability of non-compete clauses; personal data issues; disciplinary matters; and labour relations. He also handles contentious matters, including litigation at all levels of the Hong Kong courts, investigations by regulators and other authorities in Hong Kong and internal employee misconduct investigations.

Joe also advises on retirement scheme matters, including establishment, maintenance and restructuring of occupational retirement schemes and mandatory provident fund schemes, as well as other related services.

Joe is regularly involved in M&A deals and advises on employment and retirement scheme issues arising from the transactions.

Joe speaks English, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Experience

  • Assisted a global professional services firm with an internal investigation into alleged misconduct in the workplace by a senior employee in Hong Kong.
  • Acted for a major employer in Hong Kong in an investigation by the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority concerning alleged non-compliance with MPF contributions requirements.
  • Conducted and coordinated a regional review of employment-related documentation for a global investment firm (including offer letter, confidentiality and restrictive covenants agreement, separation letter, incentive schemes and employee manual).
  • Advised a leading e-commerce and technology company in China on all aspect of employment and data privacy issues, and assisted one of its subsidiaries with its redundancy exercises in multiple jurisdictions.
  • Acted for a major bank in Hong Kong in defending a claim for wrongful dismissal brought by a senior private banker in the Labour Tribunal.

  • Acted for a global investment bank headquartered in Europe in defending a claim for wrongful dismissal brought by a senior manager in the High Court.
  • Advised a UK-based startup on structuring the arrangement with thousands of workers and on other HR-related issues.
  • Advised a major securities firm in China on structuring employment relationship with researchers and report writers in multiple jurisdictions.
  • Advised a global financial investment management company on its acquisition of retirement schemes businesses in Hong Kong.
  • Advised a multi-national, multi disciplined commercial group on retirement scheme issues arising from its disposal of a subsidiary.
  • Advised a major bank in Hong Kong on winding up of its existing retirement scheme and establishment of a new scheme under a pooled arrangement.
  • Advised a real estate company in introducing and implementing HR data privacy policy and information technology policy.
  • Advised a statutory body in a complaint for disability discrimination lodged by a former employee with the Equal Opportunities Commission.

Recognition

  • Rising Star – Labor and Employment, Hong Kong – The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2024)
  • Recommended – Labour Employment & Benefits, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR – Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal) (2023)

Qualifications

Education

  • The University of Hong Kong, PCLL
  • The University of Hong Kong, LLB

Admissions

  • Hong Kong
  • Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Lawyer

Languages

  • English
  • Cantonese
  • Mandarin

Professional & community involvement

  • Member, HKSAR Passports Appeal Board
  • Member, Talent Working Group, The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
  • Member, China and International HRM Committee, the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management