Overview

LJ Kwok is a senior associate in the Employment & Benefits practice in Tanglau's Hong Kong office.

LJ advises employers across a wide range of sectors on both contentious and non-contentious employment related matters throughout the entire HR lifecycle. He is well-versed in providing pragmatic and strategic advice on all aspects of employment law, including recruitment and termination issues, restructuring and redundancy, enforcement of restrictive covenants, managing sick, injured and pregnant employees, as well as discrimination, harassment and data privacy related matters.

LJ is an employment litigator with experience in handling large-scale employment and discrimination disputes across all levels of the Hong Kong courts – from the Labour Tribunal to the Court of Final Appeal. Apart from having assisted employers in conducting internal investigations into highly sensitive issues related to sexual harassment, workplace bullying and other forms of misconduct, LJ has advised clients in responding to investigations conducted by the Labour Department, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data. He has also managed various multi-jurisdictional employment projects and global restructuring exercises.

LJ is often invited by clients to deliver internal seminars and training on a broad range of issues ranging from employment, discrimination and harassment and data privacy. In addition, He is also a regular contributor to leading human resources publications in Hong Kong.

LJ speaks English, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Experience

Employment Disputes
  • Acted for a regional leading airline and its subsidiary in a claim made by a number of pilots for certain employment-related payments in the High Court
  • Acted for an asset management company in defending a claim for the payment of a substantial bonus brought by a former senior employee in the High Court.
  • Acted for a major airline in defence of a union discrimination, unlawful dismissal and wrongful dismissal claim in the High Court
  • Acted for a leading ship management firm in the enforcement of a restrictive covenant against a former senior executive
  • Advised a yacht builder in defending a claim for wrongful termination and unreasonable dismissal in the Labour Tribunal

  • Advised a cargo airline in defence of an unlawful and unreasonable dismissal claim made by a former employee in the Labour Tribunal
  • Advised a tertiary institution in defence of a wrongful dismissal claim brought by a former employee in the Labour Tribunal
Discrimination & Harassment
  • Acted for an exclusive private members’ club in defence of a disability discrimination claim brought by a former employee in the District Court and the subsequent proceedings in the Court of Appeal and Court of Final Appeal
  • Advised a Hong Kong private members’ club on a workplace bullying and alienation complaint made by an employee
  • Advised a cargo airline in response to a former employee’s disability discrimination complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission
  • Advised a tertiary institution in handling a sexual harassment complaint made by a former student
  • Advised an international secondary school in response to a disability discrimination complaint brought by a parent of a former student with the Equal Opportunities Commission
  • Conducted an independent internal investigation for a real estate developer on a whistleblowing complaint related to workplace bullying
  • Conducted internal investigation for a leading global music corporation into sexual harassment allegations
Other Advisory Matters
  • Advised a Hong Kong conglomerate on the strategic recruitment of a senior executive from a direct competitor
  • Advised a large multinational hedge fund on structuring employment arrangements to attract and retain key portfolio managers
  • Advised one of the largest global sports manufacturers on a global redundancy exercise
  • Advised the operating company of a longstanding landmark restaurant on a high-profile redundancy exercise
  • Advised one of the leading regional banks on its existing payment arrangements and the approach to rectify issues arising from more than a decade of underpayment of certain entitlements to a large population of employees
  • Conducted and coordinated a multi-jurisdictional review of the global template consultancy agreement for a fintech trading platform operator
  • Regularly advised clients on managing sick and pregnant employees, transfer of employment, enforcement of restrictive covenants, variation of terms of employment and termination of employment.
Data Privacy and Technology
  • Advised a global bank on data privacy and employment-related risks surrounding the use of artificial intelligence for human resources purposes
  • Advised a multinational investment bank and a retail powerhouse in Asia in response to a data access request lodged by their respective former employees
  • Advised a cargo airline in dealing with data privacy complaints made by a former employee
  • Advised a Hong Kong based family office and various leading investment management firms on the handling of employee’s personal data and the drafting of personal information collection statement for job applicants and employees.

Qualifications

Education

  • City University of Hong Kong, PCLL
  • Queen Mary, University of London, LLB

Admissions

  • Hong Kong

Languages

  • English
  • Cantonese
  • Mandarin