Lawyers with experience in corporate/commercial, It, FMCG, e-commerce and the pharmaceuticals and energy sectors are in demand for roles advertised in Hong Kong, but located in the bordering Chinese city of Shenzhen,  or in Shanghai or Beijing. A number of MNCs based in Hong Kong are opening in one of those three hub cities, looking for a lawyer to start up the local in-house legal department, according to reports from recruitment firm Robert Walters.

“Clients aren’t finding local candidates, so they are looking abroad for talent, first with Mandarin and Cantonese language skills, secondly with the right legal background and experience but limited language skills. 90-95% of mandates we have require fluent Mandarin and Cantonese, so candidates must be able to deal with PRC issues”  according to Ricky Mui, manager of the Hong Kong legal division for Robert Walters. Mui also explained that the reason for openings in Shenzhen was the proximity to Hong Kong and the fact that it is easy to travel between the two jurisdictions.

The number of mandates Mui has received; along with the growth happening in China means UK, Australian, and Singapore qualified lawyers with the right language skills can expect premium career opportunities. He also warned that most of the roles available are in the commerce and industry in-house sectors, which is traditionally less lucrative but provides a greater work/life balance and variety of work than in-house work in the financial services sector. Generally clients were looking for a minimum of 3-5 years PQE, and anything up to 10+ as the expectation is that the candidate has reached a point where they are able to work autonomously and potentially manage a team, Mui concluded.