the HIP talks Hugill & Ip Solicitors

Alfred Ip and Kerby Lau share their experience working as a team in many contentious trusts & estate matters, touching on the initial motivation to embark on legal careers.
They go on discussing the role of administrators, executors and trustees and their duties, highlighting the possible pitfalls and ways to manage conflicts, which sometimes can potentially lead to the removal of administrators. They also discuss responsibilities related to investment strategies and asset valuation and conclude talking about the importance of proper estate planning as a necessary tool to avoid future disputes and costly litigation.
SHOW NOTES:
00:01:16 Trust and estate administration and problem-solving
00:11:39 Estate administration and fiduciary duties
00:18:29 Managing conflicts of interest in estate administration
00:24:19 Conflicts and removal of administrators
00:30:03 Assets valuation and investment strategies
00:45:54 Trustee duties and disputes amongst beneficiaries
00:55:23 Estate planning as key factor to minimize the risk of future dispute
 
More on Contentious Trusts & Estates: https://www.hugillandip.com/legal-services/contentious-trusts-estates/

Florence (Sai Wing) Chan speaks to our Alfred Ip about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: from the pure concept of it to the reasons why businesses need to look at DEI as a necessity to strengthen their workforce, show empathy and build appropriate policies, programs, initiatives to achieve a better and more equitable balance.
Issues can be diverse: they range from women empowerment, disability training, culture, race and to (one of the most prominent efforts) LGBTQ+ inclusion. She talks about visibility, as well as research showing the positive impact that DEI has on business efficiency, revenue growth, investor support, reduced attrition rates, etc…
Florence points out that many companies in Asia which have strong focus on DEI are international companies, while most local companies tend to include the DEI concept into “being a family” or “teamwork” and think that DEI relates to values which are more Western. There’s an urgent need to explain the concept to encourage more local business to buy in, while it is also true that attitudes and cultural nuances play a role in approaching the topic slightly differently, especially within working environments which are traditionally more reserved.
More LGBTQ content: https://www.hugillandip.com/the-hip-pride/ 

Alfred Ip and Henry Li talk about Henry’s personal story with husband Edgar Ng while touching upon legal protections – or rather the lack of – related to inheritance and housing rights in Hong Kong for same-sex couples legally married overseas.
They delve into the hurdles and (direct and indirect) discriminatory treatment connected to the lack of recognition of same-sex relationships and marriages in Hong Kong. They also walk through the history of the legal cases brought to Court by Henry and Edgar through different levels of the justice system and the striking differences with other jurisdictions (e.g. the UK) – whereas in Hong Kong couples are not given the right to form a legally binding relationship with specific (and significant) rights and obligations – towards each other and towards society.
Henry pinpoints the difficulties they went through as a couple who decided to challenge the law and the government, initially in terms of housing rights and thereafter also in terms of inheritance rights. They go on speaking about the hurdles concerning access to justice and the related emotional as well as financial costs. The emotional challenges not only burdened the couple, but also their extended family in both a private and public way. Whilst the financial costs involved the Legal Aid Department, the couple also had to dig into their own pockets. A strong, selfless and brave character needs to be at the base of a fight for obtaining further rights for same-sex couples.
 
More LGBTQ content: https://www.hugillandip.com/the-hip-pride/ 

Alfred Ip talks to Film Director Ray Yeung about his life story – growing up in Hong Kong and then furthering his education in the UK, where he studied law, then finding his passion in film making.
Ray talks about “叔叔 Suk Suk” which introduced the novel topic of two elderly gay men falling in love in Hong Kong, representing a minority within a minority. He goes on to talk about his latest film “從今以後 All Shall Be Well” and hearing real-life stories which inspired Ray to script the story about a lesbian couple and the family dynamics that suddenly roll out after one of the women passes away.
Ray talks about the casting and the reasons behind the choice of Maggie Li (Lin Lin), as well as the choice of portraying the characters without using a typical melodramatic way to unfold the story. He wants the audience to empathise and reflect on the family dynamics and the many shades that each character brings to the story. He wants everyone to reflect upon their own selfishness and what they would do in a similar situation, as well as questioning if there’s a more or less hidden level of homophobia.
 
More LGBTQ content: https://www.hugillandip.com/the-hip-pride/ 

Alfred Ip interviews Henry Tse about his life while growing up in Hong Kong as well as after moving to the UK to further his education.
Henry realised quite early in his life about his gender identity and struggle. He went through a hard time whilst studying in a religious secondary school, made more difficult as he lacked LGBTQ role models. Often, he – and other students – faced biases and confrontational behaviour, and Henry recalls treatment he received from a basketball coach. Henry finally found some peace when he went to study in the UK – he discovered more about gender identity whilst he continued to struggle mentally with his own changing body and appearance.
They chat about self-identity and fitting in with society. Henry highlights the benefits he gained by social services in the UK and how Hong Kong compares to it. The real struggle started when he moved back to Hong Kong for professional reasons. He received a lack of full recognition as a male individual and that’s when Henry decided to challenge the government on the issue of getting his gender changed on his Hong Kong identity card.
 
More LGBTQ content: https://www.hugillandip.com/the-hip-pride/

Raphael Wong interviews Felix Li about his calling and dedication to family law, especially in regards of children-related matters. They discuss the divorce process and the different roles of barristers and solicitors.
They go on talking about the evolution and specifics related to child custody in Hong Kong and the essential role of co-parenting and handling the relationship with other third-parties, eg. domestic helpers. They conclude delving into the issue of overseas relocation.
SHOW NOTES
00:00:3 Family law and children matters as my barrister career focus
00:11:11 Divorce settlements and the court process
00:17:22 Legal practice: the different roles of barristers, and solicitors
00:26:17 Child custody law and its evolution in Hong Kong
00:41:06 The importance of co-parenting
00:56:17 Domestic helpers
01:03:44 Child custody and extracurricular activities
01:10:51 International relocation