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Family Office Services in Hong Kong | Private Wealth, Trusts & Succession Planning

Our Hong Kong Family Office lawyers advise family offices and their nominated advisers on legal aspects of wealth preservation, succession planning, trust structures, estate planning and cross-border structuring.

For many families, wealth represents far more than financial assets. It reflects years – often generations – of entrepreneurship, hard work, and shared values. Preserving that legacy requires careful planning, not only for today, but for children and grandchildren who will inherit the responsibility of managing and growing it.

Hong Kong has established itself as one of the world’s leading destinations for family offices, combining the certainty of a robust common law system with a business‑friendly tax regime and strong government support. With no capital gains, dividend, or inheritance tax, and dedicated initiatives such as FamilyOfficeHK under InvestHK and tax concessions for family‑owned investment holding vehicles (FIHVs), Hong Kong offers a compelling base for long‑term wealth planning.

We work closely with families and their investment teams to develop solutions that reflect each family’s unique circumstances, aspirations and values. We advise on succession planning, trusts, estate planning, family governance and international structuring, helping families navigate complex legal and cross-border issues while maintaining control and family’s harmony.

WHY ESTABLISH A FAMILY OFFICE IN HONG KONG?

Hong Kong offers a unique combination of legal certainty, tax efficiency and international connectivity:

Common Law Legal System

Hong Kong’s well-established common law framework provides a high degree of legal certainty, strong protection of private property rights and sophisticated trust and succession laws. The jurisdiction is widely recognised by international investors, financial institutions and professional advisers.

Attractive Tax Environment

Hong Kong operates a territorial tax system under which only profits arising in or derived from Hong Kong are generally subject to profits tax. However, certain foreign‑sourced income received in Hong Kong by an entity that is a member of a multinational enterprise (MNE) group may be deemed taxable under the Foreign‑Sourced Income Exemption regime.

Key advantages include:

  • No capital gains tax as such
  • No dividend withholding tax and no standalone dividend tax on dividends paid by a Hong Kong company
  • No inheritance tax or estate duty
  • No gift tax
  • No VAT or GST

In addition, qualifying family-owned investment holding vehicles (FIHVs) may benefit from a profits tax exemption for eligible transactions under Hong Kong’s family office tax concession regime.

Government Support for Family Offices

The Hong Kong Government has committed significant resources to attracting family offices and private capital to the city. FamilyOfficeHK provides dedicated support to families establishing or expanding family office operations in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong has also introduced a company re-domiciliation regime, allowing overseas companies to relocate to Hong Kong while maintaining legal continuity, making the city increasingly attractive for international family office structures.

New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES)

The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme allows eligible individuals to apply for residency in Hong Kong through qualifying investments.

The scheme presents an attractive opportunity for internationally mobile families seeking access to Hong Kong’s business environment, education system, financial markets and long-term wealth planning opportunities. We advise applicants and family offices on the legal, regulatory and structuring aspects of New CIES investments, including alignment with wider succession objectives.

Globalaw

Fournir à nos clients des solutions immédiates dans le monde entier

Nous sommes fiers d’être le membre exclusif pour Hong Kong de “Globalaw”, un réseau international de cabinets d’avocats d’affaires de premier plan. Cela nous permet de bénéficier d’une plate-forme internationale indispensable pour répondre à tous les besoins de nos clients en matière d’opérations transfrontalières.

Réunissant plus de 80 cabinets d’avocats indépendants et environ 4 500 avocats exerçant dans plus de 165 villes à travers le globe, “Globalaw” est désormais le réseau incontournable pour les entreprises qui cherchent à se développer et à évoluer dans un environnement mondialisé.

En entretenant des relations très étroites avec ses partenaires dans les différents pays, OLN s’assure de pouvoir fournir à ses clients des conseils rapides et fiables sur la plupart des questions juridiques internationales, y compris les lois et réglementations locales qui pourraient affecter leurs transactions commerciales nationales et internationales.

Pour obtenir davantage d’informations sur le réseau “Globalaw”, veuillez consulter le site internet à l’adresse suivante : http://www.globalaw.net/

OLN Podcasts

Oldham, Li & Nie Solicitors and Watson & Band are pleased to jointly announce their formal association which significantly expands their Legal Service Network from 2020.

The Association will strengthen OLN’s China Legal Service Network and Watson & Band’s international practice, allowing the Association strategic and direct access to lawyers in different jurisdictions. With a deeper understanding of clients’ needs and behaviour, it will complement the ambitious growth of OLN and Watson & Band to provide high-quality legal services on a global scale.

In addition, OLN now stands in a strong unique position to provide professional legal services for domestic, regional and international clients by entering the Chinese market network while the Association strengthens Watson & Band’s capability to deliver its legal services internationally. With the steady demand of business flow between the two jurisdictions, the Association sets a solid foundation to empower OLN and Watson & Band to approach clients uniquely with both a domestic and global perspective.

La responsabilité sociale des entreprises au sein d’OLN

How does OLN approach CSR?

OLN takes its CSR role very seriously, especially as a corporate citizen in Hong Kong, and we actively encourage all of our staff to participate across a wide range of community projects. We strive to make a real difference in the Community we live and work in, whether it be charity work or acting as mentors for underprivileged children.

Who gets involved and what kind of CSR activities does OLN do?

Who gets involved in our CSR at OLN is entirely up to the individual staff member as to whether or not they wish to participate. Fortunately, we have been (and hope to continue being) lucky that most of our staff consistently volunteer to participate in our CSR activities.

Here are just some of the things we do at OLN:

Action Asia Foundation

Action Asia Foundation

OLN actively supports the Action Asia Foundation. Our recent involvement was sponsoring a charity kayaking day at the Gold Coast in Hong Kong. The children were from Camp Quality, a children’s cancer charity.

Adventure Cleanup Challenge

Adventure Cleanup Challenge

Lawyers don’t just waste paper, they also plant trees. OLN regularly participates in the Adventure Clean Up (ACUC) Challenge Hong Kong. ACUC is the first multi-discipline sports competition with a mission for good – help clean up the harder to access coastal areas and trails in Hong Kong. ACUC partners with Hong Kong company Ecomatcher to plant trees around the world, and the winner of the competition receives a company forest planted and branded with company name and logo.

Child Welfare Scheme

Child Welfare Scheme

One ongoing project which OLN has favoured is the Child Welfare Scheme. For years, Gordon Oldham has participated in various events, with Gordon in “Racing the Planet” specifically to raise money for CWS.

Helping Hand

Free Will

OLN was the first business in Hong Kong to launch the concept of “Free Will”. We help anyone to draft a free Will, as long as they donate a small amount of money to our partner charity. We do not have any administrative expenses, every donated dollar goes directly to our partner charity.

We ran our first Free Will campaign in 2011 when we realised that a lot of people in Hong Kong were under the misconception that they did not need a Will due to the abolishment of estate duty in 2006. Many still misunderstand that an estate will automatically pass to your loved ones even without a Will in place.

We ran our 3rd Free Will campaign in March – April 2022 and prepared a simple Will for anyone who contributed HK$2,900 to the Hong Kong based charity Helping Hand, a registered NGO dedicated to serving the elderly in Hong Kong who are in need. 100% of raised funds went towards providing food, daily essentials and whatever is required to help the elderly in need to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.

RUN Hong Kong

RUN HK

RUN is a registered Hong Kong charity that supports vulnerable refugees, particularly women, to build resilience and nurture self-reliance for a more hopeful future. OLN co-hosted together with RUN an event in our office – our employees met with several refugees, learned about their situation in Hong Kong, and how we can get involved.


We also welcomed Nadia, a refugee from RUN, to complete her internship at OLN in 2021. We enjoyed having Nadia working at OLN, she became a reliable member of the Marketing team with a high standard of professionalism.


Nadia said “I am grateful for the opportunity to gain practical skills that will be useful for any intellectual worker. I am also grateful for the wonderful and understanding team. Thank you for the time I spent here at OLN, it has opened my mind and made me feel more confident. Thank you so much for the Internship.”

Nadia the run intern

Can anyone get involved?

Yes! If you are interested in hearing more about the CSR events that we organise and contribute to, please see below for contact information. 

Where can I find out more information?

Contact us by email or call us at +852 2868 0696

And finally, thank you for your interest in OLN’s CSR!

Ce que les autres disent

Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022

Labour and Employment

Led by Anna Chan, Oldham, Li & Nie handles a wide range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters for high-net-worth individuals and companies. In addition to undertaking day-to-day advisory work, the team represents clients before the Labour Tribunal and in the High Court.

Intellectual Property

OLN IP Services, a member of Oldham, Li & Nie, is ranked for Intellectual Property practice area. OLN IP is led by Benjamin Choi and Vera Sung, both veterans in the IP space, and backed by a seasoned team of intellectual property experts from our Hong Kong and Shanghai offices, who together bring formidable experience and depth of knowledge to provide clients with nuanced and precise IP advice tailored to their business needs. 

Chambers Greater China Region 2022

Corporate / M&A

What the team is known for
The strong practice of Oldham, Li & Nie is long established in the Hong Kong market. Engaged across a variety of industry sectors, including TMT, hospitality and manufacturing. Boasts a diverse roster of clients, ranging from regional investment firms to Hong Kong-based corporates. Regularly works on matters involving several jurisdictions, including Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. Skilled in share purchase transactions and restructurings.

Strengths
Clients specifically highlights the team’s “good Greater China knowledge.”

Work highlights
Advised investment firm YCP on its Hong Kong restructuring in connection with potential listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Family / Matrimonial

What the team is known for
Oldham, Li & Nie advises on a wide range of family law matters, with notable experience in cross-border matrimonial, financial and child-related disputes. Offers further strength in matrimonial tax and trust matters, where clients benefit from the firm’s focused private wealth management practice. Able to use non-contentious methods for dispute resolution. Frequently approached by high net worth clients for prenuptial agreements, with special expertise in offering asset protection advice.

Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021

Intellectual property

“Well-established independent Hong Kong-based firm Oldham, Li & Nie provides ‘concise and accurate advice’ to local SMEs, China-based corporates, and multinational entities on brand protection throughout Greater China. Team head Vera Sung’s broad IP offering includes expertise across trade mark, patent, and copyright matters, enabling her to provide effective advice to many international clients seeking to preserve and protect their brand throughout the region.”

Labour and Employment

“Anna Chan not only well-versed across a range of contentious matters but also well-placed to structure corporate tax-efficient remuneration packages, by virtue of her ancillary tax advisory expertise.”

Chambers Asia Pacific 2021

Corporate / M&A

“What the team is known for Robust firm that is long established in the Hong Kong market. Engaged across a variety of industry sectors, including TMT, hospitality and manufacturing. Boasts a diverse roster of clients, ranging from private equity funds to Hong Kong-based corporates. Regularly works on matters involving several jurisdictions, including Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Skilled in share purchase transactions and restructurings.

Strengths“”The client service is excellent,”” according to a client, praising the team’s “”hands-on approach”” and adding: “”They don’t just tell the client what they want to hear; they truly analyse the situation before offering any advice or strategy.””

Work highlights Advised Alpha Balance Trust on setting up a subsidiary company in Hong Kong.”

Family / Matrimonial

“What the team is known for Advises on a wide range of family law matters, with notable experience in cross-border matrimonial, financial and child-related disputes. Offers further strength in matrimonial tax and trust matters, where clients benefit from the firm’s focused private wealth management practice. Able to use non-contentious methods for dispute resolution. Frequently approached by HNW clients for prenuptial agreements, with special expertise in offering asset protection advice.

Strengths One interviewee praises the team’s “”phenomenal client care,”” and goes on to explain: “”They set realistic expectations early on, and provide solid guidance and visibility in navigating the twists and turns of litigation.”

Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020

Intellectual Property

Led by the experienced Vera Sung, Oldham, Li & Nie‘s ‘responsive‘ five-strong team provides ‘very appropriate advice‘ to local SMEs and larger international businesses across a range of contentious and non-contentious IP issues. The firm is particularly active in the publishing, retail and travel sectors and regularly acts for respondents and claimants in trade mark and passing-off actions.

Labour and Employment

Headed by newly promoted partner Jade Tang, Oldham, Li & Nie’s employment team maintains a significant offering across both contentious and non-contentious matters for employees and employers from a range of industry sectors, including financial services and banking. Leveraging her corporate and commercial background, Tang has particular expertise advising on non-contentious matters, including on the employment issues associated with corporate reorganisations.

Chambers Asia Pacific 2020

Corporate / M&A

What the team is known for Robust firm that is long established in the Hong Kong market. Engaged across a variety of industry sectors, including TMT, hospitality and jewellery. Boasts a roster of significant local and regional clients, ranging from private equity funds to Hong Kong-based corporates. Regularly works on matters involving two or more jurisdictions, including Japan, Korea and Singapore. Skilled in share purchase transactions and restructurings.

Strengths One client highlights that the team is “good at assessing commercial terms and risks to allow clients to make commercial decisions,” adding: “The team really understands what the client wants and is professional, direct and efficient.”

A second client says: “The team is helpful and highly responsive to all our questions and concerns.”

Work highlights Advised YCP Holdings on the Hong Kong law aspects of its acquisition of a Singapore target company.

Dispute Resolution

Recognised Practitioner

Family / Matrimonial

What the team is known for Advises on a wide range of family law matters, with notable experience in cross-border matrimonial, financial and child-related disputes. Offers further strength in matrimonial tax matters, where clients benefit from the firm’s focused private wealth management practice. Able to use non-contentious methods for dispute resolution. Frequently approached by HNW clients for prenuptial agreements, with special expertise in offering asset protection advice.

Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2019

Corporate / M&A

What the team is known for Robust firm that is long established in the Hong Kong market. Engaged across a variety of industry sectors, including TMT, hospitality and jewellery. Boasts a roster of significant local and regional clients, ranging from private equity funds to Hong Kong-based corporates. Regularly works on matters involving two or more jurisdictions. Skilled in share purchase transactions and restructurings.

Strengths Interviewees value the department’s prompt and high-quality responses. They say: “They’re quick to respond and always take a commercial viewpoint. They’re very aware that their advice must take into account the commercial environment we are operating within.”

Another market commentator notes: “Client service is very efficient. Commercial awareness from a contractual point of view is also very good.”

Labour and Employment

What the team is known for Acts for high net worth individuals employed in the finance sector on contentious and non-contentious issues. Also represents clients from the retail, telecommunications, education and insurance industries. Advises on issues such as unfair dismissal, unequal pay, unfair performance evaluations and denial of promotion opportunities.

Strengths One client appreciates that the team “makes you feel like there is someone standing in your corner, helping me stand up for my rights and the respect I deserved.”

Family / Matrimonial

What the team is known for Advises on a wide range of family law matters, with notable experience in cross-border matrimonial, financial and child-related disputes. Offers further strength in matrimonial tax matters, where clients benefit from the firm’s focused private wealth management practice. Able to use non-contentious methods for dispute resolution. Frequently approached by HNW clients for prenuptial agreements, with special expertise in offering asset protection advice.

Strengths A market source points out that “they have a strong matrimonial department.

Chambers Asia Pacific 2019

Intellectual Property

Led by Vera Sung, the IP team at independent Hong Kong firm Oldham, Li & Nie has strong ties with small and medium-sized enterprises as well as larger international businesses, and is active across a range of IP issues including trademarks, patents and copyrights.

Labour and Employment

Senior associate Jade Tang excels at handling M&A and transaction-based employment work, and recently provided Hong Kong law input advice to an international law firm that was instructed by the seller of a Hong Kong company to a Korean purchaser. Since the seller was still maintaining a minority interest in the company, the documentation had to ensure that its minority rights were protected and that the key employees’ interests were taken care of under the employment contract and the share option agreement.

Awards and Ranking

2022
  • Tier 4 – Labour and Employment – Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022
  • Tier 5 – Intellectual Property – Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022 (Received by OLN IP Services, a member of Oldham, Li & Nie)
  • Band 3 – Corporate/M&A – Independent Hong Kong Firms – Chambers Greater China Region 2022
  • Band 4 – Family/Matrimonial (International Firms) – Chambers Greater China Region 2022
  • Highly recommended – Dispute Resolution – Asialaw Profile 2022
  • Recommended – Corporate and M&A – Asialaw Profile 2022
  • Recommended – Intellectual Property – Asialaw Profile 2022
  • Recommended – Private Client – Asialaw Profile 2022
  • Recommended – Labour & Employment – Asialaw Profile 2022
  • Recommended – Insurance – Asialaw Profile 2022
  • Recommended – Consumer Goods and Services – Asialaw Profile 2022
  • Other Notable – Restructuring and Insolvency – Asialaw Profile 2022
  • Other Notable – Technology and Telecommunications – Asialaw Profile 2022
  • Tier 1 – Private Client – ITR World Tax 2022
  • Tier 3 – General Corporate Tax – ITR World Tax 2022
  • Recommended – Leading Family & Divorce Law Firms in Hong Kong – Doyle’s Guide 2022
  • Tier 3 – Family and Matrimonial – Hong Kong and International firms – Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific 2022
  • Tier 3 – Commercial and Transactions – Hong Kong firms – Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific 2022
  • Recommended – Private Client – Hong Kong firms – Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific 2022
  • Tier 1 – Intellectual property (Copyright/Trademark) – ALB IP Ranking (Received by OLN IP Services, a member of Oldham, Li & Nie)
  • Tier 2 – Intellectual property (Patents) – ALB IP Ranking (Received by OLN IP Services, a member of Oldham, Li & Nie)

2021
  • Highly Recommended – Dispute Resolution – Asialaw 2021
  • Highly Recommended – Labour & Employment – Asialaw 2021
  • Recommended – Consumer Goods and Services – Asialaw 2021
  • Recommended – Corporate and M&A – Asialaw 2021
  • Recommended – Insurance – Asialaw 2021
  • Recommended – Intellectual Property – Asialaw 2021
  • Recommended – Private Client – Asialaw 2021
  • Recommended – Technology and Telecommunications – Asialaw 2021
  • Other Notable – Restructuring and insolvency – Asialaw 2021
  • Tier 4 – Labour and Employment – Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021
  • Tier 5 – Intellectual  Property – Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021
  • Band 3 – Corporate/M&A – Chambers Asia Pacific & Global 2021
  • Recognised Practitioner – Dispute Resolution: Litigation – Chambers Global 2021
  • Band 3 – Family/Matrimonial – Chambers Asia Pacific 2021
  • Tier 1 – Intellectual property (Trademarks & Copyright) – ALB IP Ranking
  • Tier 2 – Intellectual property (Patents) – ALB IP Ranking
  • Tier 3 – Commercial & Transactions – Benchmark Litigation
  • Tier 3 – Family and Matrimonial – Benchmark Litigation
  • Recommended – Private Client – Benchmark Litigation
  • Other notable – M&A – IFLR 1000 Asia Pacific
  • Recommended – Leading Family & Divorce Law Firms in Hong Kong – Doyle’s Guide 2021

2020
  • Tier 4 – Labour and Employment – Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020
  • Tier 5 – Intellectual  Property – Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020
  • Band 3 – Corporate/M&A – Chambers Asia Pacific 2020
  • Recognised Practitioner – Dispute Resolution: Litigation – Chambers Asia Pacific 2020
  • Band 3 – Family/Matrimonial – Chambers Asia Pacific 2020
  • Band 3 – Corporate/M&A – Chambers Global 2020
  • Recognised Practitioner – Dispute Resolution: Litigation – Chambers Global 2020
  • Outstanding – Dispute Resolution – Asialaw 2020
  • Highly Recommended – Corporate and M&A – Asialaw 2020
  • Highly Recommended – Intellectual Property – Asialaw 2020
  • Highly Recommended – Labour & Employment – Asialaw 2020
  • Recommended – Consumer Goods and Services – Asialaw 2020
  • Recommended – Insurance – Asialaw 2020
  • Recommended – Private Client – Asialaw 2020
  • Recommended – Technology and Telecommunications – Asialaw 2020
2019
  • Leading Firm – Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2019
  • Tier 3 – Labour and Employment – Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2019
  • Tier 5 – Intellectual  Property – Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2019
  • Band 2 – Corporate/M&A – Chambers Asia Pacific2019
  • Band 3 – Employment – Chambers Asia Pacific2019
  • Band 3 – Family/Matrimonial – Chambers Asia Pacific2019
  • Tier 3 – Commercial and Transactions – Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific 2019
  • Tier 2 – Family and Matrimonial – Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific 2019
  • Recommended – Private Client – Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific 2019
  • Recommended – Leading Family & Divorce Law Firms in Hong Kong – Doyle’s Guide 2019