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Holding an AGM in Hong Kong During the COVID-19 Era

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During this age of COVID-19, some standard business practices that used to be easily dealt with have become difficult to execute including the holding of an Annual General Meeting (the “AGM”). In Hong Kong, companies have to make sure the AGM is in compliance not only with the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“CO”) but also the public health regulations.

In light of the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G of the Laws of Hong Kong) (the “Prevention Regulation”), which became effective on 29 March 2020, group gatherings in any “public place” in Hong Kong are prohibited. However, an exemption applies for “any group gatherings at a meeting of a body that must be held within a specified period in order to comply with any ordinance or other regulatory instrument that governs the operation of the body or its business”. This exemption covers company AGMs. In this article, we discuss how the AGM will be held in both listed companies and private companies in light of the Prevention Regulation and also the CO. 

Private companies

Physical meeting 

For the sake of public health, companies are encouraged to limit the physical attendance of shareholders at their AGMs as much as possible and to implement precautionary measures in order to achieve social distancing.

As stated in paragraph 11 of Schedule 1 of the Prevention Regulation, if there are more than 20 persons attending the AGM, companies must ensure that there are measures in place to separate the shareholders in different rooms or partitioned areas and each accommodating not more than 20 persons.

In order to better manage the number of shareholders who can attend the meeting, companies may consider requesting shareholders to pre-register if they wish to attend in person. Companies may also encourage shareholders to submit their questions to the management in writing before the meeting.

Virtual meeting/Hybrid meeting

With the advancement of technology, the CO has introduced a provision that allows the use of technology in shareholders’ meetings. Section 584(1) of the CO stipulates that “A company may hold a general meeting at two or more places using any technology that enables the shareholders of the company who are not together at the same place to listen, speak and vote at the meeting.” This can enable shareholders who are not at the same place to listen, speak and vote. 

Pursuant to section 576 of the CO, if a meeting is to be held at two or more places, the principal place of the AGM and the other place or places of the meeting must be specified in the notice of the meeting.

Still, a quorum and other such requirements must be followed for the meeting to be properly convened and for the decisions arising out of the meeting to be valid.

In addition, the shareholders must be able to cast their vote in the virtual AGM. The company should set up a mechanism to allow shareholders to cast a vote. It could be something as simple as a show of hands via video conferencing or an oral response via a phone call. These will be sufficient to count as a vote. 

Alternatively, some companies hold the AGM by way of a hybrid meeting i.e. the meeting is held both at a physical location and electronically. Shareholders have the option to attend the meeting either in person or virtually.

Please be aware that if the company intends to hold virtual meeting/hybrid meeting, the company should check with the company’s articles of association or any shareholders’ agreement to see if there are any provisions which require the physical presence of shareholders in the AGM. 

Written resolution 

Furthermore, instead of holding physical meetings, one could consider the use of written resolutions. Subject to the exceptions for removal of auditor or director(s) before the end of their term of office, section 548 of the CO provides that the company can circulate written resolutions for the shareholders. According to section 556 of the CO, the resolution is passed when all shareholders eligible to vote on the resolution have signed to it. The strategy of adopting written resolutions instead of physical meetings would only be possible if there are a limited number of shareholders or directors and it is foreseeable that there are no dissenting views.

Listed companies

Physical Meeting

On 1 April 2020, the Securities and Futures Commission (“SFC”) and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (“HKEX”) issued the “Joint statement in relation to general meetings in light of the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation” (“Joint Statement”) to clarify listed companies’ obligations to hold general meetings in light of the Prevention Regulation. 

Under the Joint Statement, all shareholders’ meetings, including (i) the AGMs as required under the Companies Ordinance and/or the Main Board Listing Rules or the GEM Listing Rules; and (ii) extraordinary general meetings and special general meetings of Hong Kong-listed companies generally fall under the exception of the Prevention Regulation.

Practical tips in holding AGM online 

(1)    Communication with shareholders: The company should remind shareholders to check the arrangement of the AGM on the company’s website. 

(2)    Sufficient time for shareholders to return their proxy forms: If shareholders do not attend in person, the shareholders can vote by proxy forms prior to the meeting.

(3)    Questions from shareholders: The company should provide channels for shareholders to raise questions to the management prior to the meeting, either in writing or electronically, so that shareholders who are not attending still have the opportunity to raise questions. 

(4)    Arrangements for physical meetings: If a company decides to hold a physical AGM, the company should shorten the presentations or publish them on the company website. In the event that an adjournment is required, a company should prepare a script for their meetings and plan in advance the period of their adjournment, as well serving a shareholders notice of adjournment or postponement if needed. In addition, refreshments should not be available. The company should ensure that sanitization and other arrangements are in place at the AGM venues.  

(5)    Prepare guidelines on virtual meetings: In order to facilitate a smooth virtual meeting, the company should prepare guidelines for the shareholders in relation to some practical problems they might face in a virtual meetings such as how shareholders can rejoin the meeting if they have lost connection or how votes can be cast e.g. by clicking a button or a physical show of hand etc. and prepare any contingency plans in case there are any technical difficulties. 

Virtual meetings are predicted to remain in the post-COVID-19 era. It is recommended that companies should plan carefully as to what measures to be undertaken in relation to holding an AGM in order to comply with the Companies Ordinance and the Prevention Regulation.

Enforcing a French Court Judgment in Hong Kong

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If you have obtained a decision in your favour in an overseas jurisdiction against a Hong Kong company or individual, the key question for you would be whether or not this judgment can be enforced in Hong Kong.

A court decision cannot be enforced overseas without first being recognised by the relevant countries concerned, and Hong Kong is no exception to this principle.

French courts are issuing an increasing number of decisions against non-French companies, including many registered in Hong Kong. According to French law, to enforce a judgment by a French court in an overseas jurisdiction, there is an obligation to comply with the ‘Exequatur procedure,’ and this procedure may vary depending on the overseas jurisdictions involved.

Enforcement in Hong Kong 

The enforcement of French or other foreign judgments can be obtained in two ways: either registering the decision with the Court of First Instance or bringing a new legal action.

As far as France is concerned, the exequatur procedure that must be followed is the former – registering the decision with the Court of First Instance. There is no need to bring new legal action and start the whole process from the beginning again.

When you have obtained a conviction against a Hong Kong company, the core considerations before moving forward are the following:

1.    Is the defendant solvent in Hong Kong?
2.    Is the judgment final?
3.    Does the decision order payment of monetary damages?

If the answers to these three questions are affirmative, you can then consider the next steps to take.

Once the defendant’s solvency in Hong Kong is established, it is possible to proceed with the registration procedure, which is provided for in the Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act Cap 319. This text enables the enforcement of foreign judgments by registering decisions from superior courts in designated countries with reciprocal arrangements with Hong Kong. These designated countries include Australia, Bermuda, Brunei, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, and Israel. 

Under these provisions, the beneficiary of a French court’s decision may apply to the Court of First Instance in Hong Kong for registration.

Here are some of the conditions to be met (this list is not exhaustive):

•    the decision must relate to the payment of a sum of money;
•    the decision must be final and not subject to appeal;
•    the decision must be issued by a civil or commercial court; and
•    the application must be filed within six years of the final decision from the foreign jurisdiction.

Once the decision is registered in Hong Kong, a notification will be served to the defendant, and the decision can be enforced in the same way as the decisions by local courts.

Security for Costs

A critical specificity in Hong Kong, is that the local court can ask the plaintiff seeking enforcement for security in the form of a deposit. It is well-established in Hong Kong that a foreign plaintiff may be ordered to deposit a sum in court, known as the ‘Security for costs’ when starting legal proceedings.

The security for costs aims to cover part of the defendant’s estimated litigation costs in defending an action brought by a foreign plaintiff. When the defendant successfully defends the action, the amount of its legal costs that normally would be payable by the foreign plaintiff, would be secured by the security for costs. 

Therefore, depending on the amounts involved, this can act as a deterrent for overseas plaintiffs as they may not want to have a significant financial sum locked up in Hong Kong.

As mentioned above, this procedure of registration at the Court of First Instance is only available for a specific list of countries (including France). Therefore, for other jurisdictions you should always check if the jurisdiction issuing the decision to be enforced in Hong Kong is also on this list. If not, the possibility of bringing a new legal action based on the foreign judgment remains open. 

No Requirement for Reciprocity

This procedure is possible even if the decision does not emanate from a common-law jurisdiction as there is no requirement for reciprocity. A decision rendered by a court in a jurisdiction that does not recognize a judgment made by a Hong Kong court may still be enforced in Hong Kong if all the conditions are met.

Should you wish to enforce a foreign decision in Hong Kong, and more specifically a decision issued by a French judge, it is highly recommended to contact a Hong Kong lawyer to discuss the best way forward.

Trade Mark Reviews in China – Some Encouraging Successes

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The general principles in determining whether a trade mark can be registered in China are to a large extent the same as in most other countries, considering China is also one of many jurisdictions in the WIPO Madrid International Registration system. Indistinctive or descriptive marks which fail to achieve registration in the European Union will probably have no chance of registration in China. Yet it does not mean that trade marks which are clearly distinctive and registered in most places around the world will naturally be accepted for registration in China because certain technical or special grounds can withhold registration, putting aside the relative ground due to existence of prior similar marks.

For example, a mark will likely have its registration declined in China if it comprises a country name or any foreign geographical name widely known to the public. During the course of substantive examination, the Examiner may not look at every aspect to find out if the relevant name has any other meanings or references in the whole context of the mark. Upon refusal, the Applicant will have to resort to the review process to explain and justify that the mark in its entirety can satisfy the requirements for registration.  

There are 3 scenarios where a mark comprising a geographical name may be registered: –

  1. the name has another meaning
  2. the name forms part of a collective or certification trade mark
  3. the name is not a dominant element of the mark and it only serves to indicate the corresponding place of origin of the applicant    

Marie France Van Damme

Fashion designer Marie France Van Damme uses her own personal name for branding purposes and has been trading under the mark  . However, this was initially declined for registration in Class 25 for “clothing” in China because of the word “FRANCE” within the trade mark. Ms Van Damme succeeded in the review by convincing the review adjudicator that the word “France” is generally perceived by consumers, in the context of her brand, as the name of a living person instead of referring to the country of France.  

URAL

The mark  was initially declined for registration in Class 9 for “loudspeakers” in China because of the word “URAL” in the mark being associated with the Ural Mountains located along the East European and West Siberian plains. The applicant succeeded in the review by convincing the review adjudicator that the word “URAL” can also be a surname and a specie of owl. The evidence of pre-application use of the mark by the extensive sales of the goods in China might have supported this case. However, as it is not expressly entered as a condition of registration in China whether or not a mark has been granted based on acquired distinctiveness through use, such unreported precedent gives us a useful hint or guidance that this approach can work in some cases.    

Car And Driver

Suggestive marks are often just categorically seen as descriptive marks in China. The application for   was initially declined registration in Class 4 for ‘fuels’ as the words ‘CAR’ and “DRIVER” seem closely associated with the products of “fuels” for automobiles but if we look at these words more carefully, they are not directly connected to the essential characteristics and functions of the goods. The Applicant succeeded in the review by convincing the review adjudicator that the mark as a whole is not directly descriptive of the goods sought to be registered and it is capable of functioning as a trade mark to indicate the source of origin of the goods.  

China has a tremendously high number of trade mark applications filed on a daily basis. We just need to bear with a reasonable degree of discrepancy, fluctuation and inconsistency between different examiners in assessing the inherent registrability of a trade mark. The good news is we can always rely on the review mechanism to share our views and analysis with the more senior examiners to reassess whether a mark, which is usually unique on its own, can satisfy the requirements for registration as laid down in the Trade Mark Law. We are seeing good progress as China becomes more aligned with rest of the world in the administration of the trade mark regime.  

What do we do now? – A Quick Guide to Administering an Estate

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Managing and administering an estate may be a complex matter and most people are unsure even where to begin. It is hard enough to accept the loss of a loved one. The last thing we want to do is to hurry about in search of key papers and statements, as well as information as to the proper process to handle the estate of your loved one. We see every day the stress this incurs. Here we summarise the usual procedures for obtaining Probate to validate the will and administer an estate. Hopefully this step-by-step guide can act as a starting point which could make this process simpler and more manageable. 

Step 1: Registering the Death 

After the death you should first register such at the registrar of births and deaths and obtain a death certificate. You will need to produce a medical certificate of the cause of death to obtain the death certificate. 

Step 2: Making Funeral Arrangements 

After the death certificate has been obtained, you may begin making funeral arrangements.  

If there is a will (as further explained below), it is the responsibility of the person named therein as executor(s) to arrange for the funeral. It is possible that the deceased may have indicated his/her wishes in the will as to their preference for burial or cremation. The executor should take into account such wishes when making funeral arrangements. 

The expenses incurred in arranging the funeral and disposal of the body is payable from the deceased’s estate. However, it is usually not permitted to deal with the deceased’s assets at this early stage as a has not been obtained from the Probate Registry. Therefore, in practice, the family members of the deceased will pay for such expenses and be reimbursed from the estate after a grant of representation is obtained.  

Step 3: Looking for a Will and Inspection of Safe Deposit Box 

You should check carefully to see whether the deceased made a will and if there is a will, whether it is the latest will or if it has been subsequently revoked. (This step can be taken earlier so that the deceased’s family members will know whether there is an executor to handle the funeral arrangements.)  

You could start by checking the personal documents of the deceased and/or enquiring with the deceased’s other family members. Often, you will also have to check the deceased’s safe deposit box.  

To gain access to the safe deposit box, the following individual could make an application to the Director of Home Affairs for a Certificate for Necessity of Inspection of Bank Deposit Box: 

  1. An executor or one of the executors of the deceased; 
  2. A person who is entitled to administer the estate; or 
  3. The surviving renter if the safe deposit box is jointly rented by the deceased with another person.  

After the certificate of inspection is obtained, the holder of the certificate should make an appointment with the Secretary for Home Affairs and the bank for inspection of the safe deposit box.  

If a will is found in the safe deposit box and the holder of the inspection certificate is named as the executor under the will or the holder is the surviving renter of the safe deposit box, the holder can remove the will after taking a copy and returning the copy to the safe deposit box. The holder should also make an inventory of the contents in the safe deposit box.   

If there is no will found or if there is a will but i) the holder of the inspection certificate is not the executor, or ii) there is no executor appointed in the will and the holder is not the surviving renter of the safe deposit box, the bank staff should immediately close the safe deposit box after obtaining a copy of the will (if any) and giving the copy to the public officers. 

It should be noted that you should not remove any item, save and except a will (if possible), from the safe deposit box during inspection.  

Step 4: Obtaining Grant of Representation 

Thereafter, it is usually necessary to obtain a grant of representation in order to deal with the deceased’s assets.  

If the deceased passed away with a will appointing an executor, the executor should apply for a Grant of Probate. If the deceased passed away without a valid will (e.g. no will was found or the will has been revoked), persons entitled e.g. wife, children should apply for a Grant of Letters of Administration.  

The application for a grant is made to the Probate Registry of the High Court using specific forms supported by relevant documents, including:- 

  1. An affirmation or affidavit by Executor/Administrator; 
  2. An affirmation or affidavit verifying the Schedule of Assets and Liabilities, and the Schedule of Assets and Liabilities of the deceased in Hong Kong as at the date of death, together with other supporting documents (e.g. death certificate of the deceased, will of the deceased, certificate showing the relationship of the applicant and the deceased, filing fees etc.)   

After making the application, the Probate Registry may raise requisitions on the application to obtain further information or seek clarification. If the Probate Registry is satisfied with your answers to the requisitions, the grant will be issued.  

Step 5: Distribution of the Estate 

After the grant of representation is obtained, the personal representative of the estate (i.e. the executor under the will or the administrator appointed if there is no will) will first need to collect the assets of the deceased under the estate and then make payment of the deceased’s debts, funeral and other expenses in relation to the estate. Thereafter, the estate may be distributed accordingly.  

If there is no valid will, the administrator should distribute the estate in accordance with the Intestates’ Estates Ordinance. The order of entitlement depends on the relationship of the surviving relative with the deceased. (It should be noted that the rule of intestacy only benefits people who have direct blood relations with the deceased and does not benefit unmarried partners, step-children (unless legally adopted) and in-laws.  

For example, if the deceased leaves a widow/widower only but leaves no children, parents or other close relatives, then the surviving spouse is entitled to the whole of the deceased’s residuary estate. Another example is where the deceased leaves a spouse and a child, the surviving spouse is entitled to all of the deceased’s personal chattels, and a sum of HK$500,000 from the residuary estate, thereafter, if there is any remaining asset, it would be divided in half and distributed equally between the surviving spouse and the child of the deceased.  

On the other hand, if there is a valid will, the executor should distribute the estate in accordance with the deceased’s wishes under the will. In the event that there is partial intestacy (i.e. where there is a will which does not completely dispose of the deceased’s assets), the Intestates’ Estates Ordinance will govern the distribution of those undisposed assets.  

Conclusion 

The above is only a brief summary of the process of handling one’s post-death matters and dealing with the deceased’s estate. In reality, complications may arise in any stage of obtaining probate and administering the estate. If you have any questions regarding the above or would like to obtain further information on our probate and estate planning services, please contact one of the members of our Probate and Estate Planning team.   

This article is for information purposes only. Its contents do not constitute legal advice and readers should not regard this article as a substitute for detailed advice in individual instances. 

March 2021

OLN IP’s Benjamin Choi Ranked in 2021 WTR 1000

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Congratulations to Benjamin Choi, Managing Director of OLN IP, who is a ‘Ranked Individual’ in the Silver Tier for Prosecution & Strategy in 2021 World Trademark Review 1000 – the world’s leading trade mark professionals.

Benjamin Choi recently joined our legal and business solutions platform as Managing Director of OLN IP Services (OLN IP), a new venture that expands OLN Oldham Li & Nie’s intellectual property services. OLN IP is a consultancy offering tailored, commercially-driven advice to intellectual property owners, across the different IP asset classes, including IP portfolio management. 

Congratulations again to Benjamin for his ranking.

About OLN IP

OLN IP consultancy is dedicated to providing bespoke, commercially-driven advice to owners of Intellectual Property from assisting with technology-based IP, trade marks, copyright, patents and designs to managing IP portfolios on an ongoing basis. OLN IP is led by Benjamin Choi as Managing Director, 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. 

OLN IP is a member of the legal, corporate and financial services platform of OLN Oldham, Li & Nie Solicitors, a leading Hong Kong law firm, with offices in Hong Kong and mainland China, whose commitment to professional excellence has driven its growth and development since 1987.

March 2021

Hong Kong Trade Mark Practice Goes International

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Hong Kong is expecting the launch of the International Registration (IR) of Trade Marks under the WIPO Madrid System by tentatively end of 2022 or early 2023. This will be in addition to the long established and territorial based trade mark registration system, whereby trade mark owners domiciled or incorporated in Hong Kong can designate their marks registered in Hong Kong for extended registration in selected multiple countries or jurisdictions worldwide within the Madrid network. This eliminates the necessity for individual national filings to obtain registration in each of the countries intended for protection. Overseas trade mark owners can also extend their home registrations through the IR system for designation in Hong Kong to save them the need for separate registration in Hong Kong.      

On 19 June 2020, the Trade Marks (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 came into force to pave the way for the administration and examination of IR trade marks under the Madrid System. The Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department (IPD) has revamped the trademark law and practice, and taken the opportunity to simplify or modify certain processes, work flows and formality requirements enabling trade mark owners and their trade mark service providers to handle and administer their portfolios with better ease and convenience.  

The chart below illustrates the changes that have already been implemented or that we may expect going forward. 

PastPresent or Near FutureBenefits
Only the Applicant’s name and address need to be provided in the Application form.The Applicant’s country and state (for the US) of incorporation need to be specified in the Application form, apart from its name and address.This helps to better identify the origin and incorporation status of the Applicant or Owner of the trade mark based on the official records. 
Original letter of consent signed by the owner of an earlier mark cited was strictly required.Now a scanned or photocopy of a letter of consent is considered satisfactory to resolve a relative ground of refusal based on an earlier mark.This saves the Applicant the time to wait for the postage of the original letter of consent from abroad and the effort of the grantor posting the original letter especially during the Covid restriction. 
Certified priority document (extract of filing issued in the first filing country) required in support of a Paris Convention priority claim. Certified priority document is dispensed with unless specifically requested by the Registry.This saves the Applicant the time and cost to arrange for issuance of the certified priority document.
The Trade Marks Registrar will maintain the Applicant’s own earlier registered marks bearing a different and former address as conflicting marks due to the address difference unless the Applicant properly enters change of address for all the marks concerned in the Register.Now an applicant is not required to record address change for its own earlier registered marks (bearing a different address) as and when cited as conflicting prior marks due to the address discrepancy. 
The applicant or its agent can simply inform the TMR in writing that the applicant is the same entity as the owner of the cited trademarks (subject to documentary proof).		This saves the Applicant the costs of recording address change for its older trademark records. 
All opposition forms and documents must be printed, signed and filed at the Trade Marks Registry office. Now a Notice of Opposition and Extension of Time for Opposition can be filed through the IPD online portal.This saves the need for the Opponent or its agent to attend the Registry’s office to file opposition documents within the office hours. 
All hearings before the Trade Marks Registry conducted in person unless a party opted for paper submission. Hearings may be conducted on paper, orally or via video conferencing or other electronic means.This copes with the Covid social distancing requirements in the past year.
An Applicant seeking to revoke a third party’s registered mark on the ground of non-use has to produce prima facie evidence of non-use usually by engaging a private investigator to conduct market intelligence. In the near future, an Applicant seeking to revoke a third party’s registered mark will not be obliged to produce prima facie evidence of non-use when filing the non-use revocation.  It is solely the owner’s responsibility to prove actual use of the mark to defend a non-use claim. This saves the costs and time of the Applicant to conduct the pre-revocation filing investigation which can be quite costly. 
   

The IPD is still working on the Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules 2021. We will monitor the changes in the trade mark regime and keep you up-to-date on our practice. 

26 February 2021