This news service recently saluted a range of organisations and individuals who won in our Greater China Awards programme. We will run a series of stories describing what the judges thought about the winners. Here is Stephenson Harwood for a group-wide and an award for an outstanding individual.

Stephenson Harwood, the international law firm, was victorious in three categories at the WealthBriefingAsia Greater China 2020 Awards. It won the prize for Excellence In Servicing North American Clients (a category supported by Family Wealth Report, sister news service to WBA), and Stephenson Harwood’s Kevin Lee was honoured with a Life Achievement Award. And one of its team won a prize for Wealth Management Rising Star Under 30, Ian Yeung. 

Judges had this to say about the firm: 

“Our winner very well demonstrated that it has some of the foremost authorities in its fields servicing its North American clients in Asia. They are supported by a depth of talent which allows the team to deal with a wide range of clients and issues.”

Kevin Lee
They saluted Kevin Lee with the following comments: “The recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement award is a lawyer at Stephenson Harwood and a veteran of the private client field, having practised in Hong Kong for close to 30 years.”

“Kevin Lee is a highly respected private client lawyer and an all-round commercial lawyer who acts as an advisor to UHNW families in HK, PRC, Philippines, Singapore and Canada. Kevin also advises institutional trustees in Hong Kong and the founders of Hong Kong-listed companies on pre-and post IPO structuring in particular respect of succession planning, tax, securities disclosure and compliance plus relevant takeover code issues.

“Described by clients as “responsive, approachable and grounded”, Kevin’s reputation has been built on his relationship with families advising on diverse issues such as succession planning, family trust, tax advisory and compliance, asset preservation, family business succession and governance, private equity investments and philanthropy.”

Ian Yeung
“Our rising star under 30 joined Stephenson Harwood as a trainee solicitor in 2016 and was admitted as a HK solicitor in 2018. He is currently developing a broad private client practice. Since he qualified, he has been involved in a number of matters concerning wills, trusts, estates, charities and HK tax, and represented a number of ultra-high net worth families, Forbes-listed entrepreneurs, listed company founders and bankers. 

“He is an affiliate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and speaks fluent English, Cantonese and Mandarin, and can read, write and draft in these languages. His knowledge and skills are acknowledged by his colleagues and industry practitioners. He was invited to speak as guest speaker at a seminar organised by a HK trust company on the use of trusts and insurance policies for succession planning, and at an event for the STEP Work Experience Programme.

Headline sponsor for the awards was Refinitiv; other sponsors were Huddleston Jones, ProFundCom, smartKYC and Sun Life Financial.