Contact Jonathan
D: +852 3707 1155
F: +852 2556 7850
Summary
Jonathan Mok is a dispute resolution lawyer practising in Hong Kong. Having practised in Mayer Brown JSM for 22 years and became a partner there in 2001, Jonathan established Jonathan Mok Legal in September 2017 which initially entered into an association with Charles Russell Speechlys LLP. On 1 December 2020, Jonathan Mok Legal ended the association and has been continuing as an independent boutique firm specialising in family dispute and private client advisory and structuring.
Jonathan is one of the small number of civil solicitors to be granted higher rights of audience in Hong Kong. He is also the first and currently only family dispute lawyer to be granted such exemption which enables him to represent clients as their advocate all the way up to the Court of Final Appeal.
Jonathan focuses on high-profile family disputes as well as criminal defence/regulatory compliance and assets tracing/debt recovery litigation. Jonathan practises in all areas of family disputes which range from representing spouses in divorce, custody and financial claims to acting for matriarchs/patriarchs who are asserting beneficial interests in assets they had previously passed onto their descendants who are undergoing divorce litigation. Furthermore, Jonathan also advises on litigation concerning mental capacity as well as inheritance related claims.
In addition to family disputes, Jonathan represents individuals as well as corporations faced with investigation by law enforcement and regulatory authorities including the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Securities and Future Commission, Commercial Crime Bureau and Custom and Excise Department. Jonathan is also experienced in advising banks and financial institutions concerning property-related debt recovery.
Since 2003, Jonathan has received professional commendations which began with being voted a leading lawyer in Legal Who’s Who 2003 for the area of Family Law (based on a survey conducted by Asian Legal Business). In Spear’s Asia 2015 Family Law Index, Jonathan was ranked “Outstanding in Field” for family disputes and asset tracing. He was commended for being a "fierce litigator and wealth-protector" and "a compelling and likeable lawyer known for his thoroughness". Jonathan has been ranked as Band 1 for Family/Matrimonial (International Firms) — China for seven consecutive years by Chambers Asia Pacific since 2015. Jonathan is also the recipient of a Dispute Resolution Star under the family & matrimonial category of Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific since 2019 and in addition, he is ranked in Doyles’ Guide 2020 as a leading lawyer with Jonathan Mok Legal also included in the 2nd tier of their Leading Family & Divorce Law Firms’ section. Further, Jonathan is listed as a Private Client Global Elite in the Legal Week Global Elite Directory since 2019. He is an accredited family mediator of the Hong Kong Law Society. He speaks English and Cantonese.
Experience highlights
Appointed as a Deputy Judge of the Family Court for one month in October 2010 which involved presiding over various divorce cases involving contested applications on custody and finance.
Acted for a top Hong Kong Tycoon in respect of maintenance claim brought by the mother of their two children and successfully obtained a judgment in the Family Court to require separate representation between the mother and the two children owing to a conflict of financial interest between them.
Acted for a heir of a local prominent wealthy family in divorce litigation including a cross-jurisdiction dispute in Singapore and Hong Kong lasting seven years which involved assets in Hong Kong, Dubai and America.
Represented, by intervening in litigation, a patriarch of a wealthy family who was asserting his beneficial interest in overseas assets transferred to his son, then involved in divorce proceedings.
Acted for a father in resisting financial claims brought by the mother that included accommodation for herself and the daughter which went all the way to the Court of Final Appeal with a favourable outcome that the father was not required to purchase a property despite judicial clarification that the Hong Kong courts have similar jurisdiction as in England for making such order.
Appointed as solicitor for the Independent Commission Against Corruption in their application to intervene in a criminal appeal proceedings. This is considered a prestigious appointment given that the Independent Commission Against Corruption has all along been represented by the Department of Justice.
Appointed as solicitor for the Commission Against Corruption of Macau to assist them in recovering the illegal proceeds and assets of their former Secretary for Transport and Public Work in Hong Kong.
Represented employee of an international investment bank concerning FCPA investigation by the SEC and FBI into the “sons and daughters program” which involved hiring children of PRC government officials and executives of State Owned Enterprises in return for securing business deals. The representation included working with US attorney in preparing the employee and jointly representing her at her interview with US regulatory authorities at the office of the New York State Attorney General in America.
Acted for Television Broadcasting Corporation (“TVB”), a prominent local television network as a Solicitor Advocate in successfully resisting the application made by the Department of Justice for an order to surrender raw news footage on the assault by the Police on a pro-democratic activist towards the end of the Occupy Central, on the principles of press freedom and independence.
Recommendations
"He is well reputed for advising on high-profile matrimonial and family matters as well as estate and trust planning. He remains a counsel of choice for many prominent and ultra HNW families and individuals.
Chambers Asia Pacific (2020)
Recognition
