12 December, 2016
Lucy Newcombe, Director, Global Corporate Communications, Computershare, reports on another busy and intriguing AGM season around the globe. Hong Kong/China Five years may seem like a relatively short period of time in the grand scheme of things, a mere blip in the...
12 December, 2016
Cas Sydorowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Computershare’s proxy business in Europe, shares some advice on how companies in Asia can prepare themselves for the rising tide of shareholder activism in the region. Hong Kong-listed companies have a history of...
12 December, 2016
Christine Chow, Associate Director, Hermes EOS, Hermes Investment Management, answers questions on shareholder engagement raised by attendees at the recent HKICS Corporate Governance Conference 2016. At the 10th biennial Corporate Governance Conference (CGC 2016)...
12 December, 2016
A new HKICS guidance note suggests that, despite its reputation as a fiendishly complex and technical piece of legislation, Hong Kong’s new Competition Ordinance can be best understood with an appreciation of the nature of, and the benefits of, competition. Hong...
12 December, 2016
Gabriela Kennedy, Partner, and Xiaoyan Zhang, Counsel, Mayer Brown JSM, look at the implications of China’s newly passed Cybersecurity Law. On 7 November 2016, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China passed the controversial...
12 December, 2016
Following the first successful conviction resulting from the ICAC’s investigations into bid-rigging in a renovation project in Sha Tin, Mohan Datwani FCIS FCS(PE), Senior Director and Head of Technical & Research, The Hong Kong Institute of Chartered...
12 December, 2016
2016 AGM season review Click here or on the cover image below to view or download a pdf of the full...
15 November, 2016
CSj takes a look at a new HKICS research report which promotes five imperatives listed companies should consider to improve their shareholder communications practices in Hong Kong. The theory is relatively simple – the owners of a business appoint directors to manage...
15 November, 2016
There is typically an investor relations function dedicated to shareholder communications in listed companies – so where does the company secretary fit in? Do company secretaries have a role to play in shareholder communications and, if so, how can they add most value...
15 November, 2016
Companies face heightened risks, as well as increased opportunities, as a result of the rapid advance of technological innovation, but what is the role of the company secretary in assisting companies to navigate these risks and exploit these opportunities? A new HKICS...
15 November, 2016
Xie Jilong, Board Secretary, CRRC Corporation Ltd, discusses the role of the board secretary. He stresses that board secretaries must fulfil their roles, be accountable and be able to communicate well to protect the interests of various parties. It is said that the...
15 November, 2016
Ken Lo, CEO, ANX International, gives an introduction to blockchain technology, its implications for the business environment and how organisations can harness its advantages. Financial technology (FinTech), which emerged in the mid-2000s, is the industry that merges...
15 November, 2016
Zoe Chan So Yuen FCIS FCS, discusses the impact of export controls and sanctions laws on international contracts. International sanctions law has emerged as an important compliance topic for corporations or individuals engaged in international trade and supply chain...
15 November, 2016
Shareholder Communications – Connecting issuers and owners Click here or on the cover image below to view or download a pdf of the full...
13 October, 2016
Concluding the HKICS Corporate Governance Conference 2016, Event Chair Peter Greenwood FCIS FCS, made an impassioned plea to the younger people in the audience to have confidence in their abilities to bring about positive change. This has been the Institute’s...
13 October, 2016
In his keynote address on day one of the HKICS Corporate Governance Conference 2016, Professor KC Chan, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, traced the evolution of Hong Kong’s corporate governance system. I am delighted to join you all today at...
13 October, 2016
In his keynote address on day two of the HKICS Corporate Governance Conference 2016, Anthony Neoh FCIS FCS, Senior Counsel and Former Chief Adviser to the China Securities Regulatory Commission, looks at three trends that boards cannot afford to ignore in the emerging...
13 October, 2016
External investors and stakeholder groups have become much more active players in the corporate governance arena in Hong Kong over last decade, but they are sometimes treated with suspicion by governance players within companies. The HKICS Corporate Governance...
13 October, 2016
CSj looks at the key conference conclusions relating to shareholders, stakeholders and the latest corporate governance issues facing Mainland China. Part one of this review focused on the governance players internal to the company – directors and managers, but one of...
13 October, 2016
CSj talks to Pru Bennett, Head of BlackRock Investment Stewardship for Asia Pacific and a speaker at the HKICS CGC 2016, about her approach to engaging with investee companies in Hong Kong and the region. Could we start by talking about your background and your role...
13 October, 2016
Corporate Governance Conference 2016 – Review Click here or on the cover image below to view or download a pdf of the full...
13 September, 2016
David Graham, Chief Regulatory Officer and Head of Listing at Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd, and a speaker at the CGC 2016, offers some thoughts on what environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting can bring to the table for the Stock Exchange of Hong...
13 September, 2016
In June, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEX) jointly issued a consultation on proposed enhancements to the existing structure for listing regulation in Hong Kong. Brian Ho, Executive Director; and Megan Tang,...
13 September, 2016
Should ethical considerations take precedence over legal requirements? How should professionals address conflicts of interest situations encountered in their work? Dr Brian Lo FCIS FCS, Vice-President and Company Secretary APT Satellite Holdings Ltd, takes a look at...
13 September, 2016
In March this year, the UK implemented its Senior Managers Regime which aims to impose individual accountability for high-level executives in the banking sector. Dr Axel Palmer, Department of Law, The University of the West of England, takes a look at the objectives...
13 September, 2016
Gupinder Assi, Counsel; and Kristi Swartz, Managing Partner, Hong Kong; Bryan Cave, look at due diligence measures organisations in Hong Kong should consider ahead of the implementation of Section 33 of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance which imposes restrictions...
13 September, 2016
Corporate Governance Conference 2016 – Special Edition Click here or on the cover image below to view or download a pdf of the full edition....
12 August, 2016
Formal board evaluation is still at a nascent stage in Hong Kong. CSj looks at the potential benefits of the process and explores why companies in Hong Kong have been reluctant to embrace what is fast becoming a standard part of good corporate governance practice....
12 August, 2016
George Anderson, Katherine Moos and Alice Au, Spencer Stuart, look at six key questions all boards need to consider regarding board performance and the suitability of individual directors. Investor focus on board performance has reached new levels of intensity. The...
12 August, 2016
In the global investment community, there have been discussions about the importance of integrating environmental, social, and governance factors into corporate strategy and disclosures, and a movement to encourage integrated reporting. Robert Eccles, Chairman of...
12 August, 2016
CSj previews the Institute’s upcoming biennial corporate governance conference, to be held on the 23–24 September 2016 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Hong Kong. Next month, the 10th in the Institute’s series of biennial corporate governance conferences (CGCs)...
12 August, 2016
A new guidance note issued by the HKICS gives a practical introduction to the governance issues relating to non-governmental organisations (NGOs). A director on your board wants to become involved in an NGO. He comes to you, as the company secretary, and wants to know...
11 August, 2016
Erin Lyon, Executive Director, CSR Asia, takes a look at the Singapore stock exchange’s new sustainability reporting requirements. The long wait for the Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX) sustainability reporting requirements is finally over. On the 20 June 2016, the...
11 August, 2016
Xie Jilong, Board Secretary, CRRC Corporation, highlights the economic and social opportunities resulting from the trend towards global connectivity. From the age of discovery to the proof of the earth being round, from the industrial revolution to the massive...
11 August, 2016
Richard Bell, Ik Wei Chong and Samuel Sharp, Clyde & Co, discuss the implications of a recent case in the Intermediate People’s Court of Shanghai which recognised and enforced a foreign arbitration award. A recent case in the Intermediate People’s...
11 August, 2016
Board evaluation – Is Hong Kong missing out? Click here or on the cover image below to view or download a pdf of the full...
11 July, 2016
Guo Xiangdong FCIS FCS, Deputy General Manager and Board Secretary, Guangshen Railway Co Ltd, looks at the role of the board secretary in Mainland China and compares it to the role of the company secretary in Hong Kong. The Company Law of the People’s Republic...
11 July, 2016
Huang Qing, Company Secretary, China Shenhua Energy Co Ltd, assesses the progress of China’s capital market reform programme. Between June and July 2015, China’s stock market was hit by a wave of turbulence and instability. In hindsight, traders behaved...
11 July, 2016
Sustainability-related risks are forcing companies to rethink the way they operate, argues Pat Dwyer, Founder and Director, the Purpose Business. On a visit to Hong Kong back in January this year, Elon Musk (founder and CEO of Space X) warned anyone considering...
11 July, 2016
Xie Bing FCIS FCS, Board Secretary, China Southern Airlines, explains four factors relating to the compliance risks and challenges of A+H share listed companies. During the last few years, the Mainland and Hong Kong capital markets have been in an expansionary phase...
11 July, 2016
Karen Pong, Project Coordinator, CSR Asia Hong Kong, looks at the growing global green bond market and its implications for Hong Kong and China. In a newly released report, Hong Kong as a Regional Green Finance Hub, the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC)...
11 July, 2016
Zoe Chan So Yuen FCS, FCIS, LLM, MCIArb, Solicitor, argues that a Supreme Court judgment in the UK will have a significant impact on contractual risk management in Hong Kong. Corporations build up a number of contracts on a daily basis with investors, directors,...
11 July, 2016
China update – Special edition Click here or on the cover image below to view or download a pdf of the full...
13 June, 2016
Regulators at the Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries’ latest Annual Corporate and Regulatory Update (ACRU) conference highlighted the roles directors, professional practitioners and regulators need to play to ensure good governance standards are maintained...
13 June, 2016
Katherine Ng, Senior Vice-President, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd, highlights the new guidance materials on the Exchange’s website relating to environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting. Businesses are facing increasing demands to recognise...
13 June, 2016
Christine Chow, Associate Director, Hermes EOS, Hermes Investment Management, is practised in the art of engaging companies on their approach to environmental, social and governance issues. In this interview with CSj, she discusses her career and shares some tips on...
13 June, 2016
CSj takes a look at a new initiative launched by the Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries (HKICS) to promote anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) in the corporate service provider(s) sector in Hong Kong. In 2008 the HKICS issued...
13 June, 2016
Having access to the right information plays a major part in boards making the right decisions. A new set of guidelines published last month by the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA) aims to help corporate secretaries fulfill their role supporting...
13 June, 2016
Anne-Marie Godfrey, Partner, Akin Gump, highlights the features and discusses the implications of the government’s proposed open-ended fund company (OFC) regime for Hong Kong. Under the current legal and regulatory regime relating to the establishment of...
13 June, 2016
Governance needs you – ACRU 2016 review Click here or on the cover image below to view or download a pdf of the full...
13 May, 2016
In the wake of the Panama Papers leaks last month, questions are being asked about the adequacy of Hong Kong’s regulatory regime to prevent the abuse of offshore structures. Senior practitioners and corporate service providers give CSj their views about the way...
13 May, 2016
Outside of Japan, a relatively low number of companies in Asia are currently producing integrated reports, but this month’s In Profile interviewee – Jonathan Labrey, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Asia Pacific, International Integrated Reporting Council –...
13 May, 2016
The current sources of finance for start-ups in Hong Kong are limited, so should Hong Kong be promoting crowdfunding as a alternative funding model? Hong Kong has been slow on the uptake when it comes to harnessing the huge potential of the new technologies that are...
13 May, 2016
Caroline Lacocque, Director of Client Services, TMF Hong Kong, looks at how Hong Kong can capitalise on its competitive advantages in the emerging business landscape. The global economy is displaying ‘a new normal’ – the volatile financial markets we have been...
13 May, 2016
What should listed companies do if they find themselves subject to market commentaries or rumours which may require a halt of trading in their securities? Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd has published new guidance outlining its revised approach to such...
13 May, 2016
DLA Piper Hong Kong reviews a recent case in the High Court which highlights potential legal risks for employers in Hong Kong regarding the drafting of disciplinary procedures incorporated into an employee’s employment contract. A recent Hong Kong appeal...
13 May, 2016
The Panama Papers Click here or on the cover image below to view or download a pdf of the full...
12 April, 2016
Christine Chow, Associate Director, Hermes EOS, Hermes Investment Management, takes a look at the benefits of a constructive dialogue between investors and companies. Have you ever wondered what happens to the mandatory provident fund contributions that are deducted...
12 April, 2016
CSj reviews the finalised draft of Hong Kong’s new investor code which seeks to provide guidance on how investors should fulfil their ownership responsibilities in relation to investments in Hong Kong listed companies. There is currently no guidance in Hong Kong...
12 April, 2016
CSj interviews the winner of the 2015 HKICS Prize – Anthony Rogers GSB QC JP FCIS FCS, former Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of Hong Kong and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Company Law Reform. Congratulations on receiving the HKICS prize – can we start...
12 April, 2016
Most people associate the Chartered Secretarial qualification with the job of an in-house company secretary of a listed company, but the qualification can lead to many different career paths. In this first interview in our new ‘Career Paths’ series, James Wong,...
12 April, 2016
So you’ve been asked to join a board? You’ll surely do your own due diligence, but beware of a potentially dangerous threat: your own brain. I often ask senior executives and experienced directors if they want to join the board of a hypothetical company. I disguise...
12 April, 2016
Not gone paperless in the boardroom yet? Phillip Baldwin, Director ICSA Boardroom Apps (HK) Ltd, hopes to change your mind. There are many digital meeting solutions on the market, some better than others and a lot has been written about why companies should go...
12 April, 2016
Mark Johnson, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton, looks at the recent decision by the Court of First Instance in The Securities and Futures Commission v Young Bik Fung and Others which has expanded the insider dealing regime in Hong Kong. The Court of First Instance...
12 April, 2016
Responsible ownership – Why companies need engaged investors Click here or on the cover image below to view or download a pdf of the full...
11 March, 2016
It has been two years since the implementation of the new Companies Ordinance, Chapter 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong, on 3 March 2014. In this article, the Companies Registry reviews what the law has achieved for Hong Kong and highlights some of the more commonly...
11 March, 2016
While the transition to the new Companies Ordinance appears to have been relatively smooth, Catherine Morley, Partner, Department of Professional Practice, KPMG China, points out that the journey has only just begun. Normally by the time of second anniversaries you...
11 March, 2016
At the end of last year, April Chan retired as Company Secretary of CLP Holdings. Her career took her to the top of the corporate secretarial profession as a former president of both the HKICS and the Corporate Secretaries International Association and as the company...
11 March, 2016
Since December 2015, businesses in Hong Kong have needed to ensure compliance with Hong Kong’s new Competition Ordinance. This month, the Competition Commission answers key questions about the Ordinance, the Commission’s enforcement priorities and how to...
11 March, 2016
CSj talks to the new HKICS President, Ivan Tam, about the way forward for the Institute and the profession in the years ahead. Thanks for giving us this interview. Could we start by discussing the strategic goals you will be working towards during your term as HKICS...
11 March, 2016
This month we launch the first in a new series of articles looking at the practical skills and knowledge company secretaries need to acquire. Anthony Rogers GSB QC JP FCIS FCS, former Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of Hong Kong and a Senior Member of the HKICS,...
11 March, 2016
A recently concluded Market Misconduct Tribunal hearing highlighted the essential responsibilities and duties of company secretaries in Hong Kong. Mike Scales FCS FCIS, former Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Hong Kong Ltd,...
11 March, 2016
The new Companies Ordinance – Business as usual? Click here or on the cover image below to view or download a pdf of the full...
16 February, 2016
CSj interviews company secretaries in Hong Kong for their views on how board portals have impacted their work, which systems they prefer and why the old-school paper system is still favoured by some. Board portals first came to prominence in the early 2000s, and were...
16 February, 2016
Eric Mok FCIS FCS,
Company Secretary and Assistant General Counsel,
Lenovo Group, tells CSj about the challenges and rewards of working as a company secretary for an organisation that has made the transition from a domestic to a multinational corporation. Computer...
16 February, 2016
The latest HKICS Regional Board Secretaries Panel (RBSP) meeting, held in Hong Kong last month, focused on the management of risk from the perspective of Mainland companies listed in Hong Kong. On 14 January this year, more than 30 corporate secretaries representing...
16 February, 2016
Karen Pong, Project Coordinator, CSR Asia Hong Kong, gives a quick guide to the stock exchange’s upgraded environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting requirements. Listed companies in Hong Kong should by now be aware of the decision of Hong Kong...
16 February, 2016
Thomas Laryea and Alex Wang, Dentons, take a look at the significance of the International Monetary Fund decision to include China’s renminbi in the basket of currencies the IMF uses to calculate the value of its reserve asset, the SDR. The inclusion by the...
16 February, 2016
Board portals – A company secretarial perspective Click here or on the cover image below to view or download a pdf of the full...
11 January, 2016
Complex though they may be, Hong Kong’s connected transaction rules can be better understood if the basic principles behind the regulations are grasped. This month, CSj looks at the rationale behind the rules and at the role of the company secretary in ensuring...
11 January, 2016
Gabriela Kennedy and Karen Lee, Mayer Brown JSM, outline Hong Kong’s new regulatory regime for payment systems and stored value facilities. Mobile payments, digital wallets and contactless payments are easy and efficient methods for retail payment that are...
11 January, 2016
The winning paper in the Institute’s latest Corporate Governance Paper Competition argues that risk management is an essential part of a healthy corporate governance framework. In this second and final part of their article, the authors look at examples of best...
11 January, 2016
Mohan Datwani FCIS FCS (PE) Senior Director and Head of Technical & Research, HKICS, and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, looks at the background to two cases HKSAR v Salim Majed & Anor and HKSAR v Yeung Ka Sing, Carson, scheduled to be heard by...
11 January, 2016
A new Court of Final Appeal ruling casts new light on the enforcement of shareholders’ rights in respect of a non-Hong Kong company which does not have a place of business in Hong Kong. In a shareholders’ dispute involving the affairs of a non-Hong Kong company, a...
11 January, 2016
Seaman Kwok, Head, Corporate Secretarial, Boardroom Corporate Services (HK) Ltd, and Director, Boardroom Share Registrars (HK) Ltd, argues that more flexibility should be given to listed companies to use the most appropriate voting method for passing resolutions at...
11 January, 2016
Connected transactions – The compliance challenge Click here or on the cover image below to view or download a pdf of the full...
