Russell Bennett
Hong Kong
Tanner De Witt
17th Floor Tower One, Lippo Centre
89 Queensway, Admiralty
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2573 5000
Fax: +852 2802 3553
Email:
russellbennett@tannerdewitt.com
Web:
www.tannerdewitt.com
Russell Bennett is a partner in the highly regarded employment law department of Tanner De Witt. Russell specialises in all matters relating to employment law as well as dealing with dispute resolution and commercial litigation and regulatory advice.
On the employment side, Russell has extensive experience in acting for both employers and employees, with particular emphasis on high-value employment disputes in the financial sector. He advises on all aspects of employment law, termination entitlements, post-termination restrictions, bonuses, discrimination, drafting employment contracts, handbooks and other HR related documentation as well as immigration, health and safety and related criminal matters/prosecutions.
Russell is involved in all aspects of litigation advice and procedures relating to: proceedings to trial; summary judgment and seeking and opposing injunctive relief, including the enforcement of post-termination restrictions by injunctions; international jurisdictional disputes; and Magistrate Court proceedings. Russell has also been involved in the conduct of several successful mediations of employment disputes relating to disputed termination, discrimination and harassment claims and stock option entitlements.
Further, Russell advises upon regulatory matters including SFC licensing (both corporate and individual) and dealing with and defending SFC and HKMA investigations and prosecutions.
Russell also spent several years as regional in house counsel with a major international brokerage. He focused primarily on dealing with the restructuring of their employment practices, documentation and structures and resolving disputes and issues throughout Asia Pacific. In addition, Russell oversaw the legal aspects of HR management and certain regulatory functions.
We act for many major employers as well as senior executives and high profile employees in a wide range of industry sectors including banking and finance, insurance, publishing, manufacturing and professional services.
Tanner De Witt has considerable experience advising on Hong Kong employment law and related issues. The types of matters on which we regularly advise include:
- Terminations and entitlements
- Redundancy, retrenchment and separation, including separation agreements
- Claims for constructive dismissal, unreasonable, wrongful or unlawful dismissal (including during pregnancy and in other prohibited circumstances)
- Remuneration and benefits, including incentive schemes and bonus arrangements
- Employment contracts, secondments and handbooks
- Restrictive covenants, enforcement and enforceability
- Injunctive relief (including springboard, anton piller and anti-suit injunctions)
- Labour Tribunal claims
- District and High Court actions involving employment and shareholder issues
- Confidentiality
- Personal data privacy
- Discrimination and harassment issues
Through our experience and knowledge we aim to provide quality, cost-effective and commercial legal advice. Further, through our experience we are also able to offer tactical and common sense guidance on best practice to ensure the best overall result for the client, including issues such as performance management, rewards and restriction structures, exit strategies and mediation.
Our primary focus is business law in Asia. We provide legal advice and representation in the following areas: Corporate and Commercial; Litigation and Dispute Resolution; Insolvency and Restructuring; Employment; Family and Matrimonial; Banking and Finance; Immigration; Wills and Trusts; Financial Services Regulatory; Hospitality including Liquor Licensing; White Collar Crime and Criminal.
Our clients include public and private companies, multinationals, partnerships and individuals involved in a wide range of activities, both within Hong Kong and internationally. As an established Hong Kong law firm, we operate in many industry sectors. These vary from Hospitality to Aviation; from Banking and Insurance to Fashion; and Real Estate to Private Equity.
Our relationships with law firms in other jurisdictions enable Tanner De Witt to provide legal support in many countries including China. We are a multilingual law firm with many international clients based in Hong Kong and overseas. While we primarily operate in English, our team members speak many Asian and European languages including Cantonese, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Hokkien, Japanese, Mandarin, Nepalese, Punjabi, Shanghainese, Spanish, Tagalog and Urdu.
“Russell Bennett is experienced in handling all aspects of employment disputes and litigation, from mediations relating to terminations and harassment claims to court proceedings and pro bono employee defence. Market commentators call him a “good technical lawyer” and a “safe pair of hands”