Direct Line

3906 9645

Email

michael.szeto@onc.hk

Additional Areas of Practice

Arbitration & Mediation

Complex Commercial Disputes

Company & Shareholder Disputes

Corporate Fraud

Criminal Litigation

Debt Recovery

Regulatory Enforcement & Compliance

Education

1997        LLB (Hons), City University of London, England

1998        PCLL, The University of Hong Kong

Admission

2000        Solicitor, Hong Kong

2018        Civil Celebrant of Marriages

Publications

• “COVID Spurred Tech-Revolution – The Telecommute”, co-authored with Mr. Joshua Chu, Hong Kong Lawyer, December 2020
• “Can employers bring a claim against employees for wrongful conduct during employment in the Labour Tribunal?”, Lexology, December 2020
• “Who is the "employer" of a secondee?”, Lexology, November 2020
• “Can employer set off bonus against potential liability owed by the employee?”, Lexology, November 2020
• “Legislative update: Enhanced maternity leave protection will come into operation on 11 December 2020”, Lexology, November 2020
• “The Court of Appeal upheld the “live-in” requirement for foreign domestic helpers”, Lexology, October 2020
• “Can a managing director be summarily dismissed for fraud perpetrated by his subordinates?”, Lexology, October 2020
• “Key changes in anti-discrimination law that employers must note”, Lexology, July 2020
• “Legislative update: Enhanced maternity leave protection”, Lexology, July 2020
• “The Employment Support Scheme: What every employer should know”, Lexology, July 2020
• “A rogue employee caused harms to others as revenge on the employer. Will the employer be vicariously liable to the victims?”, Lexology, July 2020
• “Employer’s statutory and common law duties to ensure employees’ safety and health at work during the Novel Coronavirus epidemic”, Lexis Insight and Lexis Advance® Practical Guidance platform of LexisNexis, February 2020
• “Hong Kong Employment Law 2019 Review”, Lexis Insight and Lexis Advance® Practical Guidance platform of LexisNexis, January 2020
• “Dismissal of pregnant employee and employer’s liability”, Employment Practice Note of Lexis Advance® Practical Guidance platform of LexisNexis, November 2019
• “Court of Final Appeal Finds in Favour of Gay Civil Servant on Benefits and Tax Assessment”, Human Resources, the official journal of the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management, September/October 2019 edition
• “Amendments to an Employment Contract – Whether There is ‘Real Benefit’ to an Employer”, Hong Kong Lawyer, the official journal of the Law Society of Hong Kong, August 2019 issue

Speaking engagements

• CPD webinar on “Navigating your pressing Employment Law Issues in Economic Downturn”, September 2020
• “Challenges in International Business”, Association of Corporate Counsel, September 2020
• CPD webinar on “Navigating your pressing Employment Law Issues in Economic Downturn”, Aug 2020
• CPD webinar on “COVID-19 Employment Law Special: What Every Employer and Employee Should Know”, May 2020
• “Regulatory Actions and Investigation against Listed Companies and their Officers”, Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, May 2020
• CPD webinar on “COVID-19 from an Employment Law Perspective – What Every Employer and Employee Should Know”, LexisNexis, April 2020 
• “Practical Employment Issues arising out of COVID-19 Outbreak”, Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, March 2020
• “Employer’s and Employee’s Rights, Duties and Obligations – COVID-19”, Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries, March 2020
• “Overview of Important Legal Issues for HR Professionals”, Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management, January 2020
• CPD seminar on “Tricky Issues in Hong Kong Employment Law”, July 2019
• “Anti-corruption Enforcement and Compliance Update”, panel discussion moderator, Association of Corporate Counsel Asia-Pacific 2019 Annual Meeting, April 2019

Experience

Michael Szeto is a litigation partner of ONC Lawyers and heads the firm’s Employment practice. Prior to joining the firm, he had practised with various prominent law firms in Hong Kong. He has many years of experience in handling complex commercial dispute resolution, shareholders’ and joint venture disputes, bankruptcy and insolvency matters, debt recovery and mortgagee actions. He also routinely deals with regulatory actions and compliance matters under the Securities and Futures Ordinance, the Hong Kong listing rules and anti-money laundering laws and guidelines.

On the employment side, Michael often advises on various contentious and non-contentious employment matters, covering contract reviews, termination disputes, injunctive relief, discrimination and harassment claims, data privacy matters, as well as advice on matters relating to team moves, remuneration packages and employee incentive schemes. He is a frequent author of employment articles in industry publications and presenter to legal and human resource professionals.

Michael’s broad clientele includes listed companies, directors, shareholders, local and overseas banks, financial institutions, local and international corporations as well as statutory bodies.