Home / Our diversity statement

Our diversity statement

Tanner De Witt is one of the largest independent law firms in Hong Kong. Founded in 1999 we are an equal opportunities employer and strive to promote a culture of opportunity and success. Hong Kong in its very nature is a region that enjoys a diversity of perspectives, history, culture and outlook; our team and our client base reflect this status quo.

Our core values include respect and fairness towards not only our employees but towards all clients across all practice areas. We do not discriminate based on factors such as gender, sexuality or background and in turn expect that our clients are respectful of Tanner De Witt’s policy of diversity, inclusion and non-discrimination.

Tanner De Witt serves an international client base including individuals, professionals and organisations within the SME sector and multi-national entities with businesses in Hong Kong.

Practice Areas

Tanner De Witt practices Hong Kong law across the following practice areas for all clients:

Languages

The firm operates primarily in English but prides itself in being able to communicate in many different Asian and European languages. These include: Cantonese, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Hokkien, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Nepalese, Punjabi, Shanghainese, Spanish, Tagalog; and Urdu.

You may download a pdf version of our Diversity Statement here.

We represent a number of clients facing legal issues concerning the Bill of Rights, Basic Law, the Sex Discrimination Ordinance, the Race Discrimination Ordinance and Judicial Review. Some recent cases include:

  • Advising a Hong Kong educational institution in relation to the termination of an employee and settlement of claims arising from her employment involving consideration of issues including the Disability Discrimination Ordinance.
  • Advising a senior executive in relation to the successful resolution of her claim against a leading Hong Kong financial institution involving allegations of race discrimination and unilateral variation of contract.
  • Advising a banking executive in relation to the successful resolution of her claim against a US bank including sex discrimination and sexual harassment.
  • Acting for a pregnant foreign domestic worker who was terminated after serving their notice of pregnancy on their employer.
  • Advising a migrant asylum seeker on victims’ rights following an ‘intent to wound’.
  • Advising claimants or refugees seeking protection from refoulement to their home countries under the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
  • Acting for a transgender client in relation to sex discrimination issues.
  • Acting for a same sex married couple in a discrimination case.
  • Children’s rights, protection of children and wardship cases. We have also acted for a number of minors (aged from ten years old) in respect of police enquiries.
  • Judicial Review of government decisions affecting same sex couples under the Bill of Rights.
  • Advising employers on their obligations towards employees under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance and the Race Discrimination Ordinance and the Disability Discrimination Ordinance.
  • Acting for claimant in freedom of expression within the press industry.

Pro bono work

Tanner De Witt’s lawyers frequently perform pro bono legal aid for not-for-profit organisations and charities such as Pathfinders in order to maintain a variety of work and support the community. This is most commonly practiced within our matrimonial, family, criminal, employment and litigation departments. Our work for Pathfinders, an organization that supports female foreign migrant workers and their children in Hong Kong, spans child protection, mother and child repatriation services, immigration issues, domestic violence, employment discrimination dispute support and assistance with criminal matters.