Who are we looking for? As a Deacons associate, you will be confident, intelligent and have an excellent academic and professional record. You have an awareness of current affairs and the global marketplace, and are an enthusiastic team player and participant in both work-related and social events. You will have excellent analytical and communication skills, and combine initiative and logic with a determination to succeed. How to apply: If you would like to apply for a position as an associate in our Hong Kong office, please email your curriculum vitae or any queries to hresources@deacons.com.hk, or post to: Maria Yik The Head of Human Resources & Administration Deacons 5th Floor, Alexandra House 18 Chater Road Central, Hong Kong All correspondence will be held in the strictest confidence. Life as a Deacons Associate Cyrus Tin Htun Cyrus was born in Hong Kong and migrated to Canada when he was 16. After he completed his 1st year of business studies in The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, Cyrus decided to come back to Hong Kong to study law. Cyrus obtained his law degree from The University of Hong Kong before starting on his legal career with Deacons. Cyrus has been part of the firm for 7 years, ever since his graduation. He is currently an associate in the Commercial Litigation Group of the Litigation Department. Cyrus says: "My life in Deacons for the last 7 years has been very fruitful and enjoyable. Deacons is a firm which provides a wide range of legal services through various practice departments and this has given me a diversified exposure during my traineeship. The opportunities I have been given to work with colleagues from other departments during my years as an associate have also broadened my legal horizons. Deacons' strong local roots and international network have given me exposure to good quality and interesting litigation cases with a good mix of local and foreign corporate and individual clients. I find my working life very intellectually stimulating. Every day I handle something different and I also have frequent Court attendances ranging from civil interlocutory or trial hearings in the High Court to private criminal prosecution in the Magistrates' Courts. I am grateful for the diligent and approachable attitude of my supervising partners. Their input ensures that my work product is of the best quality. The life of a Deacons' associate is not just work. Deacons also encourages a balanced lifestyle. The firm organizes and sponsors many social activities for the associates and staff. Personally, I have gained valuable friendships and unforgettable memories as the captain of the firm's dragon boat team for the past years. The firm's Social Committee (which organizes regular social events for associates such as cooking classes, movie nights, tram parties and art jamming) provides a casual platform for me to have social and personal contacts with my fellow associates. Last but not least, I should mention that my working life has been made rather hassle-free thanks to the established and resourceful supporting systems and helpful and friendly support staff. Extra help is also just a few telephone buttons or an email away."   Alwyn Li Alwyn was born in Hong Kong and migrated to Canada to complete his secondary school education. He attended the University of British Columbia and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Political Science before returning to Hong Kong to pursue his legal studies. Following a different path from most of his classmates, after Alwyn had obtained his law degree from the University of Hong Kong, he embarked on a career in the tax advisory area with one of the big four accounting firms where he first put his legal skills to the test. In Alwyn's words: "While gaining experience with an international accounting firm, I found that I very much enjoyed the advisory work that I was doing. I concluded that a career in the legal profession was my true calling. I then decided to commence my training with Deacons and I joined the firm as a trainee in the spring of 2001. During my two years traineeship at Deacons, I spent four periods of six months each in different departments within the firm. The firm's well-structured training program provides a good understanding of the different practice areas and prepares trainees to work as a team within the Deacons family. During my training at Deacons, I was attracted by the rapidly growing mutual funds sector in Hong Kong and after I qualified as a solicitor I was pleased to be offered a position as an associate in the Financial Services Group. Deacons' Financial Services Group is acknowledged as being the market leader in Hong Kong in terms of its size, the knowledge and experience of the members of the group, the depth of the client base and the range of funds it works on. I was very happy to have the opportunity to join such a leading practice in my chosen field. As part of the practice group, I now work directly with clients on cutting edge issues and assist clients in developing new investment products. I also have the chance to deal with different facets of the mutual funds industry, such as engaging in discussions with local regulators, providing input on policy issues and advising on current regulatory practices. The range of services provided by the practice group also expanded recently with the establishment of a team of professionals who will focus on compliance issues. We are all interested in the new possibilities this expansion will bring. From the time I joined the Financial Services Group in 2003, the size of the practice group has more than doubled. It has been an interesting experience to be part of that growth. Whilst client work has taken up a significant part of my time, the partners of the Financial Services Group also recognise the importance of a balanced lifestyle. Everyone within the Financial Services Group is friendly and everyone's door is always open. We often share our work experiences, and outside work, the practice group also gets together regularly for dinner and drinks. I have been happy to introduce several of my acquaintances to join the firm." Knowledge, Training & Development We know that our people are the key to our success. We provide a challenging and dynamic environment, and we foster a culture in which people can interact and share knowledge freely so that everyone contributes to improving the way we work. We are committed to ongoing learning and professional development. The Hong Kong Law Society has accredited Deacons as a continuing professional development ("CPD") course provider, and we schedule more than 100 in-house CPD seminars each year. Our seminars cover substantive legal issues as well as "soft-skills" training in public speaking and presentations, time and file management, drafting of documents, client relationship management, and business writing. In addition, we provide individual desk-top access to the internet and, via the firm's intranet, to our comprehensive knowledge database. Each user has a personalised ID and email address and we encourage full use of our online resources. The process of contributing and sharing knowledge begins the day you join the firm and will continue throughout your career. We believe in helping people to achieve their full potential.