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Civil Justice Reform - An Overview
The Civil Justice Reforms will come into effect on 2 April 2009. The new court rules aim to improve cost-effectiveness and reduce complexity and delays in court proceedings. The purpose of this bulletin is to briefly highlight some of the major changes to the High Court and District Court Rules, which will come into effect on 2 April 2009. Subsequent bulletins will deal with these topics in more detail.

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Civil Justice Reform-The Underlying Objectives and Case Management by the Court
This legal update follows our September 2008 issue which gave a general overview of the major changes to the High Court and District Court Rules to come into effect on 2 April 2009. This and subsequent issues deal with those changes in more detail. This issue deals with the new "underlying objectives" and active case management by the court.

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Civil Justice Reform - Pleadings and Statements of Truth
This legal update outlines the reforms in relation to pleadings and the introduction of Statements of Truth.

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Civil Justice Reform - Mediation
One of the underlying objectives of the new High Court and District Court rules, to come into effect on 2 April 2009, is to facilitate settlement of disputes (see our October 2008 Civil Justice Reform Legal Update). The new court rules place a duty on the court to further the underlying objectives by actively managing cases. Such case management includes, where appropriate, encouraging the parties to use ADR procedures to resolve their dispute i.e. procedures alternative to litigation.

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Civil Justice Reform - Sanctioned Offers and Sanctioned Payments
Under the new High Court and District Court Rules, to come into effect on 2 April 2009, "sanctioned offers" and "sanctioned payments" will replace the existing "payments into court" procedure. The changes aim to encourage parties to settle and avoid prolonged litigation. Sanctioned offers and sanctioned payments can be made any time after proceedings have commenced.

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| Deacons Regulatory And Compliance Forum |
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More than 500 clients attended the 2nd Deacons Regulatory and Compliance Forum at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre on Thursday, 13th May. more + |
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Deacons awarded 2010 Hong Kong Law Firm, PRC Office of the
Year at the
Asian Legal Business China Awards ceremony in
Shanghai |
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On 16th April, Deacons was awarded 2010 Hong Kong Law Firm, PRC
Office of the Year at the Asian Legal Business China Awards ceremony in Shanghai. The firm won the same award in 2009, 2008
and 2006.
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| Deacons is voted best domestic law firm in ALB's
Employer of Choice 2010 survey |
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Deacons has been
voted best domestic law firm to work for in Hong Kong, according
to the Asian Legal Business Employer of Choice 2010 survey.
The online survey was conducted between December 2009 and
February 2010 among more than 20,000 lawyers in the Asia-Pacific
and Gulf region.
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| Deacons awarded M&A Deal of the Year and Insurance Law Firm
of the Year at the 2009 ALB Hong Kong Awards |
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Deacons was awarded the 2009 ALB M&A Deal of the
Year for representing Wing Lung Bank on its US$2.48billion
acquisition by China Merchants Bank. The award takes into
account the deal value, complexity, number of parties involved
and the deal's significance to the market. Deacons partners who
worked on the deal were Eugina Chan and Alex Que of the
Corporate Finance practice, Lam Wing Wo of the Banking & Finance
practice and Susan Gordon of the Financial Services practice.
Deacons also won the 2009 ALB Hong Kong Insurance Law Firm of
the Year for the third time in four years, previously winning it
in 2008 and 2006.


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| Deacons Hong Kong and Deacons Australia Dissolved their Association on 23 December 2009 |
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With effect from 23 December 2009, our association with the former Deacons Australia has been dissolved. Since its establishment in Hong Kong in 1851, Deacons has grown to become the leading, and by far the largest, independent firm based in Hong Kong. We are strongly committed to remaining independent and our strategy is to continue to build the strongest legal teams in both Hong Kong and elsewhere in China through our representative offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. While that will be our primary focus, we will maintain our relationships with the associated network firms in Thailand, Taiwan and Malaysia and continue to develop our relationships with other overseas firms. Deacons Australia (which was known before our association as Sly & Weigall) has become part of the Norton Rose Group with effect from 1 January 2010. |
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