Running a business in the city with access to the Greater Bay Areaʼs resources has never been easier, according to top executives from B+H Architects, an international design and consulting firm, and King & Wood Mallesons, a law firm.
By Morning Studio editors
July 19, 2024
When international design and consulting firm B+H Architects established its Hong Kong base in 2012, it had only one employee for about six months before it started steadily expanding.
“B+H at the time was already an established firm globally, but it just never had a presence in Hong Kong, although we had already been in Shanghai, in mainland China, since 1992. But the company obviously sees Hong Kong as a place full of potential,” says Stella Liao, design director of CHIL Interior Design in Hong Kong, which is the hospitality studio of B+H.
Starting up in the city was a relatively easy experience for B+H. Upon setting up in Hong Kong, the firm successfully made significant inroads into the local market, primarily via the city’s healthcare industry, as well as in the region by tapping into Macau’s hospitality market.
Andrew Humphreys, B+H’s principal and director of healthcare, says: “There were probably two pivotal moments in the development of the team here: first was winning The Karl Lagerfeld hotel contract in Macau, which opened in June 2023, and then the redevelopment of the public Grantham Hospital in Hong Kong into the city’s first comprehensive cancer centre.”
Connections
to the Greater Bay Area
The Greater Bay Area comprises the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau along with the municipalities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing in mainland China’s Guangdong province.
Map image provided by Brand Hong Kong
The development of the Greater Bay Area calls for deepening cooperation between Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau, with the objectives being to leverage the complementary advantages of these three places, to take synergistic economic development forward, and to develop an international first-class region ideal for living, working and travelling.
B+H is currently working on two notable projects in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) – the Shenzhen Natural History Museum and the Shenzhen Children’s Hospital. “The potential of the GBA is phenomenal,” Humphreys says. “If you look at the growth in terms of the population over the last 25 to 30 years, it’s almost unprecedented in history anywhere. Inevitably, that brings its pressures as well as its advantages.”
He adds: “Its capacity for new thinking that’s not linked to the way things have been done before is extraordinary, and we are hoping to stay here and, obviously, provide our input, too.”
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Another well-established company that has planted roots in Hong Kong is the law firm King & Wood Mallesons (KWM), which was formed by the 2012 merger between the Australian law firm Mallesons and the Chinese law firm King & Wood. Mallesons originally established itself in Hong Kong in October 1990 before expanding its office in the city, a move that ultimately led to the merger.
“That was all about the importance of China and the growth of China,” says Hayden Flinn, the co-chief executive of KWM’s Hong Kong operations. “It was a strategic decision that centred on how Asia is more important to Australia than the UK or the US. Therefore, at that point in time, we did something in the market that was considered as bold when we established King & Wood Mallesons.”
The law firm King & Wood Mallesons was established in Hong Kong (left) in 2012. It now has over 550 legal professionals in the GBA, including those based at offices in Shenzhen (right), Zhuhai and Guangzhou. Photos: Getty
And within this business strategy, Hong Kong clearly plays a crucial role. “Hong Kong is very much the centre of our network,” Flinn says. “As one of the biggest law firms in Hong Kong, we very much want to drive things like the GBA connection with Japan, Southeast Asia and the world through our Hong Kong office, so the city is certainly the connecting pivotal point of our network.”
To date, KWM has over 550 legal professionals in the GBA, which includes offices in Zhuhai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Flinn explains: “This has been a deliberate and focused area for us. It was very much a strategic decision, based around seeing the importance that the central government is placing on the GBA, and making sure that we can follow those policy directives while looking after our clients in the region.”
City of
excellence
In their own words, Liao, Humphreys and Flinn highlight the top five reasons why Hong Kong continues to be an ideal city in which to set up a business.
-
Gateway to
Asia and the world
Hong Kong continues to be a gateway into Asia for international businesses and clients. The reputation of the city – its openness and the ease of moving between places – remains unmatched. The good work you do here can potentially sell well elsewhere, too.
Andrew Humphreys
principal and director of healthcare,
B+H Architects -
A melting pot of
diverse cultures
We are conscious of the rich cultural differences, and also that we are able to bring the best of everything together. The firm has a broad mix of people in the office, from Hong Kong, mainland China, the United States, Australia and Europe. We are getting the full benefit of all those backgrounds here in Hong Kong.
Hayden Flinn
co-chief executive, Hong Kong,
King & Wood Mallesons -
A high-quality
talent pool
Hong Kong is an international city with a cosmopolitan and expat-friendly talent pool. People in Hong Kong are also known to be very hard-working, conscientious and efficient – this is absolutely one of those things you can’t get in many places in the world.
Stella Liao
design director of CHIL Interior Design,
Hong Kong, for B+H Architects -
A welcoming and
supportive environment
The assets and support that the Hong Kong government and agencies here provide are encouraging for business. The market is varied. It supports the small and agile, the creative and exciting, and it will welcome the large, international and established. These make for a vibrant business environment.
Andrew Humphreys,
principal and director of healthcare,
B+H Architects -
A place to work,
play and live
Hong Kong operates very well – the economic and social infrastructure is fantastic. English is widely spoken, and the schooling system is great for families with children. There is freedom here, despite what press headlines might say, and there are business opportunities. So it’s been an exceptionally fulfilling experience for me, having lived here for the last 20 years.
Hayden Flinn
co-chief executive, Hong Kong,
King & Wood Mallesons
How to
get started
Here is a three-step guide for starting a business in Hong Kong, according to StartmeupHK – an initiative by government agency InvestHK which helps founders of innovative and scalable start-ups from overseas set up or expand their businesses in Hong Kong.
Step
1
Decide on a
company type and name
Different company types are available for different business requirements. These include:
Limited company – the most common type of company incorporated in Hong Kong
Branch office of a parent company
Representative office
Important to note
Limited companies that are incorporated in Hong Kong cannot have the same company name as any of those already listed in the index of company names kept by the Registrar of Companies. Company name searches can be conducted, free of charge, through the e-Services Portal of the Companies Registry (CR).
Step
2
Incorporate
a company
Easily apply for company incorporation. Application for incorporation of a limited company with the CR includes a simultaneous application for business registration with the Inland Revenue Department’s Business Registration Office (BRO). There are two ways to submit an application for incorporation with the CR:
Online using the 24-hour service provided through the CR’s e-Services Portal
Deliver a hard copy of the documents to the CR with the correct fees
Important to note
Online applications for company incorporation and business registration are normally processed within one hour. Hard-copy applications will typically see the Certificate of Incorporation and the Business Registration Certificate issued within four working days.
Step
3
Register the business
Businesses must be registered with the BRO within one month of starting a business. Application for company incorporation with the CR includes a simultaneous application for business registration with the BRO (one-stop company incorporation and business registration service). So when applying for company incorporation, make sure to also deliver the following items to the CR:
A Notice to Business Registration Office (Form IRBR1)
Business Registration Fee and Levy to the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund: refer to the Business Registration Fee and levy table for the current charges
Important to note
The business registration certificate applied for via the one-stop company incorporation and business registration service will be issued together with the Certificate of Incorporation by CR, normally within one hour for online applications or four working days for hard-copy applications.
Alternatively, paper applications for business registration directly made with the BRO for other business types will see their business registration certificates issued in 30 minutes over the counter, or in two working days by post.
To learn more about setting up a business in Hong Kong, click here.
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