An independent house, built for work between East and West.
Lockhart & Yip was founded in Hong Kong in 2023 by lawyers who had spent their careers on cross-border work and wanted to do it without a conveyor belt: a small senior team, nine focused practices, and candour as a working method.
What we are — and what we are not
We are an independent firm of international and cross-border counsel based in Hong Kong. Our work is the law that moves between jurisdictions: holding structures, transactions under English law, HKIAC arbitration and cross-border enforcement, private wealth, tax positions and compliance in a neutral jurisdiction.
We advise on international and foreign law. We do not practise the law of Hong Kong: where a matter requires Hong Kong court proceedings, local licensing, registry filings or notarisation, we work alongside trusted, locally licensed firms — openly, and under our coordination, so the client still has one team accountable for the whole matter.
Our clients come from across Asia, the CIS, the Middle East and Europe. What they have in common is not geography but shape: a business, a family or a fund whose interests cross borders, and a need for one team that can hold the whole map.
We won't propose a structure your bank won't accept.
And we won't take on a dispute we don't see winning. Once engaged, we run the matter with the depth of an international firm — and speak to you plainly. At every key point you have direct contact with a partner and a fixed SLA on timing and reporting.
- 01Initial meeting and conflict check, then a written assessment of your situation.
- 02A proposal with a clear fee structure and scope before any work begins.
- 03The matter is run with regular updates and direct partner access.
- 04A result report and a recommendation on next steps.
The team
Twenty lawyers work across the firm's nine practices: five partners — including the two whose names are on the door — supported by lawyers, associates and a group of authors whose analysis appears in our Insights section. Partners recognised in Chambers and Legal 500.
Daniel Lockhart
Cross-border strategy, HKIAC arbitration, relationships with banks and local firms.
Eleanor Yip
HKIAC arbitration, enforcement Mainland ↔ Hong Kong, International Commercial Court.
Victor Lazarev
Cross-border transactions, English-law deal documents, sanctions and AML compliance.
Margaret Hale
Trusts and foundations, succession, family offices, capital relocation.
About the firm — in plain terms
Do you practise Hong Kong law?
No. We advise on international and foreign law — English-law contracts, offshore structures, arbitration, foreign tax positions. Matters of Hong Kong law are handled together with locally licensed firms, under our coordination. We are open about this division of roles, because it is how the work is done properly.
Who do you act for?
Businesses and their owners: cross-border trading and investment groups, families and family offices, corporates and funded technology companies. We act for businesses only — this is not a consumer practice.
How does an engagement start?
With a conflict check and a written assessment of your situation — a paid first step that produces a document you can rely on. There are no free consultations; there is also no obligation to continue beyond the assessment.
Where are you based?
Hong Kong, working in the UTC+8 business day. Contact is by email and the site's forms; we respond within four hours during business hours.
How are your fees structured?
By model — fixed, hourly, retainer or assessment — with the structure and scope agreed in writing before work begins. We publish how fees are built, not price lists; see the Fees page.
Tell us about your matter.
A written assessment of your position and options is the usual first step.