Serving as the co-head of the firm’s employment practice since 2022, Felda has a growing list of prominent clients. Felda handles all of the firm’s employment cases, with clients ranging from international and local banks, SFC-licensed entities, accounting firms, law firms and C-suite executives. Her employment practice is focused on bonus claims, negotiating amicable exits and disputes regarding the validity and enforceability of post-termination restrictions, including seeking and resisting injunctive relief surrounding key individuals or teams of employees moving to a competitor. She also handles cases addressing discrimination and continues to work in this sphere to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. As a testament to her expertise, she authored Wolters Kluwer’s Practical Guide on Hong Kong Employment Law, 6th edition due to be published later this year.
In addition, Felda also serves as a litigation partner in the firm and regularly acts in litigation and arbitration matters. Her practice covers all aspects of the dispute lifecycle, from giving strategic advice, seeking or resisting injunctive relief, trial or merits hearings, to enforcement and appeal matters. She is often praised by clients for her keen mind to find commercial solutions to address their objectives and priorities. She is a trusted advisor for several prominent families in Hong Kong dealing with probate and trust actions.
Felda was elected as Chairlady of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (East Asia Branch) Young Members Group for the 2024 – 2025 session, and a co-opted member of the Ciarb (EAB) Committee 2024 – 2025 session.
Felda is passionate about supporting and empowering women in their careers. She was a member of British Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Committee, supporting and empowering women in their professional careers providing opportunities for networking, mentorship, skill development, and advocacy. Additionally, she was a mentor for the Women in Law’s flagship mentorship programme in 2023 and is currently a mentor in the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (East Asia Branch) mentorship programme.
She also sits as an arbitrator and is on the HKIAC’s List of Arbitrators and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Felda’s experience includes:
Commercial Arbitration and Litigation
- Representing beneficiaries of a family trust comprising of the Cementaid business valued in excess of US$100M.
- Representing a co-founder of a group of multinational companies providing online learning platforms in a shareholders dispute.
- Representing a high net worth individual and his corporate entity in defending substantive Hong Kong proceedings as well as assisting with cross-border litigation alongside Tier 1 firms in Dubai, Switzerland and Angola. The matter relates to contractual interpretation of a consortium agreement, breach of director’s duties, breach of trust and knowing receipt and/or dishonest receipt, and also involves contempt proceedings in Hong Kong.
- Represented one of the largest PE funds in Korea to oppose an application to set aside an arbitration award in excess of US$130M.
- Represented a Singaporean consultancy firm in an international arbitration against a Korean listed company in a case seeking Wrotham Park damages.
- Represented Liquidators and a Liquidation Funder in a claim for fraudulent and dishonest breach of duties against various directors. Felda also spear headed HK’s first telephonic hearing in during the Court’s general adjournment period imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Represented a Big Four accounting firm who were the Court-appointed Receivers and Managers of a Hong Kong company. The matter arises from legal proceedings commenced in the PRC, the UK and Hong Kong, involving novel and complicated issues regarding the principle of judicial comity and s. 21M injunctions
- Representing overseas and local financial institutions and banks such as POA Bank Limited, BTG Pactual, Umpqua Bank and Vancouver City Savings Credit Union in various High Court cases, including obtaining ex parte injunction applications in fraud and asset recovery actions and cybercrime matters.
- Represented Global Merchant Funding Limited against the Secretary for Justice in a successful appeal to the Court of Final Appeal concerning whether certain transactions and arrangements fell within the definition of “loan” under the Money Lenders Ordinance
Employment
- Represented a team of employees in resisting injunctive relief sought from their previous employer alleging breach of post-termination restrictions and confidentiality obligations.
- Represented large international accounting firms and law firms in their highly sensitive and contentious partnership disputes and employment issues.
- Represented SFC licenced entities in navigating regulatory issues.
- Represented C-suite individuals in investment banks and multinational companies in disciplinary proceedings.
- Represented a multinational company in the chocolate industry in a misconduct incident against their CFO.
- Represented a Japanese listed company to conduct an extensive investigation together with a Big-Four Accounting firm to investigate misconduct and compliance issues within its local subsidiary.
- Represented a C-suite individual in a High Court action against an investment bank for wrongful termination of his employment to avoid paying his bonus.
- Represented BTG Pactual SA and the BTG group of companies in a highly contested employment litigation.
