Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW), founded in London in 1883, is a prominent international law firm with 21 offices across global locations including Hong Kong, mainland China, and other key regions. With over 700 lawyers and 155 partners, the firm provides a wide array of legal services including maritime law, civil and commercial litigation, and regulatory matters. The Hong Kong office, established in 1978, boasts a team of more than 60 lawyers and 18 partners.
Karen Cheung, a Partner at HFW’s Hong Kong office, specializes in complex cross-border litigation, white-collar crime, regulatory issues, and more. Fluent in English, Cantonese, and Putonghua, Karen advises a diverse clientele including multinational corporations and high-net-worth individuals. Her career path includes notable achievements such as passing the Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Lawyer Qualification Examination and becoming a China Appointed-Attesting Officer. She also actively contributes to various community initiatives and legal associations.
Achievements and Accolades in the Legal Industry
Karen Cheung has received several prestigious recognitions, highlighting her significant impact in the legal field. She was named one of the “Asia Super 50 Disputes Lawyers” by Asian Legal Business (ALB) in 2022, an accolade that underscores her exceptional client service among the top litigation lawyers in Asia. Karen was also honored as one of Hong Kong’s Top 10 Female Elites by Junior Chambers International in 2021 and featured in LexisNexis®’s “Asia 40 UNDER 40” list in 2023. Her accomplishments extend to winning the “Global Equality and Diversity Leader Award in Dispute Resolution” by Prime Dispute in 2024, making her the youngest and first Chinese recipient of this award.
Facing and Overcoming Challenges During the Legal Journey
One of the biggest challenges that Karen faces is balancing a demanding career with family responsibilities and community service. As a partner, mother of two young children, and active community member, she navigates the complexities of maintaining a professional workload while prioritizing family time and personal well-being. Karen employs effective time management, seeks support when necessary, and adapts to evolving demands to achieve a harmonious balance across her various roles.
Possessing Vital Attributes Every Leader Needs
Effective leaders must embody discipline, determination, and dedication, and Karen exemplifies these qualities through her adherence to the Four Ps of Professionalism – positivity, productivity, patience, and persistence. Discipline ensures focus and organization, determination drives perseverance, and dedication fosters loyalty and passion. Karen’s commitment to these principles enables her to inspire others, maintain a productive work environment, and achieve significant outcomes.
Advice for Budding and Emerging Women Leaders
For budding women leaders, Karen has a few pieces of advice to offer:
- Establish Clear Objectives: Karen suggested that it is very important to define goals for both professional and personal spheres to create a structured plan and allocate resources effectively.
- Prioritize and Manage Time: She emphasized time management. She suggested focusing on critical aspects of life and allocating energy to align with top priorities to achieve balance.
- Build a Support Network: Karen has advised emerging women leaders to not shy away from asking for help. Seeking guidance and support from family, friends, and colleagues is crucial to success and to navigating the challenges.
- Set Boundaries: One of the important things that Karen pointed out is to learn to set boundaries. She said that it is pivotal for stability and longevity as a professional to learn to decline requests that do not align with a person’s top priorities. It is to preserve time for family and personal rejuvenation.
- Maintain Well-being: Allocating time for rest, hobbies, and self-care to navigate the demands of both career and family is important.
- Embrace Imperfection: No one is perfect. Karen asserted that it is important to understand and recognize one’s own imperfections and realize that perfection is unattainable. Celebrate efforts and achievements instead.
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