The ordinance n°2017-748 dated 4 May 2017 to enter into force on 1 October 2017, completely reshapes the legal regime of the security agent, widely inspired by the security agent regime under OHADA law. Thus, French law continues its modernisation and attractiveness programme by creating a legal instrument able to compete with the security trustee involved in syndicated loans and bond issues in common law countries. The new provisions will clarify the legal regime of the security agent and reinforce creditors' protection, through:

On Wednesday, the Court of Final Appeal ("CFA") reversed the lower courts' decision in the Yung Kee case¹ , holding that the Hong Kong court has jurisdiction to order the winding up of Yung Kee Holdings Limited (the "Company"), a holding company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and not registered in Hong Kong.

There is no equivalent to the English law concept of trust under French law.  This means that where a syndicated loan is to be secured by French obligors, security interests must generally be granted independently to each member of the syndicate (there will be a list of pledgees contained in the security document).  Any change to that group of lenders would generally entail the transfer of the French law security to each new lender.

In 2014, the law of privilege was considered from various angles, with the year closing on a Court  of Final Appeal decision emphasising the primacy of legal professional privilege ("LPP") as an  absolute right guaranteed by the Basic Law of Hong Kong.

While the cases outlined below generally provide comfort that the law of privilege in Hong Kong  holds strong, we offer a few practical points to help safeguard the privilege of legal advice:

The Court of Appeal has declined jurisdiction to wind up Yung Kee Holdings Limited (the "Company"), a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands ("BVI"), upholding the decision of Harris J at first instance that the Company did not have "sufficient connection" with Hong Kong.