Hong Kong, Oct 2025

To: All Members, IAPL 
From: Lester Huang

I look forward to receiving all IAPL members in Hong Kong for the 2025 AGM and accompanying activities to be held from Thursday 16 October 2025 to Sunday 19 October 2025. Those wishing to join the celebration of PC Woo & Co’s 80th anniversary on Wednesday 15 October are welcome to arrive slightly earlier. Those wishing to join an optional tour to Guangzhou after the AGM are welcome to stay a couple of days more.

This paper is an initial outline of the plans.

PC Woo & Co 80th anniversary

PC Woo & Co was inaugurated on 1 October 1945 and this year marks its 80th anniversary. All of the activities to celebrate this milestone anniversary will take place on Wednesday 15 October 2025. We shall assemble at the St John’s Cathedral in Central for a Thanksgiving Service to commence at 2.30 pm. There follows a cocktail reception to take place at 4.30 pm in the Garden Lounge of the Hong Kong Club. In the evening, we shall proceed to the Happy Valley Racecourse to enjoy an evening of racing excitement over good food, plentiful drinks, some live music and, if you so wish, dancing. Wagering will be optional, but should you wish to try your luck, you will be supporting charity as all surplus proceeds are returned to the community through the Jockey Club’s Charity Trust.

While this celebration is not an IAPL activity, we invite all in IAPL to celebrate with us. To join in the anniversary celebrations members should arrive in Hong Kong by the morning of Wednesday 15 October 2025.

IAPL activities on Thursday 16 October 2025

We start the morning with some official visits. We will set up meetings with the following 

1. Secretary for Justice Mr Paul Lam or his Deputy Mr Horace Cheung at Justice Place,
2. The Chief Justice the Hon Mr Andrew Cheung, together with a tour of the Court of Final Appeal.

After lunch, we will visit the offices of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, one of the largest stock exchanges in Asia and the 9th largest globally by market capitalization as of August 2024.

There are no official plans for dinner but there are plenty of restaurants nearby the hotel.

IAPL activities on Friday 17 October 2025

The visits will continue on Friday morning at the Indpendent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), a law enforcement agency. After lunch we will assemble for a seminar on a topic of legal relevance.

In the evening we plan to board a luxury yacht for a sunset tour of the Hong Kong harbour followed by dinner in a rustic restaurant on an outlying island.

IAPL activities for Saturday 18 October 2025

The AGM will take place in the morning with accompanying persons enjoying an optional programme.

The afternoon will be for leisure activities, and preparation for a formal dinner in the evening.

IAPL activities for Sunday 19 October 2025

After breakfast some delegates may wish to start their trips to return home, while others are welcome to join an optional tour to Guangzhou.

Optional Trip to Guangzhou, China.

Most delegates can take benefit of the visa-free access to China. We plan to take the high speed train to Guangzhou (travelling at up to 300 plus km per hour) where we will enjoy a guide led visit to historic sites, and to take in the progress and innovation in one of China’s most prosperous cities, returning to Hong Kong the evening of Monday 20 October 2025.

We will need an early indication of interest to participate in these activities. I shall separately write about this after the Board Meeting in Bologna.