HKFLA40: Fireside Chat with Former Chairpersons

Moderator: Derek Ho

Speakers:

Sharon Ser

Sharon Ser has lived and worked in Hong Kong for nearly 40 years, and she’s worked together with Rita Ku for over 22 years.

Sharon was formerly a partner at Hampton Winter & Glynn, where she worked from 1987 to 2010 and where she specialized in both family law and criminal law and then at Withers from 2010 to 2022, where she and Rita established the family law department there, before she left Withers to join Rita to establish their firm, Rita Ku & Ser in 2022.

Before coming to Hong Kong, she worked for an MP at the House of Parliament and then in the press gallery there, on track to pursue her then chosen career as a journalist, before securing a law degree at the London School of Economics. She then changed direction to become a solicitor. Sharon started her legal career with a small legal firm in Twickenham, West London.

She’s well known in the family law legal field and she’s a frequent contributor to the press and radio on family law issues. She has represented clients in many ground-breaking matrimonial cases that have contributed to the development of the family law practice in Hong Kong.

Sharon adopts the three Bs values, that is Believing – believing in your case, your client and the law to be assertive and fair to achieve peace and fair settlement; Behaving – to ensure the very best professional and personal standards are available, and Belonging – committing to the right team to work with, people that share similar goals and values to strive for success for their clients.

Sharon is recognised as both a forceful Courtroom Advocate, as well as a facilitator of settlements. She has a highly regarded reputation amongst members of the family law community in Hong Kong. She was the Chair of the HKFLA from 1993 to 1997 ( or 1998, it might be?)

Samantha Gershon

Sam is a family lawyer qualified to practice in England & Wales, Hong Kong and by the time of the talk on 8 September, she’ll be admitted in New South Wales, Australia as well.

She has a broad spectrum of expertise advising on all children issues. She also works on complex financial disputes, with a focus on cases with an international element.

She is a strong advocate for alternative dispute resolution.  She is an accredited Private Financial Adjudicator and a trained collaborative practitioner. Having gained experience in various areas of the law both in-house and in different sizes of law firms. It has provided exposure to a diverse range of challenges and a “nothing fazing her” character and mentality.

Sam served as Chair of the HKFLA from 2018-2021, Vice-Chair form 2021-2024 and Honorary Secretary from 2016-2017. She is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. She is a founding Member, Director and is on the Executive Committer of the Institute of Private Family Adjudicators (Hong Kong). She is a former Board Member of the Hong Kong Committee on Children Rights. She is about to finish her 6th year as a Practising Solicitor Member of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal Panel. Prior to this, she was on the Hong Kong Law Society Panel of Prosecutors from 2018 -2020.

Peter Barnes

After graduating from the University of Adelaide Law School in 1985, Peter joined a large commercial law firm in Adelaide, practising corporate law and commercial litigation. He later moved to another substantial firm with frequent court work, appearing regularly as counsel in the District, Industrial and Supreme Courts.

In 1993, Peter took a three-month sabbatical in Hong Kong to work with Pam Baker, whose practice included pro bono work for Vietnamese asylum seekers and private matrimonial matters. He returned to Adelaide later that year, but came back to Hong Kong in 1994 and have been here ever since.

In 1999, he established Peter Barnes & Company, later Barnes & Daly. Despite its small beginnings, the firm handled significant leading test cases in the formative period of the Basic Law, often concluding final appeals to the CFA, alongside private matrimonial work.

Through Pam, Peter joined the Family Law Association in the 1990s and later served on its Committee. From 2004 to 2008, he was Chairman, supported by a strong Committee including Sharon Ser, Sharon Melloy, Robin Egerton and other leading figures in Hong Kong family law.

In 2014, after many years managing a law firm, Peter moved to the Bar following pupillage with Clive Grossman and Robin Egerton. Peter continue to work with leading family law solicitors and sit from time to time as a Deputy Judge.