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Herbert Smith Freehills is pleased to present Navigating Contract Disputes: Views from Practice, a series of seminars with accompanying guides, which will be rolled out over the coming months. This series aims to provide clear and practical guidance on Hong Kong law issues that commonly feature in commercial contract disputes.

The following topics will be covered: formation of and interpretation of contracts, pre-contractual statements (misrepresentation and other possible causes of action such as negligent statements), good faith and endeavours obligations, termination of contract, remedies for breach of contract, liquidated damages, limitation and exclusion clauses, and dispute resolution and governing law clauses.

Part 1: Contract formation – When do you have a binding contract?

We have seen contractual disputes where the court found that there was, in fact, no contract between the parties – sometimes to the parties' surprise. This could be because the "contract" was incomplete, or its terms were uncertain, or perhaps because the necessary contractual intention was lacking. Conversely, sometimes a binding contract might be concluded despite all appearances to the contrary.

Rachael Shek, Peter Ng and Maisie Ko discuss the first and foremost question in contractual claims: do you have a binding contract? We also share some practical tips to bear in mind when drafting and negotiating contracts, in order to avoid common pitfalls.

Please contact Events Asia if you want a copy of the guide.

Key contacts

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Gareth Thomas

Partner, Hong Kong

Gareth Thomas
Rachael Shek photo

Rachael Shek

Partner, Hong Kong

Rachael Shek
Jojo Fan photo

Jojo Fan

Partner, Hong Kong

Jojo Fan
Peter Ng photo

Peter Ng

Senior Associate, Hong Kong

Peter Ng

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