Robertsons

The Hong Kong practice

What does Robertsons' Hong Kong office actually do?

Robertsons is a wholly independent, full-service Hong Kong firm founded in 1980 by three founding partners, with around 100 personnel in total. Its history is a Hong Kong story: it began at the Printing House on Duddell Street, merged with Lee Ng & Lam to become "Robertson Double & Lee", moved to the 57th floor of The Centre, was renamed Robertsons, and opened a Guangzhou representative office in 2003.

The practice is genuinely full-service: litigation and dispute resolution; criminal and commercial crime; corporate finance and capital markets; banking; private equity and commercial; intellectual property; real estate and conveyancing; insolvency; employment; regulatory and investigations; insurance; a China practice; notarial services; and private client work (family and divorce, wills, trusts and probate), plus company formation.

The standout strength is criminal defence. Doyle's Guide 2025 ranks Robertsons in the Preeminent tier for leading criminal defence in Hong Kong — its strongest, most citable recognition — and this profile draws on that and the other directory rankings below. Note that the firm's own website blocks external access, so programme and practice details here are corroborated from public directory and careers-page listings rather than fetched from the firm directly; always confirm current detail with the firm.

Trainee programme

How do you get into Robertsons Hong Kong?

Robertsons recruits trainee solicitors directly through its careers page. It generally offers 5 to 6 trainee solicitor positions each year, on a two-year contract covering various practice areas, both contentious and non-contentious. Applications open in October of each calendar year for the following year's intake.

• Route inDirect trainee solicitor applications through the firm's careers page. The firm generally offers 5 to 6 positions each year.
• The contractA two-year contract "covering various practice areas … contentious and non-contentious".
• TimingApplications open in October of each calendar year for the following year's intake (one historical window ran 3 October to 11 November). The 2026 intake is closed; the next window is expected in October 2026 for the 2027 intake.

Recognition worth knowing

How is Robertsons ranked, and what is it known for?

Robertsons' reputation is easiest to read through the directories, and one theme dominates: criminal defence. These are the public rankings that a strong application should reference.

1. Doyle's Guide 2025 — Preeminent for criminal defence2025

   Robertsons sits in the Preeminent tier for leading criminal defence in Hong Kong, with Johnny Ho and Kevin Steel both listed as Preeminent, and the firm ranked first tier for criminal defence for a third consecutive year. (Doyle's Guide.) Source ↗

2. Chambers Global & Greater China 20262026

   Robertsons is ranked for dispute resolution litigation, with Barry Hoy ranked Band 6. (Chambers.) Source ↗

3. asialaw rankingsCurrent

   asialaw recognises the firm as Notable in capital markets, corporate and M&A, and labour and employment, and Recommended in dispute resolution and in restructuring and insolvency. (asialaw.) Source ↗

Interview & selection intel

What does the Robertsons Hong Kong selection process look like?

Robertsons recruits trainee solicitors directly through its careers page, with applications opening in October for the following year's intake. Because the firm publishes little beyond that and its own site is hard to access, treat any more specific format as unconfirmed and check directly before applying.

What you can plan around is the shape of the work. The two-year contract spans contentious and non-contentious practice areas, so an application that shows genuine interest in the firm's strengths — criminal defence and litigation above all — will land better than a generic one.

At an independent Hong Kong firm, fit and a real reason for choosing it matter as much as academics: "why an independent full-service firm, why Robertsons' litigation and criminal work" needs a convincing answer, alongside clear commercial and case-style reasoning. Our guide to the Hong Kong vacation scheme interview walks through how these conversations actually run.

How to stand out

How do you stand out for Robertsons Hong Kong?

With only 5 to 6 places and a firm known for a distinctive litigation and criminal practice, your edge comes from a sharp, specific application and a genuine reason for choosing an independent full-service firm. Here is where to put your preparation.

• 1A generic application will not survive a 5-to-6-place intake. Make a specific case for Robertsons' strengths — criminal defence, litigation, its independence — and run every achievement through the "So What" test. Our guide to the top mistakes on HK applications shows the fixes, and the Law Firm Application Academy drills the written craft.

  Law Firm Application Academy →

• 2A contentious-heavy firm rewards clear, structured reasoning under pressure. Rehearse commercial and case-style thinking rather than winging it; it helps to know how firms mark case studies first. Practise on real problems in the Online Case Study Centre and pressure-test yourself in the Mock Assessment Centre.

  Online Case Study Centre →Mock Assessment Centre →

• 3The interview is where a small firm decides whether it wants to spend two years training you. How you reason, how you carry yourself and how genuine your interest is all count, and one-to-one coaching is the fastest way to fix the habits that lose offers.

  In-person coaching →

Quick answers

Robertsons Hong Kong, in five questions