Law student spends a year in Hong Kong

(CNS Business): One young Caymanian legal student, whose studies are sponsored by Walkers, has recently completed a year of his law degree on exchange at the University of Hong Kong, providing a new and exciting perspective to his legal education.

Michael Testori is a recipient of the 2011 Walkers Legal Scholarship and is studying the LLB at the University of Kent in the UK. He has just completed the third year of this course as an exchange student at the University of Hong Kong, having been selected from a large number of applicants to represent his home university in Hong Kong.

Whilst in Hong Kong, Testori was able to enrol in many Chinese orientated modules which are unavailable elsewhere, giving him a unique insight into the operation of the legal system in China and Hong Kong. “It was particularly interesting to gain an understanding of how different business sectors function in China and how they are opening up to the global economy,” Testori said. “I was particularly fortunate to work with various leading Chinese academics during the course of my studies, some of whom were former legal professionals in China.”

In addition to studying Buddhism and attempting to learn the languages of the places he visited, Testori fully immersed himself in Asian culture and lived like a local student in the university dormitories, which housed over 500 fellow undergraduates.

“I took part in as many sporting teams and activities as I could, because I think it is important to make an effort to be accepted as part of the local community, which really made it feel like I was leaving a family when I left Hong Kong,” he said.

“At Walkers we place great importance on giving our younger lawyers valuable international experience and we currently have a number of junior Caymanian lawyers posted to various overseas offices, including Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai. For Michael to be able to gain this experience in Asia at the undergraduate level is remarkable and we have been delighted to support him during this exciting adventure,” said Antonia Hardy, Managing Partner of Walkers’ Cayman Islands office.

While abroad over the past year, Testori was able to visit Walkers’ offices in Hong Kong on numerous occasions and saw first-hand how the firm’s Cayman Islands-qualified lawyers provide time-zone relevant legal advice to clients based across Asia, including Hong Kong, China, Japan, Thailand, Australia, Taiwan and South Korea. He was also able to attend the firm’s celebratory party last September for the Hong Kong office’s tenth anniversary, with Walkers establishing a presence there back in 2003.

“Living and studying in Hong Kong was the most amazing and interesting experience I have gained to date both on an academic and cultural basis and hopefully one day I can return to that side of the world to develop my career,” Testori added.

Since returning from Hong Kong, Testori has spent part of the summer working in Walkers’ Cayman Islands office in the Investment Funds Group as a Legal Intern, along with seven other young Caymanians, gaining experience of life at a busy international law firm. This summer has been Testori’s fourth year on the Walkers Legal Intern Programme and he returns to the University of Kent in September to complete the final year of his law degree.

Category: Finance, Financial Services