Lawyer Vong Hin Fai has decided to leave the law firm Rato, Ling, Vong, Lei & Cortés – Advogados, or Lektou, catching his four partners completely off guard. The decision to leave the firm and create his own, with his children, both lawyers, giving a couple of months notice, has created an “awkward situation”, especially as several lawyers and staff from the firm have been invited to join the new office, Business Daily was told. All attempts to contact Mr. Vong last night, who joined the firm in 1997/1998, were fruitless. Another partner in the firm, Pedro Cortés, contacted by us has confirmed that all partners were informed by Vong Hin Fai of his project to set up its own office, adding that “Lektou has existed since the 80’s . . . and will continue on the same path, serving its regional and overseas clients with the same ethical, professional and quality criteria”, but declined to comment further. Vong Hin Fai is an appointed member of the Legislative Assembly by Chief Executive Chui Sai On and was his campaign chief in both past elections. Born in 1958, Mr. Vong attended the Law Faculty of the Macau University, graduating in 1993 with a Degree in Law; and was awarded a Masters Degree of Law by the Law Faculty of the People’s University of China in 2003; he has been a lawyer and a notary public practicing in Macau since 1996 and 1997, respectively. Remaining and expanding Lektou, the Macau-based law office, located at Avenida da Amizade, begun as the office of Gonçalves Pereira & Rato, a law firm established in Macau in 1985. Since then, it has grown to its present complement of five associated lawyers. Based on information from the Macau Lawyers Association (AAM), besides the five partners, Lektou currently comprises 13 lawyers and four trainee lawyers. According to our sources, the composition of the law firm will remain the same with founding partner Frederico Rato, an elected member of the National People’s Congress, Paula Ling, and Lei Wun Kong and Pedro Cortés. Lektou is currently in the process of opening an office on Hengqin Island with Zhong Yin law firm, considered one of the biggest in the Mainland.
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