Emily Austin is a counsel in the Litigation Department. Recognised by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Greater China (2024), her practice focuses on contentious regulatory matters, investigations and a range of complex commercial litigation for financial services, corporate and private clients.
Ms. Austin joined Debevoise in 2019 after practising at leading firms in Hong Kong, London and Australia. She has acted for international financial institutions, multinational corporations and individuals in investigations conducted by Hong Kong and overseas regulators, including the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Apart from contentious regulatory disputes, Ms. Austin has represented private and public sector clients in a range of commercial litigation and arbitration matters, including contractual disputes, shareholder disputes and mis-selling claims. She also has experience advising corporations on contentious and non-contentious Hong Kong employment law issues.
Ms. Austin was admitted to practise as a solicitor in Victoria, Australia in 2008 and in Hong Kong in 2014. She completed a LL.B. (Hons.) in 2006 at the University of Melbourne, a Master 1 in International Law (Droit International) at the Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas in 2006 and a LL.M. in Public International Law in 2011 at University College London.
Ms. Austin is a co-author of “Insider Dealer or Knowing Participant: HK Court of Appeal confirms SFC’s broad powers to pursue insider dealing and fraud offences” (Emerald Publishing, 2018) and the author of “The Paris Court Narrows the Scope of Procedural Challenges to a Decision of the National Competition Authority (Canal 9/Les Indépendants),” Concurrences, 1 June 2010. She speaks English, French and Spanish.