Davis Polk was honored with the “Diversity & Inclusion in Asia Collaboration Award” at Community Business’ 2018 DIAN Decade Awards. The DIAN (Diversity & Inclusion in Asia Network) Decade Awards celebrate the leadership and commitment of companies and individuals to advancing diversity and inclusion in Asia over the last decade.

The Collaboration award recognizes an initiative that has involved two or more parties working together toward a particular diversity and inclusion goal in Asia, and was presented to Davis Polk, Credit Suisse, Amnesty International, and more than two dozen other financial institutions and law firms, in connection with their application to intervene in QT v. Department of Immigration. On July 4, 2018, Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal (the City’s highest court) issued a landmark ruling, holding that QT, a British woman in a same-sex union with an expatriate employee working in Hong Kong, has the right to live and work in Hong Kong on a dependent visa.

Davis Polk served as pro bono counsel to 31 financial institutions and law firms that filed an application to intervene in the appeal by Hong Kong’s Director of Immigration. The Director sought to reverse a ruling by Hong Kong’s intermediate court that required the Immigration Department to extend equal treatment to same- and opposite-sex partners who apply for dependent visas using their spouse as visa sponsor. The application filed jointly by the banks and law firms highlighted the importance of attracting the best talent globally to work in Hong Kong. The Davis Polk team included partner Martin Rogers, counsel Chen Zhu, associates John Atchley, Robyn Crowter and Sui Hang Hui, and trainee solicitor Lincoln Jim.

The awards were announced on November 12, 2018, in Hong Kong.

Community Business is a not-for-profit organization advancing responsible and inclusive business practices in Asia.

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