Duff has more than 15 years of experience advising high net worth individuals, professionals, and entrepreneurs on all aspects of family law. Her experience encompasses matters arising from the breakdown of a relationship including divorce, financial arrangements, and separation. With many of Duff’s clients being expatriates, she has a particular interest in cases involving Hong Kong-European jurisdictional disputes.

Over the years, having built up an extensive international network and an abundance of connections with specialist foreign lawyers, Duff can confidently manage multi-country cases.

Much of her work involves advising on and drafting prenuptial/postnuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, and separation agreements. Duff is also known for her ability to resolve cases with complex financial issues, and those involving inherited wealth and family businesses.

In addition, a large part of Duff’s practice includes advising clients in connection with disputes involving children, such as custody, care and control and access, and child maintenance. She also deals with international relocation cases and High Court cases involving child abduction. Where appropriate, Duff is dedicated to resolving disputes outside the court and is a keen advocate of mediation and private FDRs.

Duff is admitted to practise in England and Wales and Hong Kong and is a native English and French speaker.

“Vanessa’s appointment demonstrates that we are committed to family work in Hong Kong and that this type of work is an important part of our Private Wealth offering in Asia. Vanessa gives us greater strength in depth and the ability to work for clients in the wider international market as well as supporting clients in Hong Kong,” Simon Green, partner and head of the Hong Kong office said.

Duff’s appointment closely follows the arrival of Simon Le Wita who joined the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice in Paris last month.