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CFN Lawyers LLP was honoured to speak at the "International Joint Seminar 2025: International Legal Affairs in the Age of AI – The Frontline of Overseas Expansion for Japanese Companies," held on 26 September 2025, in Tokyo. CFN Lawyers LLP (Hong Kong) joined legal experts from Toranomon Chuo Law Firm (Japan), Anli Partners (China), Stellex Law Firm (Taiwan), Orne Haneul Attorneys at Law (South Korea), and FÉRAL (France) to address critical legal challenges faced by Japanese companies expanding overseas in the rapidly evolving digital age.

The seminar delved into the complex interplay between groundbreaking technologies like AI and cryptocurrencies and the diverse legal frameworks governing them across key jurisdictions. With the rapid evolution of generative AI and digital assets, companies must understand international legal frameworks and mitigate risks ranging from copyright infringement and data leaks to export control regulations and patent protection within different national contexts.

Our consultant Amanda Li's session, titled “Hong Kong's Legal Reformation in Web3”offered a deep dive into the city's rapid progress in regulating virtual asset trading platforms (VATPs), stablecoins, and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. She highlighted Hong Kong's pioneering licensing frameworks, including the SFC's VATP regime and the newly enacted Stablecoin Ordinance, which came into effect in August 2025. Her presentation also showcased Hong Kong's leadership in tokenization initiatives, with 18 major projects either completed or underway, including the world's first tokenized green bond and cross-border pilots such as the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's Project Ensemble (CBDC) and Project Genesis. Amanda emphasized the proactive role of legal professionals in shaping the future of fintech, urging lawyers to embrace innovative technology as an opportunistic window to expand our practices and develop a new legal frontier. The seminar underscored Asia's momentum in Web3 regulation and innovation, with Hong Kong emerging as a global fintech hub, playing a strategic role as a gateway to the China and ASEAN markets while welcoming Japan and other neighbouring partners to leverage our new regimes for success.

Following presentation by each legal team, our partner, Kevin Tsen, and consultant, Thomas Kho, contributed to a comprehensive panel discussion, offering practical insights into overseas expansion, data governance, patent disputes, and market withdrawal strategies. The discussion, featuring lawyers from all participating jurisdictions, explored considerations based on hypothetical cases, including market entry strategies, cross-border data transfer and privacy regulations, technology leak prevention, responses to potential patent infringement, and exit strategies. Also accompanying on this occasion were our firm's founding partner, Bowie Fung and consultant, Helene Chow.

The seminar provided an exceptional platform for knowledge exchange and highlighted the necessity of robust legal strategies in international business expansion. CFN Lawyers LLP is proud to have contributed its expertise in Hong Kong law and digital assets to this important dialogue. Special thanks to Toranomon Chuo Law Firm for their excellent organization and kind invitation.

CFN Lawyers LLP Representatives (from left to right): Helene Chow (Consultant), Thomas Kho (Consultant), Amanda Li (Consultant), Kevin Tsen (Partner), Bowie Fung (Founding Partner)

International legal experts shared their insights