Christina Lai,
Esq. (California & New York),
Barrister-at-law (Hong Kong),
CPA (MD, USA), CGMA, CFA, CAIA, FRM, PRM,
GIA GG, GIA AJP
An Erstwhile Experienced Wall Street Professional
クリスティーナ・ライ
크리스티나 라이
Practice Areas
Christina Lai is a litigation and criminal lawyer based out of Hong Kong. She accepts instructions in both civil and criminal matters. She is particularly interested in white-collar criminal defense, international transactions, commercial cases, and insurance cases.
White-Collar Criminal Defense
Would you like to engage the services of a lawyer experienced in the financial industry to handle your case? Christina Lai is a former seasoned Wall Street professional. Prior to joining the legal profession, she worked at leading global financial institutions, including banks and rating agency, in the United States of America (USA) and Japan. She has work experience of assuming different positions in the realm of financial investments, including issuance, ratings, sell-side, and buy-side. When she did sell-side research for an international investment bank in New York, the team was ranked among the top by Institutional Investor magazine in Wall Street for five consecutive years. She later relocated from New York to Tokyo, where she did investment management for a portfolio of global investments. During her tenure as a portfolio manager, the Assets Under Management (AUM) varied from JPY600 billion to JPY900 billion.
In the field of law, Christina has obtained licenses in the following jurisdictions:
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California
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New York
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Hong Kong
In the field of accounting, Christina has earned the following license/designation:
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Certified Public Accountant (CPA) (MD, USA)
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Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)
In the field of finance, Christina has earned the following charters:
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Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter
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Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) charter
In the field of risk management, Christina has earned the following designations:
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Certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM)
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Professional Risk Manager (PRM)
Even after she became a lawyer, she has endeavored to keep her financial and accounting knowledge up-to-date. As a CAIA Charterholder, Christina has been awarded the Digital Assets Microcredential, the Private Debt Microcredential, and the Real Estate Microcredential by the CAIA Association. Moreover, as a CPA (MD, USA), Christina has earned the Digital Mindset 2023 Badge issued by the Assocation of International Certified Professional Accountants. As a savvy erstwhile financial professional, she continues to keep abreast of the latest developments in financial markets.
International Transactions
Got a cross-border case on your hands? Christina Lai is ready to help. After completing the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) program offered by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and fulfilling the unpaid legal internship requirements (known as "pupillage") in Hong Kong, she returned to the USA to take the Bar Exams in New York and California and successfully passed the Bar Exams of both states by self-study. Being admitted to practice law in California, New York, and Hong Kong, Christina has the legal knowledge and skills to advise clients on legal matters involving these three jurisdictions. If a project requires multiple work locations, she would be happy to travel between different regions because she enjoys the pleasant climate of the Golden State on the West Coast, loves the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple on the East Coast, and likes the vibrant atmosphere of different Asian cities, including Kantō region (関東地方) and Kansai region (関西地方) of Japan and Hong Kong.
Given that she has lived in several countries and worked with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, Christina has a global mindset. She is knowledgeable about not only American culture but also various Asian cultures, including those of Japanese and Chinese.
Christina is multilingual. She is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese dialects of Chinese (oral and written forms of communication) and has passed the following Asian languages tests:
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Levels 1 to 4 of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) (日本語能力試験: 1級~4級) – This is the old JLPT because she already passed all levels of the old JLPT prior to the inception of the "N" levels under the new JLPT
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Levels Semi-1 to 10 of the Japan Kanji Aptitude Test (日本漢字能力検定: 準1級~10級)
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Grades 1 and 2 of the Test of Proficiency in Korean I (TOPIK I) (한국어능력시험: 1급~2급)
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Grade 3 of the Test of Proficiency in Korean II (TOPIK II) (한국어능력시험: 3급)
Since she has successfully passed Level Semi-1 of the Japan Kanji Aptitude Test, Christina is well versed in Japanese idioms and yojijukugo (四字熟語), which are derived from ancient Chinese literature and so caused a significant improvement in her Chinese language skills.
Commercial Law
Let Christina Lai be the solution for your commercial law needs. By combining her business background with her legal knowledge, Christina is capable of providing in-depth analysis of complex commercial cases. Christina holds an MBA degree from Columbia University in the City of New York, where she also worked as a grader to a macroeconomics professor and as a peer tutor to first-year MBA students, and a JD degree from HKU.
Christina is a member of the following professional/business associations:
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New York State Bar Association (NYSBA)
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Hong Kong Bar Association
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American Institute of CPAs (AICPA)
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Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA)
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CFA Institute
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CFA Society New York
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CAIA Association
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Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP)
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Beta Gamma Sigma (Columbia University Chapter)
If the underlying transaction of your case involves jewelry, Christina's knowledge of gemstones would be valuable. She has earned the following diplomas from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA):
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GIA Graduate Gemologist (GG)
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GIA Accredited Jewelry Professional (AJP) – This program has been replaced by the Applied Jewelry Professional
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GIA Graduate Pearls
As a GIA GG, Christina is qualified for grading diamonds based on the 4Cs (Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat weight) and identifying different species of gemstones.
Insurance Law
Christina Lai has a keen interest in insurance. She holds a Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Broker license in New York.
Christina has been learning actuarial science by self-study. As an Actuarial Candidate and an Affiliate Member of the Society of Actuaries (SOA), she has completed the following components of the SOA's educational requirements:
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Probability (P) Exam
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Financial Mathematics (FM) Exam
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VEE Economics
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VEE Applied Statistics – Its name has been changed to VEE Mathematical Statistics
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VEE Corporate Finance – Its name has been changed to VEE Accounting and Finance
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Pre-Actuarial Foundations Module
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Operational Risk Module – This module has been replaced by the Enterprise Risk Module
Christina has been awarded the Pre-Actuarial Foundations Micro-credential by the SOA. Furthermore, prior to the Associate of the Society of Actuaries' (ASA) curriculum change, she already passed the Models for Financial Economics (MFE) Exam, which is no longer a requirement under the latest ASA curriculum.
Other Legal Services
In addition to the four areas of practice listed above, other types of cases are welcome.
If time allows, Christina is willing to provide legal services to the indigent, either on a pro bono basis or for a nominal fee only.
Digital Badges & Electronic Certificates Earned
Some of Christina's professional qualifications have digital badges and/or electronic certificates. More information about these professional qualifications can be found by clicking the images displayed below.
Address: Unit No. 2907, 29/F, Bank of America Tower, No. 12 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong Kong
E-mail: christinalai333@gmail.com
Phone Number: +852-2586-1550
Facsimile Number: +852-2810-9196