Experience and approach
Justin Chua — Senior Associate
Trusted counsel for Asian families with interests in Australia
Families from Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and mainland China often hold property, businesses and family members in more than one country. Their legal needs in Australia rarely sit neatly in one box. A migration plan connects to the purchase of a family home, the structure of a business, the education of the next generation and the succession of family wealth. Justin Chua advises these families on the whole picture, with their immigration position always in view.
Immigration-aware advice for internationally mobile families
Justin advises on matters where migration and family wealth meet, including:
- Property and estates: property purchases, Australian Wills, enduring powers of attorney, and cross-border estate planning for families with assets and heirs in several jurisdictions
- Family business and succession: structuring Australian businesses, including those that sponsor overseas staff, family governance, and planning the transition to the next generation
- Family law: separation, property settlement and binding financial agreements involving visa holders, sponsors and assets held overseas
- Disputes and risk: shareholder and co-owner disputes, employment issues, and criminal matters handled with character requirements and visa consequences in mind
When a family needs a full visa strategy, whether for the National Innovation Visa, permanent residence, parent and family visas, or Resident Return Visas and citizenship, Justin works hand in hand with the firm's two Accredited Specialists in Immigration Law. One coordinated team handles both the migration and the family's wider legal affairs.
He knows the region from the inside
Justin studied on exchange in Shanghai and Hong Kong, worked in finance in Hong Kong, and practised in law firms in Vietnam and Myanmar. This background gives him a practical understanding of how Asian family businesses run and what families expect from their advisers.
As a second-generation lawyer at a family firm, Justin understands the dynamics of family enterprises and the pressures of succession first-hand. He advises in English and Mandarin.
Protecting family relationships as well as family wealth
Disagreements between generations, siblings or business partners can threaten both a family's assets and its migration plans. Justin is a Nationally Accredited Mediator and registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, as well as a Family Law Arbitrator, Accredited Elder Mediator, Parenting Coordinator and Collaborative Professional. He helps families resolve disputes privately, and he appears in court himself as a solicitor advocate when a matter needs it.
Financial and commercial fluency
With a commerce degree majoring in accounting, a real estate agent's licence, accreditation as a Family Business Advisor and STEP affiliate membership, Justin is comfortable with balance sheets, property and family wealth structures. He can work directly with a family's accountants, bankers and advisers in Australia and abroad.