Hong Kong–United Kingdom relations a deeply important role in the formation of the modern Hong Kong. Sovereignty of Hong Kong was ceded to the UK "in perpetuity" on 29 August 1842 through the Treaty of Nanking. The UK further expanded the territory of Hong Kong in 1860 by another cessation, plus a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. The stability, security, and predictability of British law and government enabled Hong Kong to flourish as a centre for international trade. Localisation of teritary institutions, the Hong Kong government and the independent Judiciary in the run-up to the 1997 Handover of sovereignty, caused a
Law of Hong Kong fees. In Hong Kong, the legal profession consists of both solicitors and barristers. As of 31 December 2015, there were at least 8,647 practising solicitors and 777 local law firms, plus some 77 foreign law firms, 1,299 registered foreign lawyers. And there were at least 1,378 practising barristers in 135 chambers. Even prior to the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, Hong Kong's legal profession was open to foreign law firms allowing foreign firms to establish a much earlier foothold in Hong Kong than in the People's Republic of China. Only on July 1, 1992, in contrast, did the PRC