They Can Leave, But They Can’t Take the Rolodex: Protecting Your Client List in Hong Kong

It’s the classic sales nightmare: Your top account manager resigns. You wish them well, throw a farewell lunch, and they walk out the door.

Three weeks later, you realize your sales pipeline has gone quiet. You check in with a long-term client, only to hear: “Oh, we actually moved our account to [Ex-Employee]’s new agency. They gave us a great call last week.”

You’ve been poached.

Many Hong Kong business owners assume their “Non-Compete” clause covers this. But as we discussed in our previous post, non-competes are hard to enforce. The real weapon for protecting your revenue is the Non-Solicitation Clause.

At TITUS, we know that for professional service firms, your client list is the business. Here is how to lock it down legally.

The “Double Lock”: Data vs. Relationships

To stop an employee from walking away with your business, you need to understand that you are protecting two different things: the Data (the contact list) and the Relationship (the influence).

You need a separate legal “lock” for each.

Lock 1: Confidentiality (The Data)

The Risk: The employee downloads your CRM database to a USB drive or emails the client spreadsheet to their personal email before leaving.
The Law: This is often a breach of confidentiality or even theft. However, Hong Kong courts are strict: You must prove the information is actually confidential.
The Trap: If your client list is public (e.g., listed on your website as “Our Partners”), it is not confidential. If the employee just remembers the names in their head, that is also hard to stop.
The Fix: Your employment contract must specifically define what constitutes Confidential Information.

Lock 2: Non-Solicitation (The Relationship)

The Risk: The employee doesn’t steal the database, but they know the clients personally. They call them up and say, “I’m at a new firm now, I can offer you a better rate.”
The Law: A Non-Solicitation clause forbids the ex-employee from actively approaching your clients to generate business.
The Enforceability: Unlike non-competes (which ban working), courts are more willing to enforce non-solicits because they don’t stop the employee from earning a living—they just stop them from stealing your living.

The “Passive Poaching” Loophole (And How to Close It)

Here is the most common excuse ex-employees use in court:

“I didn’t breach the contract! I didn’t call the client. The client saw my LinkedIn update and called ME. I just answered the phone.”

In Hong Kong law, Solicitation usually requires the employee to make the first move. If the client calls them, a standard non-solicitation clause might not stop them from taking the business.

The Solution: The “Non-Dealing” Clause To plug this hole, you need a Non-Dealing Clause. This goes one step further: it says the ex-employee cannot process any business from your clients, regardless of who called whom. Even if the client begs them, they must say, “I cannot work with you for 6 months due to my contract.”

The “Personal Touch” Rule

Just like non-competes, you cannot be greedy. You cannot ban an ex-employee from contacting every single client your company has ever had.

To be enforceable in Hong Kong, the clause must be a reasonable and adequate protection to the employer. It should usually be limited to clients the employee personally dealt with during their employment.

Valid: Banning a Sales Manager from poaching the 50 clients they managed.
Invalid: Banning a Junior Admin from contacting a client they never met.

TITUS Checklist: Is Your Client Protection Real?

Open your current employment contract template. Does it pass this 3-point check?

Does it separate “Solicitation” from “Dealing”? (If it only says “Non-Solicit,” you are vulnerable to the “they called me” excuse.)
Is the timeframe reasonable? (6 to 12 months is standard. Anything over 12 months is high risk for rejection by courts.)
Is “Confidential Information” defined clearly? (Does it explicitly mention client databases, pricing lists, and contact details?)

Protect your assets. Your intellectual property isn’t just your logo; it’s the handshake you have with your clients. Don’t let it walk out the door.

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Drafting enforceable restrictive covenants requires precise legal wording tailored to your specific business risks. Always consult a solicitor.

They Can Leave, But They Can’t Take the Rolodex: Protecting Your Client List in Hong Kong