In a judgment handed down on 27 April 2023, the Hon Madam Justice Yvonne Cheng granted a declaration that an agreement and connected writ relating to the sale of shares of a company owning land are not registrable on the Land Register.

Having considered earlier caselaw on what constitutes a registrable interest for the purposes of the Land Register under the Land Registration Ordinance (Cap 128) in the context of agreements for the sale and purchase of shares in companies which in turn hold property, the Court rejected the Defendant buyer’s argument that it had acquired an equitable lien over the land as a result of paying a deposit under the share sale agreement. The Court held instead (1) that a claim to a lien in respect of the shares of a company is not a claim to a propriety interest in the company’s land; (2) that, by extension, an injunction to enforce any such lien was not a registrable propriety interest in the land; and (3) a claim to specific performance of the share sale agreement likewise created no registrable legal or equitable interest against the property.

, instructed by Weil, Gotshal & Manges, led the counsel team for the Plaintiff on the hearing of application. 

 were also involved in advising the Plaintiff at an earlier stage in the dispute.

高等法院原讼法庭郑蕙心法官于2023年4月27日作出一项判决，批予声明，持有土地公司的股份出售协议和相关诉讼文件不得在土地注册处登记。

案件涉及拥有财产的公司的股份买卖协议中，根据《土地注册条例》（第128章）中符合土地注册目的的可登记权益的定义。藉鉴之前的判例，高等法院最终拒绝了被告买方认为根据股份买卖协议支付了订金后便可获得土地的公平留置权的论据。相反，高等法院裁定：（1）声称对公司股份拥有留置权并不能视作声称拥有该公司土地的专有权利；（2）相应地，为执行此类留置权的强制令并非该土地的可登记专有权益；以及（3）履行股份买卖协议的具体要求同样不会对该财产产生可以登记的法律或衡平法权益。

（Abraham Chan SC）受威嘉国际律师事务所（Weil, Gotshal & Manges）委代表原告人就申请出席聆讯；此外，

（Eva Sit SC）也于案件前期阶段为原告提供法律意见。

高等法院原訟法庭鄭蕙心法官於2023年4月27日作出一項判決，批予聲明，持有土地公司的股份出售協議和相關訴訟文件不得在土地註冊處登記。

案件涉及擁有財產的公司的股份買賣協議中，根據《土地註冊條例》（第128章）中符合土地註冊目的的可登記權益的定義。藉鑒之前的判例，高等法院最終拒絕了被告買方認為根據股份買賣協議支付了訂金後便可獲得土地的公平留置權的論據。相反，高等法院裁定：（1）聲稱對公司股份擁有留置權並不能視作聲稱擁有該公司土地的專有權利；（2）相應地，為執行此類留置權的強制令並非該土地的可登記專有權益；以及（3）履行股份買賣協議的具體要求同樣不會對該財產產生可以登記的法律或衡平法權益。

（Abraham Chan SC）受威嘉國際律師事務所（Weil, Gotshal & Manges）委代表原告人就申請出席聆訊；此外，

（Eva Sit SC）也於案件前期階段為原告提供法律意見。

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