Overview

• Robert Ngugi Tomkinson filed a lawsuit in Hong Kong District Court on July 21 accusing HSBC Global Services of racial discrimination and retaliatory redundancy.
• He alleges that after lodging an internal complaint in September 2024 he faced “sustained and differential treatment” as the only Black analyst on his team.
• An HSBC investigation in February 2025 found his manager had inappropriately disclosed his compensation but did not substantiate a discrimination claim.
• Two days after canceling a performance improvement plan, HSBC informed Tomkinson of his redundancy, which he contends was punitive.
• Tomkinson is seeking damages for financial loss and punitive compensation under Hong Kong’s Race Discrimination Ordinance, and HSBC has declined to comment pending legal proceedings.