A Hong Kong court has issued an order preventing HSBC's former head of investment banking in Asia from switching to rival Citigroup before March after he breached the terms of his gardening leave.

The Court of First Instance granted HSBC's request for injunctions ordering Steven Wallace to stop working at Citigroup until the new year, according to the UK bank. The order was made pending the result of a lawsuit that claims Wallace breached a 2004 employment contract.