By Adam Rose and Greg Torode HONG KONG August 15 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Law Society has passed an historic vote of no-confidence in its president over pro-Beijing comments, revealing a determination by the traditionally conservative lawyers to confront perceived threats from China to the legal independence in the free-wheeling, global financial hub. President Ambrose Lam has angered many of the society's 8,000 members with his support of controversial statements from Beijing that Hong Kong judges needed to be patriotic, and his open support for the Communist Party of China. The vote late on Thursday night surprised even those behind the no-confidence motion such as lawyer Kevin Yam, who said some lawyers faced intense pressure from mainland-linked firms to back Lam and he was not confident of success ahead of the poll. "Solicitors, in everything they do, have got to exercise independent professional judgment yet if we are cowed over an internal matter of the Law Society, what sort of message does that send?
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