I am a barrister and arbitrator based in Hong Kong. My legal practice is on the civil side (meaning non-criminal), a result of my commercial background prior to joining the Bar. I am qualified to practice law in Hong Kong, New South Wales (Australia) and England & Wales.
I graduated from university with a Bachelors of Commerce degree (with double majors in accounting and finance) and then went on to do a Bachelors of Laws (graduating with first class honours).
In 2000, I joined international law firm Baker & McKenzie as a trainee solicitor, later joining its Dispute Resolution Group as an associate. I qualified as a solicitor in New South Wales, Australia in 2001,
Hong Kong in 2002, and England & Wales in 2003.
Baker & McKenzie has a busy litigation practice. My focus was with the firm's numerous commercial litigation cases, corporate insolvencies, and securities and regulatory investigations.
Many of the cases I did were interesting (and some high profile). A memorable one was a re-possession case – of a client’s jet engines attached to a Boeing 747-200 flying over Europe en route to Hong Kong. When it arrived, we went to court to obtain an urgent order to prevent it from leaving, which we then executed at Hong Kong International Airport. The 747 was grounded. It took a few days for the engines to cool down, after which they were then removed and shipped back to the client in the United States. All in a few days' work!
In 2008, I decided to join the other side of the legal profession and become a barrister in order to focus on courtroom advocacy, in-depth legal advice and analysis, and detailed legal drafting.
Given my background as a litigator from a commercial law firm, my practice continues to involve numerous commercial and shareholder disputes and corporate insolvencies. However, it also expanded into other areas and I am now frequently instructed in probate and wills cases, private equity disputes, employment cases, personal injury and negligence claims, and intellectual property disputes to name but a few (see section on ‘Experience’).
Apart from acting as an advocate in court, I also represent clients in private arbitration hearings. In addition, I accept appointments to sit as the arbitrator (whether alone or as part of a panel) in domestic and international commercial arbitrations. I am a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb).
I speak fluent English and Cantonese.