Isabel Tam graduated with a first class LLB and with distinction in her LLM. She was awarded the Bar Scholarship in 2012. Her practice has an emphasis on public law, family law, and regulatory matters. She also has an MA in competition law with distinction in the examination component, and was seconded to the Competition Commission.
She has appeared as sole counsel in the Court of Appeal, the Court of First Instance, the District Court and the Magistrates’ Courts. She has also appeared in the Court of Final Appeal.
Recent highlights of Isabel’s experience include: NH v TCAB [2024] 6 HKC 765 on the treatment of the principle of res judicata in administrative decision-making; NF v R [2023] 5 HKLRD 58, a breakthrough for same-sex parents, granting a declaration of “parentage at common law” in the context of parents in a same-sex relationship; and AA v BB [2021] 2 HKLRD 1225, which has been hailed as a landmark victory for the LGBTQ community, granting rights to a separated same-sex couple who had co-parented children during their relationship.
Isabel (led by Mr Denis Chang SC) represented the successful appellants (company directors charged with additional tax) before the Court of Appeal in Koo Ming Kown & Anor v The Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2021] 3 HKLRD 642. This is Hong Kong’s first ever case to deal with the third party’s liability for additional tax by reason of “incorrectness” in the company’s return.
Isabel’s experience also includes: Administrative and Public Law Judicial reviews and hearings relating to the Small House Policy, the “Co-location Arrangement”, the 3rd airport runway, immigration decisions, disciplinary decisions, administrative tribunals, and more. Family Law Children matters, ancillary relief, anti-suit injunction, harassment-related proceedings, and more. Regulatory and Tax Matters In regulatory matters: representing the SFC in disciplinary proceedings and in trial, advising on competition law, advising on listing rules, representing respondent and complainant in professional misconduct cases, and more. In tax matters: advising on tax treatment of profit share incentive in the employment context, advising on stamp duty liability in property transactions, representing the successful appellant against the Inland Revenue Department in appeals regarding director’s liability for additional tax, and more. Land Law Trials on adverse possession, trust claims over property, disputes over common parts, conveyancing disputes, unauthorized building works, and more. International Work Her legal experience outside Hong Kong includes working on a state-to-state international arbitration, researching at the International Environmental Law Research Centre in Kenya and a summer judicial clerkship at U.S. federal court. She was also called to the Bar in New York. Pro Bono Work She regularly undertakes pro bono work, including advising non-profit organizations and acting for litigants on a pro bono basis. She is also interested in environmental law, and has advised and published on the ivory trade and trade in endangered species.
English, Cantonese, Putonghua
Vice-chair (2019 – 2020), Standing Committee on Young Barristers, Hong Kong Bar Association
Member (2022 – present), Committee on Constitutional Affairs & Human Rights
Member (2018 – present), Standing Committee on Equality and Diversity, Hong Kong Bar Association
Member (2020 – present), Standing Committee on International Practice, Hong Kong Bar Association
Part-time Lecturer, School of Law, City University of Hong Kong (Academic Years of 2018/19, 2019/20; 2023/24)
Part-time Judicial Associate (General) in the Judiciary (2021, 2022 & 2023)
LLB (First class), University College London (2010)
LLM (Distinction), Georgetown University (2011)
PCLL, University of Hong Kong (2012)
MA in EU Competition Law, King’s College London (2017)