Des Voeux Chambers > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Firm Profile

Des Voeux Chambers Offices

Des Voeux Chambers
38/F Gloucester Tower
The Landmark
Central, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
852 2526 3071 852 2810 5287

Des Voeux Chambers > The Legal 500 Rankings

Hong Kong Bar > Commercial disputes Tier 1

With ‘plenty of very high-quality barristers’, Des Voeux Chambers ‘is regarded as one of the leading sets in commercial disputes’. At the senior end, insolvency experts José-Antonio Maurellet SC and Rachel Lam SC led on the landmark case of Citicorp International Limited v Tsinghua Unigroup Co., Ltd, which concerned the nature and extent of the obligations that keepwell providers have to bondholders, as well as novel issues of Greater China insolvency. Charles Sussex SC led Tom Ng in PT Asuransi Tugu v Citibank NA, which assessed bankers’ Quincecare duty, which dictates that a bank should not, in certain circumstances, take a payment from a customer’s account which is fraudulent. Catrina Lam‘s practice encompasses a wide range of contentious commercial matters, and she is also highly adept at handling domestic and international arbitrations, representing clients from the banking and finance, technology, real estate, media and entertainment, education, aviation, and gambling sectors. Benny Lo has also been increasingly active in international commercial arbitration proceedings, while a significant proportion of Frances Lok‘s practice involves acting for listed companies, their shareholders, and directors across a range of mandates, including winding up proceedings and unfair prejudice petition matters. Christopher Chain SC made Silk in the 2023 round.

Rising stars

Cherry Xu – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Cherry‘s judgement and output is far superior to her year of call and she is incredibly bright, really thinks around the case, and fights hard to achieve the best outcome for the client. She is a very good team player with great tactical awareness, and as one of the few barristers with native Mandarin abilities, she is in pole position to deliver effective results in cases involving Mainland elements.’
Tommy Cheung – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Tommy comes across as a very able and hard-working junior with a profound knowledge of the law. He is always able to suggest helpful solutions that take into account lay client’s requests and financial and timing constraints.’
Tiffany Chan – Des Voeux Chambers 'Tiffany is an absolute star of the junior bar and destined for greatness. She is incredibly hard-working, diligent, and technically brilliant, but very commercial and easy to work with.'
Jasmine Cheung – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Jasmine is a very bright junior. She’s intelligent, hardworking, and detailed minded, she is very well-prepared for every hearing, and her advocacy is well-paced, organised, and cuts to the chase.’
Lai Chun Ho – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Lai is an outstanding barrister with a level of competence well beyond his years of call. He is always diligent with a firm grasp of the facts and in-depth knowledge of the law, and he is both commercially-minded and sensible, whilst being able to offer valuable and out of the box insights into cases.’
Howard Wong – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Howard is exceptionally responsive, efficient and diligent in his high-quality work, and he takes his responsibilities seriously, making him a reliable and dependable counsel. He approaches each case with a comprehensive and thorough mindset that aligns with clients’ objectives, and his remarkable attention to detail is evident in all aspects of his work, from the initial drafting of legal arguments in pleadings and correspondence, preparation of a case, to the final presentation through robust skeleton submissions and excellent advocacy in court.’

Leading Silks

José-Antonio Maurellet SC – Des Voeux Chambers ‘José is super smart and quick on his feet, he can see cases from different angles and devise innovative strategies and tactics, and his submissions are usually succinct and powerful.'
William Wong SC – Des Voeux Chambers 'William is a great leader, with skills in advocacy, strategy, and cross-examination; the best in Hong Kong.'

2023 Silks

Leading Juniors

Catrina Lam – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Catrina is very diligent and always well prepared. She is also very persistent, even when the case is not on her side, which is a very important quality for an advocate.'
Connie Lee – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Connie is no doubt a first-tier practitioner who impresses with her tactical, practical and commercial advice. In terms of advocacy, she is also a very effective advocate knowing how to push the right button, and it is very understandable why she is hotly sought-after, has very considerable trial and arbitration experience in her own right, and always punches above her weight.'
Benny Lo – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Benny is highly experienced in international arbitration and he has good strategic vision for the case and goes into the very details of the case facts. Submissions and other documents prepared by him are well organised and to the point, presenting convincing cases, and his examination of witnesses at oral hearings are very impressive.'
Sabrina Ho – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Sabrina is able to recall, understand, and accurately apply the law and procedure relevant to advocacy to the matters she is dealing with. She is thorough and pragmatic, presenting reasoned arguments in a clear, logical, concise and persuasive manner, and she produces coherent, well-structured and concise submissions, citing legal authorities and materials appropriately.'
Gary Lam – Des Voeux Chambers ‘One of Gary's notable strengths is his responsiveness and ability to quickly grasp the subject issues, client instructions, and solicitor’s concerns related to the case. He has a remarkable aptitude for understanding the intricacies of a case from the outset, which allows him to provide insightful analysis and valuable guidance to both the client and the solicitor.’
Patrick Siu – Des Voeux Chambers 'Patrick is very knowledgeable and is one of the top barristers handling commercial litigation. He knows the law very well, he has great client skills, and his researching skills are excellent.'
Alan Kwong – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Alan is a powerful advocate who is quick on his feet and his submissions are powerful and concise. Since he has taken up a part-time judicial appointment, he earns immense respect from the bench.'

Testimonials

‘Des Voeux Chambers is well-known for having the best advocates in general commercial litigation. It leads the market and has generated a number of young senior counsels. You can feel confident entrusting cases to their barristers.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers is one of Hong Kong’s largest commercial sets and a leading chambers. It has great strength in depth, availability of counsel, and rigorous training for pupil barristers.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers is regarded as one of the leading sets in commercial disputes. They have plenty of very high-quality barristers and can be available on short notice.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers is one of the top sets of chambers in Hong Kong with a strong pool of junior counsel.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers has a very good mix of barristers at all levels of seniority. The size of the set means that the clients will have options in case anyone is not available for a particular hearing.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers is undoubtedly a first-tier leading set in Hong Kong with members who are consistently involved in big-ticket cases. They are particularly impressive for companies and insolvency work.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers comprises barristers with a wide variety of background and experience. The barristers there are generally very helpful, approachable and user friendly.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers is particularly strong in commercial disputes, with a large number of silks and bright juniors. They often provide regular legal updates.’

Hong Kong Bar > Competition Tier 1

Des Voeux Chambers is ‘one of a very few number of sets that can handle competition law litigation from start to finish‘. Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association’s Special Committee on Competition Law Catrina Lam frequently represents regulators and respondents from the telecoms, raw materials, banking and financial services, beauty and cosmetics, and real estate and construction sectors in competition proceedings. Lam is acting for the respondents in the case of Competition Commission v ATAL Building Services Engineering Ltd & Ors, which concerns one of the largest and high-value cartel cases brought by the Competition Commission against two major suppliers of air-conditioning services in Hong Kong regarding parent company liability. Connie Lee acted for a respondent in the case of Competition Commission v T.H Lee Book Company Limited & Ors, which concerned an enforcement action against three book publishers for price fixing, market sharing, and bid rigging when selling textbooks to secondary schools.

Leading Juniors

Catrina Lam – Des Voeux Chambers 'Catrina's deep understanding of the law and strategic thinking makes her a true asset in the courtroom. She is a powerful and effective advocate who shines the best when it comes to cross-examinations.'
Connie Lee – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Connie is a first-class competition lawyer; she is excellent on technical matters and very pragmatic and strategic in her approach. She is really blazing a trail in competition law in Hong Kong and is a name to watch who is destined for great things.’

Testimonials

‘Des Voeux Chambers is a leading first-tier commercial set that offers expertise in the relatively new and niche area of competition law.’

‘The set is well-endowed with talent and resources in civil litigation and is one of a very few number of sets that can handle competition law litigation from start to finish.’

‘The set runs its own training programmes, some of which are available to members of the profession outside the set.’

‘The whole set has a very strong practice in civil litigation.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers has an all-rounded practice.’

Work highlights

Hong Kong Bar > Construction and property Tier 1

Des Voeux Chambers is the preeminent set in Hong Kong’s construction and property arena ‘with both leading and junior counsel‘. Amongst the set’s juniors, Calvin Cheuk stands out for his expertise in handling construction-related disputes spanning across Hong Kong, Mainland China and beyond. Cheuk, led by John Scott SC, acted for the plaintiff in Johnson Controls Hong Kong Ltd v Wangle Engineering Lt, a dispute regarding whether there was a presumption that interim payment certificates are provisional and subject to a final review; this was the first case of its kind in the Hong Kong Court of Appeal. Kaiser Leung is another key member of the set with significant experience in complex construction disputes concerning heavyweight infrastructure projects and commercial and residential developments. Jonathan Chan is also a notable team member.

Leading Silks

Ian Pennicott SC – Des Voeux Chambers 'Ian is a star and a go-to barrister for construction disputes.'

Leading Juniors

Calvin Cheuk – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Calvin is meticulous in his work. His expertise in construction law is impressive, his advocacy is good, and he can deal with difficult questions from the judge skilfully.'
Kaiser Leung – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Kaiser is a go-to junior barrister for construction cases. He is very sharp, knowledgeable, responsive, diligent, and hard-working, and he always offers robust and practical advice to clients.'
Jonathan Chan – Des Voeux Chambers 'Jonathan is a highly talented counsel with deep and solid knowledge in the construction field. He has always finished his works competently and with diligence and efficiency. He is also a team player with excellent interpersonal, organisational, leadership, and analytical skills.'

Testimonials

‘Des Voeux Chambers has a diverse specialty practice. Always a first choice when choosing chambers to approach on potential matters.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers is viewed as number one in construction and engineering matters across all levels, including in arbitrations, with both leading and junior counsel.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers has the largest number of construction counsel in Hong Kong.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers is an excellent set of chambers.’

‘De Voeux Chambers has a set of barristers with an excellent reputation and lots of strength in depth.’

‘The leading set in construction disputes and it has a number of impressive juniors who are talented and experienced in such disputes.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers is the largest set of barristers chambers in Hong Kong and has a robust presence in construction law. It has several very good barristers specialising in construction law.’

‘Des Voeux Chambers is a go-to set of chambers in Hong Kong.’

Work highlights

Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration > Arbitration counsel Tier 2

Hong Kong-based set Des Voeux Chambers is home to Benny Lo, who regularly sits as arbitrator under the auspices of the SIAC, HKIAC, ICC, CIETAC, AIAC, BAC and WIPO. Lo’s workload includes investor-state issues and large-scale commercial matters. Calvin Cheuk is another key figure in the team, who is well-known for his expertise in handling construction arbitrations concerning projects in Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan and Macau.

Leading Juniors

Benny Lo - Des Voeux Chambers 'Benny is meticulous, and his advocacy and cross-examination style is superb.'
Calvin Cheuk – Des Voeux Chambers 'An analytical junior with a logical approach to cases.'

Hong Kong Bar > Family and private client Tier 2

Des Voeux Chambers has demonstrable expertise in family law mandates, especially cases involving multi-jurisdictional elements. Kerby Lau is a strong member of the set with experience in cases concerning contentious probate, wills, estates, and trusts. Notably, Lau acted for one of the plaintiffs in a case regarding the administration and division of Henry Fok's estate. Jacqueline Law is also another key member of the set.

Leading Silks

2022 Silks

Mairéad Rattigan SC – Des Voeux Chambers ‘A reputable senior family barrister in Hong Kong.’

Leading Juniors

Kerby Lau – Des Voeux Chambers 'Kerby is fast in picking up the legal issues of a matter and giving digest of the legal issues. His preparation for hearings is thorough and he is meticulous in addressing the court on the legal issues; he reacts accurately to the questions from court and responds swiftly to the opponent's submission.'

Testimonials

‘The counsel at Des Voeux Chambers are all-rounded and elites in the legal field.’

Work highlights

Hong Kong Bar > Intellectual property

Leading Silks

Leading Juniors

Ling Chun Wai – Des Voeux Chambers 'Ling Chun is one of the most seasoned IP barristers in town. He is a superb advocate, his submissions are to the point and extremely persuasive, he possesses a strategic mind, and he has the ability to distil complex legal and factual issues well.'
Benny Lo – Des Voeux Chambers 'Benny is very knowledgeable, meticulous, and thorough, both on the law and on procedures. The humility that he displays is also impressive and he is extremely easy and comfortable to work with.'

Hong Kong Bar > Regulatory, investigations and crime

Leading Silks

Leading Juniors

Joseph Lee – Des Voeux Chambers ‘There is no doubt that Joseph is one of the most outstanding criminal barristers in town and a lot of solicitors would immediately think of him whenever there is a criminal or regulatory matter. His advocacy and cross-examination skills are incomparably good and effective, and Joseph is regarded as a barrister who is able to lead others and conduct complex cases independently.'

Hong Kong Bar > Shipping and aviation

Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration > Arbitrators

Leading arbitrators

Benny Lo – Des Voeux Chambers ‘Benny is a very experienced arbitrator who is diligent and careful in his analysis, fair in his rulings and prompt in his responses. He is very experienced in private equity and sale of goods disputes. He is making a name for himself in the arbitrator field in Hong Kong. Benny displays impeccable legal skills in combination with a good grasp of the facts. He is also a pleasure to work on the personal level.’

Hong Kong Bar > Administrative and public law

Leading Juniors

Catrina Lam – Des Voeux Chambers 'Catrina is one of the go-to counsel for administrative law cases. She is always well prepared and has a persuasive advocacy style.'

Gary Lam – Des Voeux Chambers 'Gary is a diligent barrister with a growing public law practice.'

Des Voeux Chambers > Firm Profile

DVC is a leading set of chambers based in Hong Kong with an illustrious history dating back over 30 years. Its members have cultivated a reputation for combining intellectual rigour with effective advocacy. As one of the largest sets of chambers in Hong Kong, DVC is home to over 90 astute legal minds, many of whom have spearheaded groundbreaking cases. Helmed by Winnie Tam SBS, SC, JP, DVC houses 23 members who have been appointed Queen’s Counsel and Senior Counsel in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

The broad range of expertise of our members makes DVC a convenient one-stop shop for all areas of civil and commercial advisory work, with the added capability of white collar crime expertise. DVC’s barristers handle cases which raise multiple issues in more than one field, making members agile and adept at responding to clients’ needs.