Dr William Wong SC > Des Voeux Chambers > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Lawyer Profile

Dr William Wong SC

+852 2826 7047 WILLIAMWONG@DVC.COM.HK View profile View profile

Career

Dr. Wong has been in practice in Hong Kong since 1998. In 2010, he was also called to the Bar of the British Virgin Islands. In 2013, Dr. Wong was appointed as a Senior Counsel in Hong Kong. He is also presently an Non-Executive Director of the Airport Authority and one of the Vice Chairmen of the Board of Review of the Inland Revenue.

Dr. Wong’s practice covers a wide spectrum of contentious commercial litigation. He has a special focus and substantial experience in the areas of company, insolvency and securities law. He frequently represents clients in contentious shareholders and/or investors disputes and disputes in liquidation. He is the first Hong Kong barrister to be admit, on an ad hoc basis, in the Bermudian courts to conduct trials and appeals. He is experienced in offshore litigation. He also acted as an expert witness on HK company law in the People’s Republic of China, and international arbitration. Dr. Wong also sits as an arbitrator in a substantial number of international commercial arbitration.

Dr. Wong also specializes in contentious trusts and probate matters. His case of Chow Siu Po v. Wong Ming Fung [2003] 1 HKC 146 establishes the burden of proof in propounding a will. He has also given legal opinion on various trust and probate matters. He was instructed to advise and work on a number of substantial trusts litigation and related matters.

On non-contentious work, Dr. Wong specializes in corporate restructuring and capital reduction. He was involved in the capital reduction of CLP, Guangdong Investment and Hong Kong Construction. He was also involved in the Wheelock Holding Company privatization, PCCW privatization, the Denway Motors privatization, the Stone Group privatization, the Sunlife Insurance Transfer Scheme and the 3D Gold Scheme.

Academically, Dr. Wong graduated from the Business Faculty of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1994 as the Rhodes Scholar of the year. In 1996, he obtained his degree in Jurisprudence from Wadham College, Oxford. In 2004, he also obtained his LL.M degree from the Peking University. In 2012, he was awarded the Doctoral Degree from the Peking University with a dissertation on corporate insolvency laws.

Dr. Wong also serves on a number of special sub-committees of the Hong Kong Bar Council. He is the  Chairman of the Committee on Overseas Lawyers Examination. He is also an advisor to the Middle Temple Society in Hong Kong.

Dr. Wong has also published widely. He was one of the editors of Hong Kong Civil Procedure 2001 and Hong Kong Civil Procedure 2002. He also published together with Dato Loh Siew Cheang, one of the leading Hong Kong texts on company law: “Company Law – Powers andAccountability.” (2003) The book was translated into Chinese in 2005 – «公司法 – 權力與責任», 法律出版社.

He subsequently co-authored “Company Law – Powers and Accountability” 2nd Edition with Dato Loh Siew Cheang and DVC’s Kerby Lau in 2017.

Year of call

• 1997

Languages

English, Cantonese, Mandarin

Memberships

• Recorder of the High Court of Hong Kong (Since 30 Sep 2021)
• Non Executive Director of the Hong Kong Airport Authority
• Justice of the Peace (1 July 2019)
• Vice Chairman of the Private Columbaria Appeal Board (2017-)
• Vice-Chairman, Municipal Services Appeals Board (2016-)
• Non-Executive Director of Securities and Futures Commission (2014-2020)
• Chairman of the Board, ICC (From 1 August 2018 to 31 March 2020)
• Member, ICFC and SCFC (From 1 August 2018 to 31 March 2020)
• Deputy High Court Judge (2017-2021)
• Member, Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Boards (2017-)
• Member, Insurance Appeals Tribunal (2017-)
• Vice Chairman of the Board of Review, Inland Revenue(2015-)
• Member, Appeals Tribunal, The Hong Kong Federation of Insurers (2014-2020)
• Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
• Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Financial Regulation and Economic Development, Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Former Chairman of the Arbitration Committee of the Hong Kong Bar Association
• Member, Advisory Committee on the Promotion of Arbitration, Department of Justice
• Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee on China Practice Development (2014-2016)
• Overseas Member, Chancery Bar Association of England & Wales (2011-)
• Vice Chairman, Hong Kong Bar Association Special Committee on Bar Qualification Examination (2006-)
• Vice Chairman, Hong Kong Bar Association Special Committee on Mainland Affairs (2005-2018)
• Advisor, The Hong Kong Middle Temple Society (1999-)

Arbitration

• Committee Member of the Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission
• Panel arbitrator of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre
• Panel arbitrator of Shenzhen International Court of Arbitration
• Panel arbitrator of Hainan International Arbitration Court
• Appointed as arbitrator in a number of international commercial arbitration

Education

• BBA (CUHK)
• MA (OXON)
• D (PEKING U.)