Des Voeux Chambers

Winnie is a graduate of the University of Hong Kong (LL.B. (Hons.)). Between 1987 to 1988 she had pursued further studies in intellectual property at UCL (University of London) and further training as a barrister in the intellectual property field, and was called to the English Bar in 1988.

Winnie was appointed Senior Counsel of the Hong Kong Bar in 2006. She was Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association between January 2015 to January 2017 and Chairman of the Committee on Intellectual Property between 2019 to 2022. Winnie is a Recorder of the Court of First Instance, and was Recorder of the High Court of the Hong Kong SAR (2015-2023). In that capacity and formerly as a Deputy High Court Judge, she has adjudicated on an extensive range of civil and commercial disputes.  In 2016, she was honoured as an Overseas Bencher of the Middle Temple Society of England. She was serving as a member of the Law Reform Commission between 2019 to 2024.

Winnie has broad experience in corporate commercial, private equity, intellectual property, technology, media and entertainment disputes. Apart from her regular involvement as lead Counsel in IP and commercial litigation and arbitration, Winnie has accumulated substantial experience as an international arbitrator in trade and corporate disputes.

Winnie has been appointed as a presiding arbitrator, sole arbitrator and co-arbitrator under ICC, HKIAC, SIAC, CIETAC, UNCITRAL and SCIA rules in disputes involving cross-jurisdictional commercial and joint-venture, private equity and shareholders disputes, intellectual property licensing and transfer, international gaming rights licensing, technology transfer, manufacturing agreement, patent rights, pharmaceutical distribution, biochemical technology, electric vehicles and more . She has experience as an arbitrator working with laws of jurisdictions including PRC, England and Wales, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Austrian and Korea, in proceedings conducted both in English and in Chinese.

Winnie is listed as arbitrator in the HKIAC’s General Panel and Intellectual Property Panel, the CIETAC panel, and is a member of the Domain Name Disputes Panel of the HKIAC, a member of the Expert Committee of the China (Shenzhen) IP Arbitration Centre, a panel arbitrator of BAC/BAIC, SCIA, SHIAC, and Qingdao Arbitration Commission, a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators. She is a WIPO panel mediator, JAMS panel mediator, a CEDR-accredited mediator, a panel mediator on Mainland-Hong Kong Investment Disputes under CEPA. In her capacity as a leading intellectual property barrister she was part of a working group of the Department of Justice on the arbitrability of intellectual property rights, and has contributed to the drafting of a bill presented to LegCo in December 2016. Between 2018 and 2020, Winnie served as a member of the Nominations Committee of the HKIAC. Between 2020-2021, she served as Co-Chair of Women in Arbitration (WIA) under HKIAC. Between May 2020 to April 2023, she served on the Appointments Committee of HKIAC.  She is a Hong Kong delegate of the ICC Arbitration Commission.

Winnie has been recognised in peer-reviewed publications as  one of the “most in demand” international commercial arbitrator in Greater China and top IP expert in the region.

English, Cantonese, Putonghua

Professional appointments

Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association (2015 to 2017) Chairman of the Committee on Intellectual Property (2019 to 2022) Recorder of the High Court of Hong Kong (Court of First Instance) (2015 to 2023) Overseas Bencher of the Middle Temple Society of England (2016) Member, Law Reform Commission (2019 to 2024)

Arbitration Panels and Memberships

HKIAC’s Panel of Arbitrators HKIAC’s Intellectual Property Specialist Panel HKIAC’s Domain Name Dispute Panel Member Member of ICC Commission, Hong Kong Delegate Member and Hong Kong Representative of the ICC Arbitration Commission ICC Hong Kong Arbitration Committee member CIETAC Panel Arbitrator China (Shenzhen) IP Arbitration Centre, Member of Expert Committee South China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, Panel Arbitrator Arbitrator of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Arbitrator Panel Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators Panel Arbitrator Beihai International Centre, Panel Arbitrator Shenzhen International Arbitration Centre, Panel Arbitrator Qiangdao Arbitration Commission, Panel Arbitrator Hainan International Arbitration Centre, Panel Arbitrator International Organization for Mediation, Panel Mediator World Intellectual Property Organization, Panel Mediator JAMS/SCMC, Panel Mediator Hong Kong Mediation Council Panel Mediator under the Mainland and Hong Kong CEPA Investment Agreement Mainland – Hong Kong Joint Mediation Center, Panel Mediator Shanghai Commercial Mediation Center (SMAC), Panel Mediator Shenzhen Qianhai International Commercial Mediation Center, Member Seventh Weihai Arbitration Commission / Weihai Court of International Arbitration – Arbitrator

Appointments to Organizations relating to Arbitration

Arbitration Committee, Hong Kong Bar Association - Vice-Chairman (2025-  ) ICC Commission on Arbitration, Delegate of the Hong Kong Jurisdiction (2023- ) IBA Taskforce on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in International Arbitration (2025- ) Appointments Committee, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre - Member (2020-2023) Co-Chair of Women in Arbitration (WIA), HKIAC (2020-2021) Nominations Committee, HKIAC (2018-2019) Member, Working Group on Arbitrability of Intellectual Property Disputes – HKIAC (2015-2017)

Current Public Appointments in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Delegate of the 14th CPPCC National Committee Member, Chief Executive’s Council of Advisers Vice-Chairman, Board of Governors, Hong Kong Philharmonic Society Ltd Member, Independent Commission on Remuneration for Members of the Executive Council and the Legislature, and Officials under the Political Appointment System of the HKSAR Chairman, Professional Services Advisory Committee, Hong Kong Trade Development Council

Corporate Directorship by Appointment

INED of Air China

Independent International Arbitrator Independent Mediator Senior Counsel of the Hong Kong Bar (2006) Licensed Lawyer and Advocate – PRC (Greater Bay Area, China)

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Overseas Member – 8 New Square, Lincoln’s Inn, London Barrister – England and Wales