Temple Chambers > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Firm Profile

Temple Chambers
16/F ONE PACIFIC PLACE
88 QUEENSWAY
HONG KONG
Hong Kong

Visit website 852 2523 2003

Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration > Arbitration counsel Tier 1

Hong Kong set Temple Chambers has an excellent reputation within the arbitration space. Charles Manzoni KC, a dual tenant with 39 Essex Chambers in London, is highly regarded for his expertise in handling commercial arbitration, with a focus on construction and technology matters, and represents clients from a number of Asian jurisdictions. Matthew Gearing KC has dual tenancy with Fountain Court Chambers, and has over 25 years’ experience in the international arbitration field. Among the juniors, Queenie Lau is noted for her solid track record in handling commercial and financial arbitration.

Leading Silks

Matthew Gearing KC - Temple Chambers 'An exceptionally adept barrister, known for his sound, practical, and commercially-minded advice.'

Charles Manzoni KC - Temple Chambers 'A very powerful advocate and an experienced pair of hands.'

Leading Juniors

Queenie Lau - Temple Chambers 'An articulate junior whose advice is practical and incisive.'

Hong Kong Bar > Administrative and public law Tier 1

The team at Temple Chambers is praised as ‘one of the market leaders in public and administrative law litigation with commercial or regulatory dimensions‘. Key Silks include Jin Pao SC and Abraham Chan SC, who represents both applicants and respondents, including corporates, public authorities, and individual claimants in high-profile and complex public law disputes. Anthony Chan SC made Silk in the 2023 round and is active in cases regarding the Basic Law. Chan SC acted in HKSAR v Li, which concerned claims that the conviction of villagers for conspiracy to defraud a public officer when they falsely declared they owned land was in contravention of the Basic Law. Bonnie Cheng is a key junior and she represented the Secretary for Environment and Ecology in a judicial review claim brought by a transgender person on the grounds of discrimination and infringement of the right to privacy based on the Public Conveniences Regulation, which prohibits people entering part of a public toilet that is assigned for the use of the opposite sex. Tim Parker joined the set in November 2023 from Denis Chang’s Chambers.

Rising Stars

Joshua Chan – Temple Chambers 'Joshua is a strong junior in the area of public and administrative law. He is highly intelligent, efficient, organised, and easy to work with.'

Leading Silks

Abraham Chan SC – Temple Chambers 'Abraham is a star advocate who obviously has the trust and respect of the court, as his advocacy is measured, persuasive, and forceful. He is practical and thoughtful in terms of strategy, he is extremely knowledgeable on the law, and he has an exceptional grasp on even the finest details on the facts of a case.'

Jin Pao SC – Temple Chambers ‘Jin is an extremely strong lawyer with very good intuition, and he is a fantastic advocate. He is also very user friendly and a pleasure to work with; absolutely top notch!’

2023 Silks

Anthony Chan SC – Temple Chambers 'Anthony is often capable of familiarising himself with the factual background and the key legal issues very efficiently, and is able to give advice on the overall tactics. He pays a great deal of attention to details and is often able to identify the missing links and weaknesses of each side's case.'

Leading Juniors

Tim Parker - Temple Chambers ‘Tim is an outstanding public law junior. He has the law at his fingertips and offers incisive analysis of the issues, coupled with first-rate communication skills and an assured manner in court.’

Bonnie Cheng – Temple Chambers ‘Bonnie is a highly capable operator in the area of administrative and public law with a great depth and range of experience and excellent judgement.’

Martin Ho – Temple Chambers 'Martin is very knowledgeable, he is familiar with the key public law principles and positions, he wastes no time in giving helpful advice, and he reads and works very efficiently. He is very thoughtful and often considers how to present the evidence or arguments in different contexts for clients' consideration.'

Testimonials

‘Temple Chambers has a number of barristers who can properly be called experts in the area of public law. They are known particularly for their respondent work, appearing for various public authorities, though their barristers do appear on both sides.’

‘They have significant experience in commercial judicial reviews, and often act as amicus curiae to assist the court in difficult public law cases.’

‘Temple Chambers stands unequalled in the area of administrative and public law in view of its combination of applicant and respondent instructions, the variety of sub-areas covered by its members, the quality of its advocates, and the highly sought after synergy that comes from the set’s strength in both the commercial and public law domains in public and regulatory matters where both private and public law elements combine.’

‘Temple Chambers is a clear leader in the field, particularly in relation to commercial judicial reviews, disputes in statutory tribunals, and the highest-stakes constitutional cases.’

‘Temple Chambers is unparalleled in this practice area in terms of the number of its silks and juniors and the range of their work, including high-value public law disputes with a commercial dimension.’

‘Temple Chambers is by far one of the market leaders in public and administrative law litigation with commercial or regulatory dimensions.’

‘Temple Chambers is a top set in Hong Kong.’

Hong Kong Bar > Commercial disputes Tier 1

Temple Chambers garners praise as ‘the pre-eminent set of barristers’ chambers in Hong Kong, with unrivalled strength in commercial law’. Amongst the silks of the set, Charles Manzoni SC (who is a silk both in Hong Kong and in England and Wales, where he is also a member of 39 Essex Chambers ) has a strong reputation for handling international litigation, arbitration, and mediation proceedings in commercial disputes concerning the construction and technology sectors. Alexander Stock SC is another notable senior counsel, and his commercial practice encompasses disputes concerning banking matters, company law, insurance cases, professional negligence, and shareholders disputes. Abraham Chan SC is acting in the case of Xu Hongbiao v. Oasis Investment Group Ltd and Others, a complex multi-jurisdictional dispute between former partners of a large property joint venture. Also of note is Charles Hollander KC, who has a dual tenancy at Brick Court Chambers in London. Anthony Chan SC took Silk in 2023, and the set also houses a number of impressive juniors, including Elizabeth Cheung, who is instructed in the case of Xiamen Xinjingdi Group Co Ltd v Eton Properties Ltd, which concerned a dispute regarding an agreement surrounding the right to develop land in Xiamen. Queenie Lau is another key name, and she is fluent in Mandarin. Tim Parker joined the set in November 2023 from Denis Chang’s Chambers - he remains a dual tenant with Blackstone Chambers in London.

Rising stars

Astina Au – Temple Chambers 'Astina is very bright and commercial. She is able to provide sensible advice within a tight timeline, her advocacy skills are excellent, and she knows how to present the arguments in the best possible light.'

Jennifer Fan – Temple Chambers 'Jennifer has clear and concise thinking that is expressed in uncluttered legal ideas.'

Danny Tang – Temple Chambers ‘Danny is a highly regard, highly sought after junior for commercial disputes. He has deep knowledge of the law and the capacity for highly incisive legal and factual analysis.’

Leading Silks

Charles Hollander KC – Temple Chambers

Victor Joffe SC – Temple Chambers 'Victor is very knowledgeable and personable, with excellent legal knowledge and experience. He is always able to get the right answer.'

Bernard Man SC – Temple Chambers 'Bernard is an exceptional and diligent advocate, known for his commercial savvy mind, dynamic courtroom presence, and intelligence. In particular, his great ability to think on his feet sets him apart, allowing him to adapt and respond quickly in courtroom, and his in-depth legal knowledge and strategic foresight enable him to cut through non-essential details and focus on the core elements of a case.'

Charles Manzoni SC – Temple Chambers 'Charles is a very powerful advocate who presents compelling submissions and cuts to the core issues of a case. He has strong emotional intelligence, is popular with clients, and is a safe and experienced pair of hands.'

Paul Shieh SC – Temple Chambers

Rimsky Yuen SC – Temple Chambers

Victor Dawes SC – Temple Chambers 'Victor's analytical abilities are commendable; he has a talent for dissecting complex legal issues, identifying key arguments, and formulating compelling strategies. His analytical approach enables him to thoroughly assess the strengths and weaknesses of the case, which greatly enhances his advocacy, and he excels in developing effective strategies tailored to the specific needs of his clients.'

Abraham Chan SC – Temple Chambers ‘Abraham is a star advocate. He is practical and thoughtful in his strategy, his advocacy is measured and forceful, he is extremely knowledgeable in the law, and he has a comprehensive grasp of the finest details of a case.'

Alexander Stock SC – Temple Chambers 'Alexander not only provides solid legal advice on complex legal issues, but he also helps the client develop an appropriate strategy to achieve their commercial objectives. He is no doubt an integral part of the client's legal team.'

Jat Sew-Tong SC – Temple Chambers

Wong Yan-Lung SC – Temple Chambers

Eva Sit SC – Temple Chambers ‘Eva is extremely sharp and quick in identifying legal issues in complex matters and is able to provide to the point analysis and advice. She is a strong advocate who fights forcefully for her clients without being overly aggressive, and at the same time, she is candid when she identifies weaknesses and gives practical advice to clients to encourage amicable resolution.'

Jin Pao SC – Temple Chambers

Jonathan Chang SC – Temple Chambers

Laurence Li SC – Temple Chambers

Richard Khaw SC – Temple Chambers

Law Man-Chung SC – Temple Chambers ‘MC is highly approachable and hands on, and one can always rely on him to analyse the documents and issues closely and provide a focused solution to the client. His advocacy in court is succinct, focused, to-the-point, and highly persuasive.’

2022 Silks

Sara Tong SC – Temple Chambers ‘Sara is an exceptional advocate, who is always extremely well prepared. She is an incisive cross-examiner who does not pull her punches, and she is very highly regarded amongst the profession.’

2023 Silks

Anthony Chan SC – Temple Chambers ‘Anthony is an extremely smooth advocate with good judgement when it comes to choosing points to put forward, and he is respected by courts.’

Leading Juniors

Queenie Lau – Temple Chambers ‘Queenie is a first-class advocate who cuts through distraction and procedure to focus on the issues, and she presents cases in a concise, intelligible, forthright and helpful manner. Her advice is practical and incisive and she is a pleasure to deal with.'

Tim Parker - Temple Chambers ‘Tim is intellectually brilliant; his legal research and analysis is absolutely superb, the documents he produces are beautifully written and exceptionally well argued, and his tactical thinking is outstanding. He is the best of the best.’

Bonnie Cheng – Temple Chambers ‘Bonnie always delivers the highest quality of work, not just legally but also commercially. She is easy to work with and friendly.'

Elizabeth Cheung – Temple Chambers

Justin Ho – Temple Chambers 'Justin is a standout junior in the crowded field of commercial litigation. His technical ability, knowledge of the law, dedication to each case, and fluent advocacy are qualities which mark him out as a first-rate junior. '

Martin Ho – Temple Chambers ‘Martin is an exceptional barrister who is well-versed in law, particularly in winding up, restructuring, and insolvency matters. His precise and reliable legal opinions, coupled with his ability to dissect complex matters and construct solid arguments, set him apart, and his advocacy skills are also exemplary.'

Julian Lam – Temple Chambers ‘Julian is able to distill the key legal issues and formulate the game plan for a client. It is clear that advocacy is one of his key strengths, as his submissions are clear, precise, and persuasive, and the same can be said with regards to his drafting of pleadings; there is no doubt that Julian is an efficient lawyer.'

James Man – Temple Chambers ‘James is a brilliant, hard-working, experienced, and friendly barrister. He is very solid on the law and always provides commercially minded legal advice, he is also a thoughtful, effective, and versatile advocate, and he can always think of the points that others have not thought of and present them in a way that will be well-received by the bench.’

Val Chow – Temple Chambers ‘Val's work is excellent and he is one of the best juniors at the Bar in Hong Kong. He is mature and experienced, both legally and commercially, he has excellent knowledge of the law, and is very careful and thorough.'

Keith Lam – Temple Chambers

Testimonials

‘Temple Chambers is definitely among the very top sets for commercial disputes. They have a huge range of expertise in this area and are featured in many of the biggest cases, sometimes even on both sides of the aisle.’

‘Temple Chambers is the number one chambers in Hong Kong with well-recognised and experienced members who possess professional expertise in a wide range of practice areas. The members are always able to provide out-of-the-box yet commercially practical solutions to complex legal issues.’

‘Temple Chambers is undisputedly the set of chambers in Hong Kong with the most depth of quality at all levels.’

‘Temple Chambers is no doubt the leading set in Hong Kong for commercial disputes. The depth of the set is unparalleled.’

‘Temple is the top choice when engaging counsel. They have excellent SCs as well as solid juniors in all areas of commercial disputes. The SCs are also willing to make time to discuss the matters and also offer training programmes to law firms and in-house counsel.’

‘Temple Chambers have an excellent set of counsel covering different levels of seniority. Counsel from Temple Chambers consistently deliver top-level, quality work.’

‘Temple Chambers is the pre-eminent set of barristers’ chambers in Hong Kong, with unrivalled strength in commercial law. It has the most number of active, well-known and eminent silks in the market, and the expertise and experience of its juniors is extensive.’

‘Temple Chambers is the first-choice set of chambers for all commercial dispute matters. The barristers in Temple Chambers are all very commercial and sensible and have good business acumen, which enables them to provide not only legal solutions, but also commercial solutions to clients.’

Hong Kong Bar > Competition Tier 1

Temple Chambers boasts significant ‘experience of key senior and junior members who are at the forefront of the new competition regime‘, and the set is home to Abraham Chan SC, who is active in a large volume of the competition matters that reach the Competition Tribunal, and he frequently represents both the Competition Commission and respondents in enforcement actions and investigations. Chan SC represented a respondent in Competition Commission v Linde HKO Limited, Tse Chun Wah and Linde GMBH, which was the first case brought by the Competition Commission that alleged the abuse of market power contrary to section 21 of the Competition Ordinance. Eva Sit SC is another notable member of the team, in addition to Byron Chiu and Joshua Chan, the rising stars of the set.

Rising Stars

Joshua Chan – Temple Chambers ‘Joshua is the standout junior in the Hong Kong Bar for competition matters. He has forensic attention to detail, is incredibly smart, and delivers clear and concise advice.’

Byron Chiu – Temple Chambers

Leading Silks

Abraham Chan SC – Temple Chambers

Charles Hollander KC - Temple Chambers

Eva Sit SC – Temple Chambers ‘Eva continues to be at the top of the Bar for competition tribunal matters. She is painfully sharp for any adversary and delivers prescient and reliable advice every time.’

Leading Juniors

Tim Parker - Temple Chambers ‘Tim combines outstanding technical ability and legal knowledge in the area of competition law with his strong capabilities as an advocate. His written and oral submissions are first-rate.’

Testimonials

‘Temple is the natural choice for support. They work very well with each other as a team and have a clear, crisp approach to guiding clients through litigation.’

‘Temple Chambers is the natural first-choice set for competition matters given its combined strengths in public and commercial law, and the experience of key senior and junior members who are at the forefront of the new competition regime.’

Work highlights

Hong Kong Bar > Family and private client Tier 1

Temple Chambers is praised as ‘the best set in Hong Kong in family law and private client disputes‘ and it houses experts in matrimonial and family law matters, from junior to silk. Matrimonial finance specialists Deepak Nagpal KC - a silk in England and a co-tenant with 1 King's Bench Walk - and Putonghua speaker Bernard Man SC are notable silks. At the junior level, Bonnie Cheng is strong in ancillary relief disputes, as well as representing parties in children, mental health, and contentious probate cases. Cheng acted in the case of Choo Pin, Tan Cheng Gay & Tan Yok Koon v Tan Choo Suan & Ng Giok Oh, which concerned contentious probate proceedings regrading the validity of two wills. Theresa Chow stands out for her demonstrable experience across a wide range of family and private client matters, including divorce and children-related disputes, mental health committee and enduring power of attorney cases, and probate issues.

Rising stars

Joshua Chan – Temple Chambers ‘Joshua is a bright and hardworking junior. He is very thorough in his legal research and his advice is always to the point and practical.’

Leading Silks

Bernard Man SC – Temple Chambers 'Bernard is a well sought-after barrister.'

Deepak Nagpal KC – Temple Chambers ‘Deepak is an absolutely sensational barrister. He is streets ahead of the competition in Hong Kong and has brought top-drawer, London quality to the local Bar.’

Leading Juniors

Bonnie Cheng – Temple Chambers ‘Bonnie is meticulous, analytical, and hard working. She has excellent drafting skills and is very sound in law.'

Theresa Chow – Temple Chambers ‘Theresa is absolutely a leading junior in the family law field. Extremely knowledgeable in family law and practice, a very effective advocate, fearless, conscientious, and unflustered at all times.'

Testimonials

‘Temple Chambers is the top barristers’ set in Hong Kong.’

‘All members of the chambers are leaders in the legal industry.’

‘Temple Chambers are the top set comprising of very capable barristers in Hong Kong.’

‘Temple Chambers is the leader in the market.’

‘The set is the best set in Hong Kong in family law and private client disputes. There is no difficulty in finding suitable barristers from the set.’

‘The set has many competent junior barristers to choose from.’

‘Temple Chambers undisputedly has the most quality and depth at all levels.’

‘Temple Chambers have an excellent set of counsel, covering different levels of seniority. Counsel from Temple Chambers consistently deliver top-level quality work.’

Work highlights

Hong Kong Bar > Regulatory, investigations and crime

Rising stars

Joshua Chan – Temple Chambers ‘Joshua has wide experience of regulatory disputes, acting for and against prime regulators such as the Securities and Futures Commission. His ability to quickly get on top of the facts is outstanding.’

Leading Silks

Abraham Chan SC – Temple Chambers 'Abraham is a star advocate; he is practical and thoughtful in his strategy, his advocacy is measured and forceful, he is extremely knowledgeable on the law, and he has a comprehensive grasp of the finest details of a case.'

Sara Tong SC - Temple Chambers

Name	Position	Profile
Astina Au	Astina maintains a broad civil practice, particularly in commercial and company matters,…	View Profile
Joshua Chan	Following completion of pupillage with Mr. Victor Dawes SC, Mr. Abraham Chan…	View Profile
Abraham Chan SC	Abraham Chan SC’s practice spans commercial, constitutional and administrative law litigation. He…	View Profile
Mr Anthony Chan SC	Anthony Chan SC has a broad civil litigation and advisory practice with…	View Profile
Jonathan Chang SC	Jonathan practices in all areas of civil matters, with a particular emphasis…	View Profile
Bonnie Cheng	Bonnie Cheng practises in civil, commercial and family matters, as well as…	View Profile
Elizabeth Cheung	Elizabeth has a broad civil practice with an emphasis on commercial and…	View Profile
Byron Chiu	Byron joined Chambers after completing his pupillage with Mr Bernard Man SC,…	View Profile
Val Chow	Val has a broad civil and commercial practice and is experienced in…	View Profile
Theresa Chow	Theresa has a broad civil practice and accepts instructions in all areas…	View Profile
Law Man Chung SC	MC Law SC has a broad civil and commercial practice. He advises…	View Profile
Victor Dawes SC	Victor is a commercial litigator with substantial experience in wide range of…	View Profile
Jennifer Fan	Jennifer has a broad civil practice, with particular experience in civil, commercial,…	View Profile
Matthew Gearing	Matthew Gearing KC is widely regarded as a leading arbitration practitioner of…	View Profile
Justin Ho	Justin has developed a broad practice across the full spectrum of civil…	View Profile
Martin Ho	Martin maintains a civil practice, with a particular emphasis on commercial, company,…	View Profile
Charles Hollander QC	Charles practises in London from Brick Court Chambers, but since joining Temple…	View Profile
Victor Joffe KC, SC	Victor appeares regularly in the Hong Kong Courts at both first instance…	View Profile
Richard Khaw SC	Richard’s practice covers a wide range of civil and commercial litigation which…	View Profile
Julian Lam	Julian has a broad civil and commercial practice, with experience in complex…	View Profile
Keith Lam	Keith maintains a broad civil and commercial practice, regularly instructed to appear…	View Profile
Queenie Lau	Queenie has a broad, predominantly civil, practice which includes commercial law, securities…	View Profile
Wilson Leung	Wilson is a dual-qualified barrister practising in both England and Hong Kong.…	View Profile
Mr Laurence Li SC	Mr. Li practices commercial litigation with a focus on matters involving the…	View Profile
James Man	James has been instructed in a wide range of cases and appeared…	View Profile
Mr Bernard Man SC	Bernard Man SC has a broad commercial litigation practice, with particular experience…	View Profile
Mr Charles Manzoni KC, SC	As a qualified Mechanical and Electrical Engineer, Charles worked in the international…	View Profile
Robin McLeish	Robin maintains a general civil practice with an emphasis on commercial litigation,…	View Profile
Deepak Nagpal KC	Deepak is one of leading barristers specialising in matrimonial cases in Hong…	View Profile
Jin Pao SC	Jin actively accepts instructions in a broad spectrum of civil commercial matters,…	View Profile
Tim Parker	Tim’s practice spans constitutional and administrative law, public international law, civil and…	View Profile
Jat Sew-Tong SC	Jat Sew-Tong SC specialises in civil commercial litigation at all levels of…	View Profile
Paul Shieh SC	Paul Shieh SC has a wide commercial litigation and arbitration practice, with…	View Profile
Eva Sit SC	Eva practises predominantly in company and commercial areas, with experience in shareholders’…	View Profile
Alexander Stock SC	Alexander Stock SC advises and appears as advocate, principally in the area…	View Profile
Danny Tang	Danny joined Chambers after completing his pupillage with Ms Linda Chan SC,…	View Profile
Sara Tong SC	Sara Tong SC is an experienced counsel specialising in commercial litigation. Her…	View Profile
Mr Wong Yan-Lung SC	Mr. Wong specialise in civil commercial work and has been taking on…	View Profile
Rimsky Yuen SC	Rimsky practises as barrister, arbitrator and mediator in commercial disputes. He has…	View Profile