Des Voeux Chambers is home to a number of ‘top notch barristers’, who are widely described as ‘excellent and easy to work with.’ Insolvency is a particular strength for members of the set, with senior barristers José-Antonio Maurellet SC and Rachel Lam SC leading on a number of high value insolvency matters. At the junior end, Catrina Lam is acting in many complex commercial disputes, dealing with developments of law in a range of contract and company law matters. Connie Lee and Cherry Xu possess strength in liquidation matters. Lee successfully led in Yeung Man v. New Winning Finance Company Limited, handle a series of enforcement and recovery actions. Kerby Lau continues to broaden his practice, often acting unled in a range of complex commercial matters. Frances Lok SC took May 2024, recently leading in the matter of In re Shimao Group Holdings Limited acting for China Construction Bank (Asia) Corporation Limited.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Career
Catrina is recognized as a leading senior junior barrister whose practice spans all aspects of contentious commercial disputes (including domestic and international arbitrations), administrative and constitutional law, competition (antitrust), securities and regulatory litigation. She is ranked as a Band 1 junior for Commercial Dispute Resolution in Chambers & Partners, as well as a Tier 1 junior for Competition, Administrative and Public Law and Commercial Disputes in The Legal 500. She is also recognised as a Global Law Expert in the practice area of competition law in Hong Kong.
She has represented domestic and multinational clients operating in a wide range of industry sectors, including banking and financial services, technology, telecommunications, real estate and construction, energy, media and entertainment, manufacturing, education, aviation and gambling. She is experienced in handling highly complex commercial disputes, many involving novel legal issues and/or technical evidence, and has been described as being “great for matters which concern very difficult facts and evidence”. She is in demand for her “sharp legal mind”, “quickness on her feet”, "strong legal literacy" and as a practitioner who “thinks outside the box and always tests the limits of the evidence”.
She appears at all levels of court, as well as other specialist and disciplinary tribunals, including the Competition Tribunal, Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal, Insider Dealing Tribunal and the Board of Review. In her public law and judicial review practice, Catrina has advised and represented many public bodies and officials, including acting for the Secretary for Justice intervening in the public interest, as well as private individuals.
Catrina is “held in particularly high esteem for her accomplished competition law practice” and is “widely identified as Hong Kong’s front runner for competition matters”. She "stands out" for her "depth of knowledge in competition law".
Apart from acting as counsel, Catrina accepts appointments to sit as arbitrator. She is on the HKIAC's List of Arbitrators and is a member of the Panel of Arbitrators for both the Shanghai International Arbitration Centre and the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration.
Outside of practice, Catrina is active in public service. She has served as a Temporary Deputy Registrar of the High Court and as a Deputy District Judge. She is currently sitting on 6 statutory appeal boards and tribunals on appointment by the Government. She has been serving as the Secretary of the Middle Temple Society in Hong Kong since 2009 and was appointed an Honorary Member of The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in 2018.
Catrina speaks English, Cantonese and Putonghua (conversational), and is a CEDR accredited mediator.
Languages
English, Cantonese, Putonghua (conversational)
Memberships
Statutory board/tribunal and other appointments
- Temporary Deputy Registrar, High Court of HKSAR [May 2018]
- Deputy District Judge, District Court of the HKSAR [September 2014]
- Deputy Chairman, Education Appeal Boards Panel under the Education Ordinance (Cap 279) [2019 - present]
- Chairman, Licensing Appeals Board under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap132) [2018 - present]
- Member, Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Appeal Board and Rules Committee [2017 - 2022]
- Member, Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants Disciplinary Panel A [2017 - 2023]
- Member, Inland Revenue Board of Review Panel [2016 - 2022]
- Chairman, Buildings Appeal Tribunal [2015 - 2021]
- Member, District Cooling Services Appeal Board Panel [2018 - 2021]
- Secretary and Advisory Board, The Middle Temple Society of Hong Kong [2012- present]
- Honorary Member, The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple [2018 - present]
- Arbitrator, List of Arbitrators, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre [2021]
- Member of the Panel of Arbitrators for the Shanghai International Arbitration Centre [2021]
- Member of the Panel of Arbitrators for the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration [2022]
- Member, Committee on Constitutional Affairs and Human Rights, Hong Kong Bar Association [2020 – present]
- Member, Committee on Arbitration, Hong Kong Bar Association [2017 - present]
- Member, Bar Council [2013]
- Elected Vice President, International League of Competition Law (Ligue Internationale de Droit de la Concurrence) [2022 - 2023]
- Chairman, Committee on Competition Law, Hong Kong Bar Association [2020 - present]
- Founder and Vice Chairman, International League of Competition Law, Hong Kong Chapter [2019 - present]
- Vice Chairman, Committee on Competition Law, Hong Kong Bar Association [2018 - 2020]
- Non-Governmental Adviser to the International Competition Network [2018 - present]
- External Counsel to the Competition Commission [2016 - present]
Education
- LLB, University College London (1998)
- PCLL, University of Hong Kong (1999)
- PgD in EU Competition Law, King's College London (2016)
- MA in EU Competition Law (Distinction), King's College London (2018)
- PgD in Economics for Competition Law, King's College London (2021)
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'I have always been impressed by Des Voeux Chambers and most of the members I have instructed there. The Chief Clerk Elaine Chan is always a pleasure to deal with and is highly responsive.'
- 'DVC is the leader. From the most junior barrister to experienced silks, they provide effective and commercial legal solutions and are overall extremely strong advocates.'
- 'Highly respected Chambers with strength in depth at all levels'
- 'The range of talent in DVC is unparalleled in any chambers in Hong Kong. They are diligent and user-friendly, and well understand clients' needs. Their junior barristers are well supported and have plenty of opportunities to grow.'
- 'The Des Voeux Chambers as a whole has some of most competent counsel in Hong Kong with people specialising in different fields. They charge reasonable fees and are very efficient in providing their services.'
- 'DVC is pre-eminent in contentious insolvency and commercial dispute, from Senior silks to baby juniors.'
- 'I believe that Des Voeux Chambers as a whole is strong and available in handling commercial disputes. They are capable and well-trained to deal with matters of high level of complexity.'
- 'DVC has a wide range of barristers with different seniority and experience especially in commercial disputes. They have been involved in some of the big commercial dispute matters.'
- 'Des Voeux Chambers is a set of chambers with many excellent-skilled barristers who are professional, approachable and easily accessible to solicitors and clients. They are fully equipped to act in any type of complex commercial litigation and arbitrations.'
- 'Des Voeux Chambers has a good mixed of senior counsel and junior counsel of different seniority. It has a team of very dedicated members who spend a great of time of recruiting and training law students with potentials to become pupils and future tenants of the chambers. This in turn helps to ensure the quality of all new tenants of the chambers.'