Des Voeux Chambers has an active family law and private client practice, focusing on cases with a cross-border, multijurisdictional element. John Scott SC is a key contact at silk level, while Kerby Lau is a skilled junior, holding substantial expertise in private client, probate, trust and succession work, and particularly focusses on cases involving the interaction between trusts, commercial and company law. Jacqueline Law is also a key junior, s acting for members of prominent families in Hong Kong in probate and administration disputes.
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Profile
Career
Kerby was admitted to University under the Early Admissions Scheme with a full scholarship and obtained first class honours in his undergraduate degree and his Bachelor of Civil Law degree from the University of Oxford.
He came top at Oxford for chancery law subjects, being awarded prizes for best performance in Trusts Law and Company Law.
Kerby joined Des Voeux Chambers in 2013. His practice has a particular emphasis on advisory and advocacy work involving (i) contentious probate, wills, trusts and estates litigation; and (ii) company and insolvency law. He has provided expert evidence on HK probate and estates law in foreign proceedings. He has also appeared in all levels of court, and argues cases regularly both on his own and as junior counsel.
Kerby has authored and contributed to numerous books and publications, including “Company Law - Powers and Accountability” (2nd Edition) which he co-authored with DVC’s William Wong SC, JP and Dato Loh Siew Cheang in 2017. He is a Contributing Editor to Hong Kong Company Law Cases (2008 - 2019) - published in 2020 by DVC in collaboration with Kluwer and the Hong Kong Civil Procedure (the White Book).
Languages
English, Cantonese, Putonghua
Memberships
Legal Consultant, Shanghai Universe Law Firm (2015 – 2017)
Member, Young Barristers’ Committee, HK Bar Association (2013-2020)
Part-time lecturer, University of Hong Kong (2012- present)
Deputy Adjudicator, Small Claims Tribunal (November to December 2019)
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
'Des Voeux Chambers is clearly one of the top sets of Chambers in Hong Kong.'
'Des Voeux Chambers is one of the best family law chambers.'
'Des Voeux Chambers is one of the leading sets in Hong Kong and is very well respected. It has real strength-in-depth and the quality of the counsel are uniformly high.'