William Leung

Practice Areas

• International Commercial Litigation
• Corporate Disputes
• International Arbitration and Investors-state Arbitration
• Corporate Insolvency & Restructuring
• International Trade and Investment Litigation
• M&A
• Capital Market
• Constructions and Infrastructure Project Development
• Intellectual Property

Mr. William Leung, founder of his firm has been a practicing solicitor of the High Court of the Hong Kong SAR since 1988.He graduated from University of London with a Master of Law degree in 1988, Master of Business Administration (MBA) from University of Hong Kong in 1992. Prior to and shortly after the re-unification of Hong Kong and China in 1997, he has also taken the initiative to polish his legal expertise in China by obtaining a Bachelor in Chinese Law from China University Politics and Law in 1997 and a Master in Economic Law from Peking University, China in 2002. Mr. William Leung is a Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK; the Hong Kong and Singapore Institute of Arbitrators and he is a Panel Arbitrator with Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre; Singapore International Arbitration Centre; China International Economic Trade Arbitration Commission, China Maritime Arbitration Commission; Korean Commercial Arbitration Board; and Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration in Malaysia.

His recent publications include “Exercise Of Residual Discretion under Article V Of The New York Convention By Enforcement Court When Award Is Alive Dead And Undead” published in January 2019 on China Legal Science, focusing on Arbitration.

Other contributions in the area of corporate finance include “Oxford handbook of Asian Business Systems – Hong Kong: Hybrid Capitalism as Catalyst, by professor Gordon Redding, Gilbert Wong and William Leung” published in 2014 on 2014 oxford handbook of Asian Business System.

Our Mr. William Leung has been an insolvency practitioner since the year of 2001, has been appointed by both the Hong Kong High Court and the Hong Kong Official Receiver, in acting as company liquidators in liquidating company assets.

In year of 2016, our Mr. William Leung has been granted the status of Solicitor Advocate* having higher right of audience to appear and make submissions in any higher courts (including the Court of Final Appeal) in Hong Kong [Law Society Circular 16-857].

In year of 2020, our Mr. William Leung was appointed by The High People’s Court of Guangdong Province as a mediator for cross-border commercial disputes in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. (see Letter of Appointment)

Firm Overview:

We are a leading boutique law firm providing legal services of specified areas in international trade, shipping and transportation, intellectual property, corporate restructuring and insolvency (liquidation) with solid, extensive experience in handling complex corporate, commercial and international litigation, international commercial and investment arbitration and corporate rescue operations for more than 30 years.

Of course, general practice works including, but not limited to, matrimonial and divorce, probate, conveyancing works also part of our daily working routines.

Since our opening in the year of 1992, we have a long-established reputation in shipping and international trade litigation works. In shipping, the firm acts predominantly for owners, charterers and freight forwarders. In international trade, the firm acts for factories, manufacturers, multinational shippers and world-renowned-brand owners, traders and financial institutions in relation to disputes over trading of all types of goods including toys; physical commodities (for example, coal etc.)

Our corporate litigation works include:

• Shareholders disputes;
• Derivative actions (statutory and common law);
• Unfair prejudicial, Just equitable winding up;
• Action against directors including misfeasance proceedings;
• Preservation of corporate assets;
• Restructuring: moratorium, schemes of Arrangement; appointment of (Provisional) Liquidators;
• Cross border and multiplicity of proceedings in both HK, mainland China and offshore proceedings eg. in BVI, Cayman Islands;
• Forum shopping.

In 2001, we acted for a private enterprise from city of Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province China and won against Jardine group company for misdelivery of cargo: Center Optical (Hong Kong) Limited -v- Jardine Transport Services (China) Limited which was reported in the reputable Lloyd’s Law Reports [2001] Vol 2. Page 678 – 690.

In another significant case in 2005, he acted for a Hong Kong shipper and won against an international logistics service provider: Vastfame Camera Limited -v- Birkart Globistics Limited which was reported in three Law Reports of worldwide-fame: American Maritime Cases [2005] AMC page 2864 – 2879; European Transport Law [2006] Vol. XLI No.2 page 182 – 195 and Hong Kong Cases [2005] 4 HKC page 117-135.

His recent highlight cases in the area of Private International Law include:

• Dickson Valora Group (Holdings) Co. Limited v Fan Ji Qian [2019] 2 HKLRD 173 – “quasi-contractual” anti-suit injunction against a respondent who was not party to the relevant arbitration clause
• Dickson Holdings Enterprise Company Limited v Moravia CV [2019] 3 HKLRD 210 – application for striking out unfair prejudice petition on the group of lack of locus standi; mandatory stay of the petition in favour of arbitration pursuant to an arbitration agreement

In our international litigation and arbitration works, we are quick, nimble and dedicated in acting for our clients in taking emergency preservative measures including, but not limited to, the obtaining of worldwide mareva injunction orders in freezing bank accounts and assets; disclosure orders in aid of such orders (see X v A (judgment by Zervos J in HCA 2433/ 2013)).

We have extensive experience of undertaking arbitrations both as advocates and as arbitrators in London Maritime Arbitration Association (LMAA), Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre  (HKIAC), China International Economic Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC)/ China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC) in the People’s Republic of China, Kuala Lumpur Regional Center for Arbitration (KLRCA) in Malaysia and Korean Commission Arbitration Board (KCBA) in Korea.

We have a strong reputation locally and internationally for its intellectual property (IP) works. We handle all aspects of trade mark, design, patent and domain name registration, licensing and distribution rights including computer contracts and IP consultancy, and infringement matters. We are fast in taking emergency preventive measures including, but not limited to, the obtaining of Anton Piller orders; and injunction orders and disclosure orders in aid of such orders.

In our corporate works, apart from company secretarial and listing compliance works, we undertake all sorts of M&A works whether or not in the capital market.

In our corporate restructuring works, our Mr. William Leung, having been appointed by both the Hong Kong High Court and Hong Kong Official Receiver since the year of 2001, has acted as company liquidators in liquidating assets.