Isabel Tam graduated with a first class LLB and with distinction in her LLM. She was awarded the Bar Scholarship in 2012. Her practice has an emphasis on public law, family law, and regulatory matters. She also has an MA in competition law with distinction in the examination component, and was seconded to the Competition Commission.
She has appeared as sole counsel in the Court of Appeal, the Court of First Instance, the District Court and the Magistrates’ Courts. She has also appeared in the Court of Final Appeal.
Recent highlights of Isabel’s experience include NF v R [2023] 5 HKLRD 58, a breakthrough for same-sex parents, granting a declaration of “parentage at common law” to a same-sex couple, and AA v BB [2021] 2 HKLRD 1225, which has been hailed as a landmark victory for the LGBTQ community, granting rights to a separated same-sex couple who had co-parented children during their relationship. Isabel appeared for the Respondent, the non-biological mother within the same-sex relationship, and secured rights for her including guardianship and joint custody.
Isabel successfully resisted the Inland Revenue’s appeal before the Court of Appeal in Koo Ming Kown & Anor v The Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2021] 3 HKLRD 642, representing two company directors charged to additional tax (led by Mr Denis Chang SC). This is Hong Kong’s first ever case to deal with the third party’s liability for additional tax by reason of “incorrectness” in the company’s return.
Vice-chair (2019 – 2020), Standing Committee on Young Barristers, Hong Kong Bar Association
Member (2022 – 2023), Committee on Constitutional Affairs & Human Rights
Member (2018 – present), Standing Committee on Equality and Diversity, Hong Kong Bar Association
Member (2020 – present), Standing Committee on International Practice, Hong Kong Bar Association
Part-time Lecturer, School of Law, City University of Hong Kong (Academic Years of 2018/19, 2019/20; 2023/24)
Part-time Judicial Associate (General) in the Judiciary (2021, 2022 & 2023)
LLB (First class), University College London (2010)
LLM (Distinction), Georgetown University (2011)
PCLL, University of Hong Kong (2012)
MA in EU Competition Law, King’s College London (2017)