Haiwen & Partners

Dispute Resolution, International Arbitration, Commercial Litigation, Shipping and Commodities

Partner

Qualified as a solicitor of Hong Kong, England & Wales as well as a lawyer of P.R. China, Edward Liu is a leading lawyer for commercial dispute resolution who has substantial experience in international arbitration and commercial litigation. In July 2022, Edward was awarded Medal of Honour by Hong Kong SAR Government in recognition of his contributions to the development and promotion of legal, arbitration and dispute resolution, and transport related legal services in Hong Kong.  Since 2020, Edward was continuously recommended by Chambers & Partners, The Legal 550, China Business Law Journal and Lloyd’s List as leading lawyer in both dispute resolution and shipping practices.

Edward is extensively experienced in advising and handling international commercial disputes covering areas such as sale of goods/trade and commodities, energy and offshore projects, shipping and shipbuilding, shareholder and equity related disputes, international investment (particularly connected with Belt & Road projects), construction and infrastructure, commercial fraud, insolvency and restructure, regulatory investigations, international sanctions, worldwide enforcement of judgments and arbitration awards etc.  He frequently represents financial institutions, insurance companies, multinational corporations, non-government organisations, Chinese state-owned enterprises as well as major shipping and commodities companies in complex commercial cross border disputes in courts in Hong Kong, London and international tribunals.  He also advises banks, insurers and trading companies on non-contentious matters concerning asset finance, trade finance and shipping finance.

Edward has considerable experience in almost aspects of dry shipping, including claims under charterparties, bills of lading, long-term contracts of affreightment, sale of second-hand vessels, and marine insurance etc., claims arising from collision, grounding, salvage and general average, arrest of ships and jurisdiction challenge. He has also dealt with many shipbuilding cases involving Chinese shipyards.  He is also the principal representative of International Chamber of Shipping (China) Liaison Office, has extensive experience in discussion and formulation of the United Nations International Maritime Organisation conventions and regulations, and is responsible for communication and coordination with the Chinese government and shipping organisations in the fields of policies and measures.

Edward is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Arbitrator (CIArb) and a member of International Court of Commercial Arbitration (ICCA).  He is on the panel or list of arbitrators of various institutions, including Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA), Dalian International Arbitration Court (DIAC), Tianjin Arbitration Commission (TJAC)，Nanjing Arbitration Commission (NJAC), London Maritime Arbitrators’ Association (LMAA), Hong Kong Maritime Arbitration Group (HKMAG), China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC), Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration, and eBRAM International Online Dispute Resolution Centre (eBRAM).  Since 2018, Edward has started to accept appointments as arbitrator and was appointed as sole arbitrators by HKIAC on many occasions, and he has dealt with arbitration cases as arbitrator under HKIAC, LMAA, HKMAG and UNCITRL rules as well as ad hoc arbitrations.    In addition, Edward is an accredited mediator of Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association (HKMAAL), a mediator of eBRAM, and an APEC neutral.

Edward has been appointed as members of a number of statutory and advisory bodies to the Hong Kong SAR Government, including International Legal and Dispute Resolution Services Expert Group, Advisory Committee on Promotion of Arbitration, Steering Committee on Mediation, Advisory Body on Third Party Funding of Arbitration and Mediation, Aviation Development and Three-Runway Advisory Committee, Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board, Task Force on Maritime and Port Development Strategy, and Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Appeal Board.  He is also the principal representative of International Chamber of Shipping (China) Liaison Office, a member of Professional Services Advisory Committee of Hong Kong Trade Development Council, members of Arbitration Committee and OLQE Committee of the Law Society of Hong Kong, executive member of Hong Kong Maritime Law Association, member, China Sub-Committee of Hong Kong Shipowners’ Association, and vice-president of Hong Kong and Mainland Legal Profession Association.  In addition, he is serving as members of CPPCC Henan Committee, Tianjin Youth Federation and legal expert group of Henan Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Edward is an editorial member of the leading English shipping law newsletter Lloyd’s Shipping & Trade Law. He is also a special contributor to the leading English arbitration law newsletter Arbitration Law Monthly.  He is a visiting professor at Tianjin Foreign Studies University and Shanghai Maritime University School of Economics & Management, and an adjunct lecturer at Hong Kong University School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKU SPACE).

Edward Liu joined Haiwen in August 2022 as partner.  Before joining Haiwen, he was a partner of Hill Dickinson Hong Kong, and also worked as senior associate and associate at Reed Smith Richards Butler and DLA Pipier.

Edward's native language is Chinese and Putonghua, and can speak very fluent English and Cantonese.

Edward received his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from Shanghai Maritime University in 2008,  his Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the University of Southampton, UK in 2009, and his Graduate Diploma of Laws (GDL) degree from BPP Law School in 2013.

In 2018, he completed the Investment Law and Investor-State Mediator Training Courses, co-organised by the Hong Kong Department of Justice, International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and Asian Academy of International Law (AAIL).  In 2022, he completed HKIAC Advanced Arbitration Training Programme.