International Arbitration

Jim joined Hill Dickinson Hong Kong on 23 August 2021, following his retirement after 44 years as a solicitor and partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Hong Kong.  He spent the first six years after qualifying as a solicitor in London (1977 to 1983).  He then transferred to Hong Kong.  He has worked in Asia continuously from that time, mostly in Hong Kong but also in Singapore, South Korea, Beijing and Shanghai.  Throughout this time he has been active in the following areas:

              Transport -on the contentious side, casualties, carriage of goods by sea, shipbuilding, conversion and repair,               ship mortgage enforcement and problem loans.  On the finance side, aspects of shipping finance and ship               leasing.  Aviation repossession and recovery of aircraft through legal action.  Disputes under S&P           agreements.

              Construction and engineering – acting for contractors and developers on disputes arising under projects in     Hong Kong, South East Asia, Bangladesh, the Middle East, North Africa and Russia.  Acting for the Hong        Kong      Government in Hong Kong litigation over a new town development in the New Territories.  Acting for Hong Kong      utilities entity over engineering dispute and Asian telecoms company over the supply of an IT system.

              Insolvency, restructuring - representing corporates, creditors, bondholders in restructuring/rehabilitation            proceedings in Asia and the USA.

              Banking, commercial - acting for banks, and financial institutions, corporates and export-credit agencies in           litigation under loan and security documents in Hong Kong and other jurisdictions, including acting as               adjudicator and appearing as expert witness on Hong Kong law in Chinese Court proceedings.

              Energy - acting for energy majors on disputes concerning upstream and downstream activities, including       nationalisation of data in South East Asian countries and judicial review of Hong Kong governmental action. 

              Regulatory - representing regulated entities on inquiries and investigations by the SFC, Hong Kong Stock          Exchange and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. 

              Insurance - handling marine and non-marine claims and the defence of claims.

Jim is currently most active in the following areas:

              International arbitration as arbitrator (and mediator) and as advocate

              Construction and engineering

              Shipping and shipbuilding

              Insurance

Directory rankings to date:

              Chambers and Partners               2021-2017 – Band 5 – Dispute Resolution (Litigation) – China               2021-217- Senior Statesperson – Shipping Litigation               Prior to being named a Senior Statesperson, ranked in Bank 1

              Legal 500               2010-2014 – Leading Individual – Shipping – China: Foreign Firm               2016-2017 – Senior Statesperson – Shipping Litigation               Prior to being named a Senior Statesperson, ranked in Bank 1

Law Society of England and Wales (1977)Law Society of Hong Kong (1983) Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators (2017) The Hong Kong Insurance Law Association (2014) (past Chairman of the Association) International panel arbitrator, CIETAC, CMAC and Beijing Arbitration Commission

Consultant

University of Cambridge, Pembroke College, BA (1973), MA (1974) College of Law, UK, 1975 leading to qualification as solicitor of England & Wales (1977); Solicitor of Hong Kong (1983) Certified adjudicator, Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators (2018)