Fielding a sizeable on-the-ground arbitration practice from Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP is able to represent clients during the entire lifecycle of China-related disputes. The team’s expertise ranges from the pre-action advisory stages to obtaining interim measures and enforcing awards in the Hong Kong and PRC courts. The practice also greatly benefits from its joint operation with Shanghai law firm Kewei Law Firm, where Hew Kian Heong heads up the construction and infrastructure disputes practice. In Hong Kong, Greater China arbitration head Simon Chapman KC is an international arbitration and cross-border disputes specialist; public international law and cross-border dispute resolution practitioner Antony Crockett leads the firm’s global business and human rights practice; and Justin D’Agostino, May Tai and Kathryn Sanger all have longstanding arbitration expertise. Over in Mainland China, Michelle Li specialises in substantial construction disputes, while Helen Tang focuses on commercial arbitrations.
Key clients
- Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation
- Addax Petroleum UK
Work highlights
- Representing SIPC and Addax, subsidiaries of the Sinopec Group, in (reportedly) the largest claim ever filed with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.
- Representing Malaysian telecoms giant Axiata in ICSID arbitration proceedings, in relation to a $900m bilateral investment treaty claim against Nepal.