About Paul
Paul maintains a civil practice covering both advocacy and advisory work in matters involving construction, commercial, land, bankruptcy & winding-up, tort and employment law.
He has appeared as sole counsel in the High Court, District Court, Lands Tribunal and Magistrates’ Court, and as a volunteer advocate in the Employment Tribunal (England & Wales). He is regularly involved in international arbitration, and has appeared as junior counsel in bilingual and virtual international arbitration hearings. He acted as junior counsel for an involved party in the Commission of Inquiry into the Diaphragm Wall and Platform Slab Construction Works at the Hung Hom Station Extension under the Shatin to Central Link Project.
Paul has a particular focus in construction and engineering arbitration and court proceedings and has acted or advised on Belt and Road Initiative projects. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a HKMAAL Accredited General Mediator. Paul was a Society of Construction Law Hong Kong Scholar in 2017.
Prior to joining the bar, he had over ten years’ experience in the construction industry in Hong Kong and the UK. He is a native speaker of both English and Cantonese.
Selected Cases
- Ko Yin Fun v Ko Chi Hung and Another [2024] HKCFI 1608 (HCA 2269/2019) - Acting for one of the defendants to oppose the plaintiff’s action for a declaration of beneficial interest in certain properties by reason of common intention constructive trust (as sole counsel)
- Accurate Contractors & Renovators Co Ltd v Messrs Wong & Lawyers [2024] 2 HKLRD 667, [2024] HKCFI 820 (HCMP 66/2023) - Authority on the legal principles of Henderson abuse or Yat Tung abuse of process, resisting an application for taxation of solicitor’s costs under Section 67 of the Legal Practitioner’s Ordinance (Cap. 159) (as sole counsel)
- Corn House Company Ltd v Yeung Tak Wah Denny [2024] HKDC 443 (DCCJ 6500/2019) - Landlord and tenant dispute, acting for the plaintiff in an action for misrepresentation and breach of tenancy agreement (as sole counsel)
- Construction Arbitration (2024) - Acting for the sub-contractor (as co-counsel) involving marine and reclamation works in a government highways project in Hong Kong. Issues included final account disputes, variations and loss and expense, involving engineering, programming and quantum experts, (subsequently appealed to the CFI in CS v HKR [2024] HKCFI 3366 (HCCT 72/2024))
- Construction Arbitration (2021 & 2023) - Acting for the employer (as junior counsel) in a major construction arbitration spanning 45 hearing days involving defect rectification works for a new-build residential development. Issues included defect rectification, delay assessment, Buildings Department compliance and loss & expense. The arbitration involved experts in architecture, three engineering fields, Buildings Department compliance, programming, quantum and property valuation
- Construction Arbitration (2023) - Acting for the main contractor (as junior counsel) in a construction arbitration involving a government highways project in Hong Kong. Issues included final account disputes, variations, EOT and loss & expense, (subsequently appealed to the CFI in Employer v Contractor [2023] HKCFI 2911 (HCCT 22/2023))
- Construction Arbitration (2019) - Acting for the main contractor (as junior counsel) in a construction arbitration involving a government waterworks project in Hong Kong. Issues included interpretation of the SMM, omitted items in the BQ, EOT and acceleration of works
- Commission of Inquiry into the Diaphragm Wall and Platform Slab Construction Works at the Hung Hom Station Extension under the Shatin to Central Link Project (2019) (as junior counsel)
Professional Qualifications
- MCIArb
- HKMAAL Accredited General Mediator
- Chartered Engineer
- MIStructE
Scholarships and Prizes
- Society of Construction Law Hong Kong Scholarship: 2017
Education
- P.C.LL., University of Hong Kong
- LL.B., University of Law, London
- Master of Engineering in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London