Profile
Val has a broad civil and commercial practice and is experienced in advising on a range of financial, securities, company, trust and regulatory matters.
Val has been named as a Leading Junior for Commercial Disputes by The Legal 500.
Val is also actively developing an arbitration practice. He regularly acts in international commercial arbitrations and has advised on various aspects concerning arbitration (including document disclosure, jurisdictional challenge and interim relief). He has been admitted to a number of arbitrator panels of local and international arbitral institutions and has accepted appointments as arbitrator. Val was appointed to serve as Deputy District Judge and Temporary Deputy Registrar of the High Court for periods in 2024.
Val has also authored a number of legal opinions for use in court proceedings in Mainland China in which he provided expert opinion on Hong Kong law on areas including contract law, private international law, arbitration, money-lending, company law, securities law and agency law.
Before being called to the Hong Kong Bar in 2013, Val was a Judicial Assistant to the Court of Appeal and the Court of Final Appeal from 2011 to 2012 where he worked with appellate judges on a variety of appeals. Prior to that, Val trained as a solicitor at Linklaters and qualified in its capital markets team, where he advised on various debt, equity and equity-linked transactions.
Experience
Arbitration
But Ka Chon v Interactive Brokers LLC [2019] 4 HKLRD 85; [2019] 5 HKC 238; [2019] HKCA 873 – principles governing the exercise of bankruptcy jurisdiction where the disputed debt is subject to an arbitration agreement (led by Alexander Stock SC)A v B & Ors [2024] 4 HKC 36 – Successfully resisted enforcement of AAA-ICDR award on the ground of the tribunal’s failure to give reasons on material issuesR v. A, B and C [2023] 6 HKC 189 – Court review of an arbitral tribunal' s decision on jurisdiction in an investment dispute concerning an off-shore fund; construction of s.34 of the Arbitration Ordinance/Article 16 of the UNCITRAL Model LawRepresented a party in an arbitration concerning a pre-IPO financial derivative instrument (HKIAC Administered Arbitration Rules)Represented a party in a dispute concerning the licensing of intellectual property of a well-known consumer brand (HKIAC Administered Arbitration Rules)Represented a party in an arbitration concerning a public liability insurance policy (ad hoc)Represented a party in an arbitration over a personal insurance policy (ad hoc)Represented a party in an arbitration concerning a real estate investment in Mainland China as junior counsel (UNCITRAL Rules)Represented a party in an arbitration under a share purchase agreement (HKIAC Administered Arbitration Rules)Represented a party in an arbitration under an investment agreement to invest in a listed company in Hong Kong (HKIAC Administered Arbitration Rules)Represented a party in an arbitration arising from a supply of heavy machinery in an ASEAN country (UNCITRAL Rules)Represented a party in an arbitration over a dispute arising from a distributorship arrangement as junior counsel (JCAA Rules)Arjowiggins HKK2 Limited v X Co HCCT 53/2015 – Application to enforce an arbitral award in the sum of RMB167,860,000 (led by Russell Coleman SC)American International Group, Inc. v X Company HCCT 60/2015 – Application under s.81 of the Arbitration Ordinance to set aside a US$475 million arbitral award on the ground that the majority of the arbitral tribunal acted as unauthorized amiable compositeurs (led by Russell Coleman SC)Advised on potential interim relief application before an emergency arbitrator (HKIAC Rules)Urgent application for Mareva injunction in aid of arbitration outside Hong Kong under the Construction and Arbitration List Commercial China Shanshui Cement Group Ltd & Ors v Zhang Caikui & Ors, HCA 2880/2015–35-day trial on claims brought by a leading cement manufacturer in China for breach of directors' duties and conspiracy (judgment pending) (led by Wong Yan Lung SC)Convoy Collateral Ltd v Cho Kwai Chee [2024] 3 HKLRD 274 – variation of Mareva injunction by third party judgment creditors (led by Rimsky Yuen SC)Feishang Non Metal Materials Technology Limited v. Tong Chung Ming [2021] 1 HKLRD 943 – Trial counsel for a listed company in a dispute arising out of a commodities trading contract; issues raised on drawing adverse inferences from individuals not called to give evidenceAccent Delight International Limited v Yves Bouvier HCMP 573/2015 – Interim relief in aid of foreign proceedings connected to the purchases of high-value artwork by da Vinci, Monet and Rothko (amongst others)(led by Roxanne Ismail SC (Day 1), Charles Manzoni SC (Day 2))Skyway Securities Investment Limited v Able Success Asia Limited HCMP 323/2014 – Application to restrain a substantial shareholder of a listed company from exercising the voting rights attached to its shares (with Victor Dawes, now Victor Dawes SC)Motorola v Uzan HCA 2232/2013 – Enforcement of a US$2 billion foreign judgment in Hong Kong (led by Roxanne Ismail SC) Technology, Media and Telecommunications
Mantra DAO Inc v John Patrick Mullin & Ors [2024] 4 HKLRD 215 – Dispute over ownership of cryptoasset business, including legal structure of a Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (DAO), injunction applications and disclosure issues in relation thereto (led by Alexander Stock SC)Represented a party in a mediation/arbitral proceedings concerning the custody of certain cryptocurrencies (led by senior counsel) (HKIAC rules)Advised a cryptocurrency exchange on certain shareholder disputes and compliance issues Re Pearl Oriental Oil Ltd [2018] 5 HKLRD 567; [2018] HKCFI 2564 – Statutory derivative action in relation to a listed company in which the construction of requirements under s.733(4) of the Companies Ordinance (Cap 622) was consideredRe Grande Holdings Ltd (No 2) [2015] 1 HKLRD 755; [2016] 1 HKLRD 435 – Admission of proof of debt arising from close-out amounts calculated under an ISDA Master Agreement (led by Roxanne Ismail SC at first instance, sole counsel on appeal)Re Grande Holdings Ltd (No 3) [2015] 1 HKLRD 765 – Admission of proof of debt arising from a judgment debt rendered in a California court against a listed company in liquidation (led by Roxanne Ismail SC)Re China Metal Recycling (Holdings) Ltd HCCW 210/2013 – Winding up of a listed company by the Securities and Futures Commission under s.212 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance. Acted as sole or junior counsel (led by Bernard Man SC) for the majority shareholder in various interlocutory applications/appeals. Gao Yanling v Credit Suisse AG, Hong Kong Branch [2024] HKCA 1083 – Challenge against a statutory demand issued by a bank against a customer for sums owed arising from early termination of a derivative transaction; challenge over the interpretation and validity of provisions in the bank’s standard terms and conditionsPa Sam Nang v The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited HCA 1020/2015 – Summary judgment application concerning freezing of bank accounts held by persons placed on the SDN sanctions list issued by the US Department of Treasury (led by Roxanne Ismail SC) Topping Chance Development Ltd v. CCIF CPA Ltd [2020] HKCA 478 – Defending an audit negligence claim and considering the applicability of the “no reflective loss” principle (led by Alexander Stock SC) Yuen Tsz Chun v. Lo Chi Keung & Anor [2021] 2 HKLRD 95 - Interpretation of s.8A of the Intestates’ Estates Ordinance (Cap 73) Mak Mui v Pang Kit Man [2021] HKCFI 125 – Trial counsel in a claim for a piece of land based on common intention constructive trustMok Tim Cheong v Mok Tim Ming & Anor [2020] HKDC 1043 – Trial counsel in a dispute over a property involving issues of common intention constructive trust, proprietary estoppel and adverse possession Elite Consortium Limited & Ors v Yim Wan Por & Ors [2022] HKCFI 3303– Resisted application for stay in favour of Mainland proceedings on grounds of forum non conveniens/lis alibi pendens Public Law / Judicial Review
American International Group, Inc v Huaxia Life Insurance Co Ltd (2017) 20 HKCFAR 503 – Constitutional challenge to finality provisions in the Arbitration Ordinance and the High Court Ordinance on appeals against decisions on setting aside an arbitral award (led by Russell Coleman SC)Yu Hung Hsua Julie v The Chinese University of Hong Kong HCAL 47/2015 – Application for judicial review against decisions made by the university concerning the assessment of postgraduate students (led by Russell Coleman SC) 
