Keith is a partner in our Commercial & Dispute Resolution practice, the senior partner of our Hong Kong office and the Chief Representative of Hammonds Beijing Representative office. Keith specialises in heavyweight dispute resolution, including high court /commercial court litigation, domestic and international arbitration, expert determinations, ADR, mediations with particular experience in the energy, construction and financial services sector. He is recognised by both Chambers UK 2006 in the category of Pensions Litigation and respectively in the Asia Pacific Legal 500, most recently in the 07/08 edition in the Dispute Resolution section, being described as "having extensive experience of High Court litigation and a growing track record in CIETAC arbitrations". He is also accredited in the China Law Profiles (Asia Law & Practice) 2007 with the Far East firm being noted for its CIETAC and other dispute resolution work.

He has a varied client base with an international background operating in a diversified number of jurisdictions, with particular experience of the Far East including Hong Kong, mainland China, Malaysia and Thailand and the Middle East, including the Indian sub continent.

Practice Area:

Built Environment Group (Construction, Engineering & Projects)

Recent experience includes:

• Acting for China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd in relation to a number of international disputes including advising in connection with various ICC conciliation and arbitration proceedings.
• Acting for Employer of North Asian Oil and Gas facility in relation to multi million USD claims against professional Advisers
• Advising IBM China/Hong Kong Limited in relation to the enforcement of various restraint of trade provisions
• Advising CGGCI on a number of international projects
• Advising Shandong Shanshui Cement Group Limited in respect to its claims in relation to LCIA Arbitration

• Acting for a number of beneficiaries in a high profile Hong Kong High Court multi billion HK$ litigation, arising out of one of the largest estate disputes in Hong Kong.
• Acting for the Malaysian Public Trustee in relation to the administration asset determination and asset recovery of a multi jurisdictional multi-million Hong Kong dollar estate.
• Acting for Conoco and PowerGen against Phillips Petroleum in the widely publicised dispute in relation to the challenge of an expert determination.
• Acting for a U.S. company in its agency/distributorship dispute in a CIETAC arbitration in Beijing

Lectures/ Seminars and Published Papers:

Keith is a regular public speaker both in the UK and the Far East. Recent examples include:

• CIOB Hong Kong and China series of seminars in 4 locations in Greater China - Sustainability and Safety AND Dispute Avoidance - March to April 2009
• Article In Asian Disputes Review entitled: "Civil Justice Reform - Implications for the Future of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Hong Kong" published in April 2009
• Article in China Construction Times Part 1 entitled: "Health & Safety in the Construction Sector" published in April 2009
• Article in China Construction Times Part 2 entitled: "Dispute Review Boards: A New Asian Dispute Resolution Tool?" published in August 2009.
• Article in China Construction Times entitled: "Adjudication: The New Arbitration in the Chinese Construction Industry?" published in August 2009
• Speaker on Dispute Resolution in China at the Anglo/Sino ADR Symposium jointly hosted by the UK Law Society, DTI and CIETAC in Shanghai Jan 09.
• Speaker on Arbitrations in China at the Chinese Contract and Law Conference in Singapore April 2008.
• Speaker at the "East Greets West: New Opportunities for Dispute Resolution" Chartered Institute of Arbitrator's conference at the HK Convention Centre, February 2002.
• Paper on the use and development of mediation techniques in UK and International Construction Disputes, published by the Society of Construction Law, March 2002.

Reported decisions include:

• Wharf v Eric Cumine
• Shun Fung Ironworks v Hong Kong Government
• BCCI
• Conoco v Phillips
• Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund v Chambers and Others
• The Estate of Cheung Kung Hai, deceased
• IBM v N. Knight

Career:

• Articled, Pritchard Englefield & Tobin 1985
• Solicitor, Johnson Stokes and Master, Hong Kong 1985-1988
• Lovell White Durrant, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi and London 1988-1995
• Solicitor, Hammonds 1995-1996
• Partner, Hammonds 1996 to date
• Senior Partner, Hammonds Hong Kong 2001 to date

Education:

• University of Warwick BA (Hons) Law and Sociology, Class II Div. I

Qualifications:

• Solicitor, High Court of England & Wales (1985)
• Solicitor, High Court of Hong Kong (SAR) (1985)
• Solicitor, High Court of Australia (1990)
• Solicitor and Barrister, Supreme Court of Australian Capital Territory (1990)

Professional Memberships:

• Law Society of England & Wales
• Law Society of Hong Kong
• Various professional memberships including International Bar Association and China Britain Business Council

Committees:

• Member China Law Council
• Member Hong Kong Law Society Claims Committee

"Partner" refers to a member of Hammonds LLP or an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualification.