John has over two decades of experience acting as trusted adviser to leading Fortune 500 companies, on their most complex and significant dispute resolution matters. John has a special focus on international arbitration, cross-border investigations and dispute resolution matters with an Asian connection.
John heads our award-winning China International Arbitration practice, and has also been named "International Arbitration Lawyer of the Year" for Asia-Pacific in the Benchmark Litigation Awards.
John has represented clients on a wide range of international commercial and investment arbitrations, including a number of complex billion-dollar arbitrations. John has also handled numerous investigations and regulatory/compliance matters, including sensitive, high-profile matters that have resulted in successful resolutions.
John is a Chartered Arbitrator and a fellow with the leading institutes of arbitrators. He has been appointed Council or committee member on a number of leading legal bodies. He also chairs the HKIAC's Proceedings Committee, which exercises a wide range of powers as mandated by the HKIAC.
John is author or Editor of books published by Oxford University Press and Sweet & Maxwell, and is a General Arbitration Editor of the Hong Kong White Book. John has been an adjunct professor with The University of Hong Kong LLM in Arb course.
John is regularly appointed as presiding arbitrator, sole arbitrator or co-arbitrator in arbitrations under the leading rules, including the ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL and HKIAC rules.
- Successfully defending a leading Fortune 100 company on a billion USD arbitration involving a joint venture spanning 20 years.
- Acting for Peking University Founder Group Company Limited in successfully defending it against claims of USD1.7 billion, in a landmark and first-ever decision relevant to the USD100 billion “keepwell bonds” industry, made by the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (FACV Nos 7, 8 & 9 of 2024) [2025] HKCFA 6.
- Advising a global biopharmaceutical company on investigations in China by the US Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, involving a range of anti-bribery/corruption allegations.
- Acting for a leading multinational in successfully resolving a wide-ranging dispute involving claims of serious mismanagement and warranty breaches in their China business, which ultimately resulted in a successful global settlement involving over 30 parties.
- Advising a multinational engineering company in a series of investigations in Asia, involving allegations of misconduct and collusion between staff and distributors, and in dealing with the related exposure under foreign laws, including the UK Bribery Act and the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
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