Jose is civil practitioner with experience across a range of disciplines and practice areas in both Hong Kong and outside of the jurisdiction.

This experience extends to both advisory work as well as representation at various levels of tribunal in Hong Kong, from the Court of First Instance through to the Court of Final Appeal, as well as in arbitration proceedings and before other quasi-judicial/statutory bodies.

Jose maintains a predominantly commercial chancery practice with a particular emphasis on:-

• trust and probate/estate litigation;
• mental health/capacity law;
• land (private property rights, development and planning judicial review);
• regulatory/securities (where he has advised and represented the Securities and Futures Commission in multiple cases, including in Market Misconduct Tribunal proceedings, as well as cases concerning HKEX Listing Rules);
• company related matters, with an emphasis on liquidation/restructuring and minority shareholder disputes (where he has represented and advised liquidators, members, directors, multinational companies, financial institutions, listed companies and mass membership charitable/religious institutions in relation to proceedings in the Companies Court and up to the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong).

As a consequence of his areas of practice, Jose has significant expertise in cases specifically concerning applications for and/or the setting aside of:-

• search warrants;
• Mareva injunctions;
• Anton Pillar orders; and
• Norwich Pharmacal orders.

With the increasing market appetite for digital asset speculation and use, Jose has acted for and advised a wide array of clients in relation to the ever-evolving regulatory regime governing trade and investment in digital assets in Hong Kong and has represented numerous victims of domestic and international digital asset fraud/misappropriation. As a relatively recent example, Jose successfully obtained an ex parte Section 21M Mareva injunction and far-reaching Anton Pillar order, in a cryptocurrency related fraud claim valued at roughly HK$700M, in aid of foreign recovery proceedings.

His criminal practice extends to cases where his civil expertise and skill set has been most applicable. Examples of such cases have included cases concerning the interpretation of statutory offences before the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong and criminal prosecutions (engaging constitutional issues) in the Republic of Fiji where, most notably, he appeared on behalf of the State against former Brigadier General Pita Ragolea Driti on charges of incitement to mutiny and sedition in relation to a planned coup d’état. For this case, Jose was awarded a red bag by Ms. Audrey Campbell-Moffat S.C. (prior to her appointment as a Judge of the Court of First Instance), in recognition of outstanding work done by a junior barrister when led by a Silk in a case of substance.

CEDR Accredited Mediator

Contributor, Hong Kong Civil Procedure (2016 to 2020)