“One of the strongest junior barristers around, his stand-out qualities include an excellent handle on the detail, an insightful legal mind, and sound commercial sense.”
Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2021 – 2026, Commercial Disputes — Leading Juniors, Tier 1

Richard’s broad civil practice has a focus on companies practice, commercial litigation, financial regulation and competition law.  He is noted for his experience in shareholder disputes and matters involving breach of directors’ duties.

Richard also has a thriving practice in cross border commercial arbitration, having acted as Counsel for both claimants and respondents in arbitrations seated in and outside Hong Kong. In particular, Richard has ample experience in arbitrations administered by the HKIAC, and is very familiar with its emergency arbitrator procedure and expedited procedure.

Prior to joining Denis Chang’s Chambers in 2011, Richard was a corporate finance solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills.

Richard is actively involved in the community and academia. He is a part time lecturer at the University of Hong Kong.

Richard accepts appointment as arbitrator. He is on HKIAC’s List of Arbitrators.

Barrister, Hong Kong (2011–present)
Solicitor, Hong Kong (2008–2010) — Herbert Smith
Accredited Mediator (HKMAAL)

Postgraduate Diploma in EU Competition Law, King’s College London (2016)
PCLL, University of Hong Kong (2005)

LLB, University of Hong Kong (2004)

• Election Committee of the Chief Executive of HKSAR, Legal Subsector
• Part-time Lecturer (Constitutional Law), Department of Law, University of Hong Kong

Arbitration

• Appointed as sole arbitrator in three HKIAC-administered arbitrations
• External adviser to a prominent European litigation funder on potential arbitration-funding requests across Asia-Pacific jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, Singapore, PRC (Mainland China), Australia, Malaysia, and Indonesia
• Represented a prominent UK private equity firm in a pre-IPO investment dispute
• Represented a majority shareholder in a shareholder dispute with private equity investors
• Represented a Chinese and Singapore private equity fund in an HKIAC arbitration concerning a pre-IPO investment dispute
• Represented the senior management of a PRC cosmetic company in relation to a shareholder dispute with the founder
• Represented a PRC company in a CEITAC arbitration concerning a licensing dispute involving a famous restaurant brand
• Represented private equity investors in an HKIAC-seated arbitration against a PRC company and its founder concerning the investors’ investment
• Represented investors in two concurrent arbitrations (HKIAC and St Kitts & Nevis) concerning a non-recourse stock loan
• Represented a PRC company in an emergency arbitration involving injunctive relief concerning shareholder dispute in a German-listed company
• Obtained an injunction in aid of arbitration in relation to stock-loan fraud
• Advised a prominent Italian decoration firm in a contractual dispute with a theme park
• GD v HY, [2021] HKCFI 3900 — resisted an application to set aside enforcement of an emergency arbitration award
• Advised on all stages of arbitration, from commencement through enforcement, including applications for emergency relief, jurisdictional challenges, and hearings

Company and insolvency

• Deng Can Guang v Toolplus Limited and Others, [2026] HKCFI 2952 — Resisted a director’s challenge to the validity of board resolutions based on alleged lack of notice and meeting irregularities
• Re China Zenith Chemical Group Ltd [2025] 2 HKLRD 308 — Appeal against an order to list a winding-up petition for hearing – whether the appellant company demonstrated a bona fide dispute on substantial grounds regarding the bondholders’ claims (led by Abraham Chan SC)
• Re Zhan Xianming [2024] HKCFI 2889 — Application to annul a bankruptcy order – whether the applicant was an “interested person” whose claim was not time-barred, and whether the original order was made without jurisdiction regarding the bankrupt’s domicile and business operations (led by John Scott SC)
• Re King’s Glory Educational Centre Limited, HCCW 407/2016 — 15-day shareholders’ dispute trial (unfair prejudice and just and equitable winding up)
• Hong Kong Wine Chamber of Commerce, [2019] HKCFI 2548 — challenged the result of an AGM on the basis of meeting irregularities
• Acropolis Limited v W&Q Investment Ltd, HCA 1496/2017 — resisted an injunction against directors of a listed company concerning a fraudulent share placement (led by Anson Wong SC)
• Dragon Success Enterprises Ltd v Aeso Holding Ltd, HCMP 1647/2017 (appointment of interim receiver)
• Aeso Holding Ltd and Others v Chan Siu Chung and Others, HCMP 1721/2017 (discovery of documents in the possession of directors of a company)
• Hong Wei (Asia) Holdings Co Ltd v The Registrar of Companies, HCMP 1418/2016, 13 Jul 2016 (Failure to file return of allotment of shares by a listed company, relief from sanction under s.45 of the Companies Ordinance, Cap 32)
• Waddington Ltd v Chan Chun Hoo Thomas, CACV 10/2014, 20 May 2016 (Causation between breach of fiduciary duties and damages awarded; whether multiple derivative action is permissible under BVI law; pre-judgment rate of interests) (led by Jat Sew Tong SC)
• Waddington v Chan Chun Hoo Thomas, HCA 3291/2003, 18 Dec 2013 (Multiple derivative action by a minority shareholder in a listed company in Hong Kong, alleging majority shareholder and director to be in breach of fiduciary duty) (led by Martin Lee SC)

Civil Procedure & Miscellaneous

• 成都浣花驿科技有限公司 v.Li Jie and Another [2025] HKCFI 3261 (application for post-judgment Mareva and Chabra injunctions in aid of enforcing a Mainland judgment) (led by Hectar Pun SC)
• ZS Capital Fund SPC and Others v Astor Asset Management 3 Limited and Another [2025] HKCFI 324 —application for interim payment order for over HK$115 million in relation to a stock loan dispute
• Chan Hon Cheung v Chan Chong Man [2024] HKCFI 538 — resisted an application to set aside leave for service out of jurisdiction and stay proceedings on the ground of forum non conveniens
• Secretary for Justice v Chan Po Hong [2022] 5 HKLRD 185 — application for committal for civil contempt for breaching an injunction against doxxing judicial officers, imposed a 14-day suspended sentence and a mitigated costs order
• Tang Gang & Others v Wong Sai Chung, [2022] HKCFI 3011 — enforcement of a PRC judgment in Hong Kong via summary judgment
• China Industrial Securities International Brokerage Ltd v Li Hailong, [2022] HKCFI 2694 — resisted a forum non conveniens application and an application to set aside service out
• Ma Wah Yan and Others v Dharma Realm Buddhist Association Inc & Others, CACV 179/2016, 2 March 2017 — appeal concerning extension of time and merits of proposed grounds of appeal
• Christow Corporation Trust v Asiacom International Holdings Ltd, [2015] 2 HKLRD 1134 — setting aside default judgment where the defendant was out of jurisdiction at the time of service but subsequently became aware of the writ within the jurisdiction
• Venetian Macau Ltd v Chen Mei Huan, HCA 1440/2012, 27 Jan 2014 (forum non conveniens application by loan borrower on the basis of an ambiguous jurisdiction clause) (led by Hectar Pun)

Trust & Probate

• Advising on various on-going probate dispute, including a dispute on the appointment of administrator of an estate between the second wife of the Deceased and the son of the Deceased from the first marriage, with a concurrent claim by ex-wife based on Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Ordinance, Cap 481
• Koo Ming Kown v The Baptist Convention of Hong Kong [2026] HKCA 372 (Court of Appeal affirming that the Defendants, as a charitable sponsoring body, did not breach any fiduciary duty or duty of disclosure to the Plaintiff) (led by Abraham Chan SC)
• Chow Fung Ying v Chow Kwok Ming and Others [2025] HKCFI 3358 (resisted an application to pass over executrices and appoint an independent administrator – dispute over candidate selection and liability for unnecessary litigation costs)
• Koo Ming Kown v The Baptist Convention of Hong Kong [2024] HKCFI 2869 (Trial – Court held that the Defendant as a charitable sponsoring body, owed no fiduciary duty to disclose institutional affairs to the Plaintiff) (led by Abraham Chan SC)
• Ma Pui Yin Flora v Ma Sik Hung Bruce, the administrator of the Estate of Ma Yiu, deceased [2023] HKCFI 3083 (application to remove an undischarged bankrupt as the administrator of an estate due to inordinate delay and failure to render proper accounts)
• Ng Kit, the legal representative and the sole beneficiary of the estate of Ng Kwun Yuen, deceased v Wu Tsun Hua and Others [2021] HKCFI 877 (action for return of antiques and monies belonging to the estate – whether they were inter vivo gifts)
• Ma Wah Yan and Others v Dharma Realm Buddhist Association Inc & Others [2019] HKCA 100 (appeal – public charitable trust over a deceased’s monk’s estate)
• Lam Mo Chu Susie v Lam Sik Ying Victor, HCA 1974/2015, 5 Sep 2017 (removal of administrator based on breach of fiduciary duties)
• Ma Wah Yan and Others v Dharma Realm Buddhist Association Inc & Others, HCA 1190/2007, 3 Aug 2016 (Public charitable trust – whether the assets of a Deceased monk held in his own name was subject to public charitable trust)
• Wong Tat Lun Eddie and Others v Wong Chi Ho Jimmy and Others, HCMP 2391/2013, 24 Apr 2015 (Whether the administrator of an estate should bear costs where he successfully defended proceedings to remove him) (Tung Chun Family Dispute. There is also a related shareholder dispute involving the main family holding company)
• Re Leung Wang Fai, HCB 15328/2003, 17 Mar 2014 (Ownership in property where the son was a joint tenant but made no contribution towards purchase price of the property)

Personal Injuries and Employee Compensation

• Advised on evidence, liability and quantum for more than 300 personal injuries and employee compensation cases
• Tse Chi Wai v Chan Kwan Ho and Others [2025] 4 HKLRD 730 (Represented the Plaintiff in a personal injuries action arising from a workplace assault – identity of the employer, vicarious liability for a supervisor’s intentional tort, and whether contributory negligence is available as a defence to assault and battery)
• Yang Bilan v KLK Food Limited and Another [2025] HKDC 1472 (Represented the Applicant in an employees’ compensation trial – assessment of quantum involving the aggregation of earnings from concurrent employments and the determination of permanent loss of earning capacity)
• Lee Cheung Chit v Wong Chun Wa t/a Oh Tin Logistics Company [2024] HKDC 1311 (Represented the Applicant – employment relationship)
• Wong Wai Hong v Leung Hoi Tong and Another [2023] HKDC 1842 (Represented the Plaintiff – leave to adduce psychiatric expert evidence)
• Thomas Fisker Hansen and Another v Tang Wai Keung and Another [2022] HKDC 1266 (Represented the Plaintiff – trial)
• Yeung Chi Lun Gregory v The Secretary for Justice for and on behalf of Postmaster General [2022] HKDC 780 (Represented the SJ – accident at post office)
• Muhammad Dost v Hong Kong Ying Cheung Trading (Recycling) Ltd (Court of Appeal) [2021] 2 HKLRD 502 (Represented the illegal employee – identity of employer, whether illegal employee is entitled to compensation under s.10)
• Kwong Chi Wa v Chan Kwong Cheung Jack T/A Wk Logistics Co and Others [2019] 5 HKLRD 154 (Represented the applicant – whether sanderson order should be made)
• Tsang Chung Ming v Caritas Hong Kong [2019] HKCFI 1035 (Represented the Plaintiff – sprain injury accident at kitchen)
• Kwong Cheuk Sing v Sky Field Construction Ltd and Others, DCEC 2198/2013, 12 Oct 2017 (Represented the Applicant – identity of employer)
• Chen Rong v Innovative Design Group Ltd & Others (Represented the principal contractor – argued whether the Paper Mills formula was applicable)
• Fok Chick Yeung Apple v i-Cable Telecom Ltd, DCPI 396/2013, 15 Oct 2015 (Represented the Plaintiff – Defendant was found liable despite the finding that the Plaintiff was not a credible witness)
• Leung Hoi Yee v Tai Hing Worldwide Development Ltd, DCEC 2008/2013, 1 Sep 2014 (Represented the Plaintiff – Effect of pre-action calderbank offer in light of a subsequent sanctioned payment accepted by applicant in EC proceedings)
• Represented the Leisure and Culture Services Department in a death inquest at swimming pool
• Represented the Hong Kong Police in a death inquest involving a road traffic accident
• Represented family member of a deceased who died after Caesarean section (inquest with jury)