The 32nd LAWASIA Conference, themed "Harmonisation through Synergy," was jointly organized by The Law Society of Hong Kong and LAWASIA. This annual event, held from November 6 to 8, 2019, in Hong Kong, brought together over 600 legal practitioners from 30 jurisdictions to discuss regional developments in law.
The conference covered a wide range of topics, including alternative dispute resolution, the Belt and Road Initiative, cross-border issues and investment, technology and data protection, intellectual property, human rights, sports law, and the role of in-house lawyers. These sessions aimed to promote the administration of justice and facilitate the sharing of legal knowledge within the region.
Notable highlights included the Opening Ceremony at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, attended by distinguished guests such as The Hon. Matthew Cheung, Acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; The Hon. Geoffrey Ma, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the HKSAR; and The Hon. Teresa Cheng, Secretary for Justice of the Government of the HKSAR. Additionally, the Welcome Reception & LAWASIA Cup at the Happy Valley Racecourse featured a horse race titled "LAWASIA Cup," marking a first in the conference's history.
The conference provided an exceptional opportunity for networking, fostering existing relationships, and developing new ones among legal professionals. It was particularly beneficial for lawyers, judges, jurists, and legal organizations interested in cross-jurisdictional knowledge exchange and regional legal developments.
Speakers(47)
Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor
President at The Malaysian Bar
Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor attended the conference as the President of The Malaysian Bar.
Arthur Moses SC
President at Law Council of Australia
Mr. Arthur Moses SC is the President of the Law Council of Australia. He participated in the 32nd LAWASIA Annual Conference in Hong Kong.
Athita Komindr
Head at UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific
Athita Komindr is the Head of the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific. She participated in the panel on 'Harmonised Regulation of E-Commerce in Asia and Current UNCITRAL Initiatives' at the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
Charlotte Stubbs
Policy Lawyer (International) at Law Council of Australia
Charlotte Stubbs participated in the conference, representing the Law Council of Australia.
Chooi Jing Yen
Lawyer at Thuraisingam
Chooi Jing Yen attended the conference as a recipient of the Law Society’s sponsorship for young lawyers to attend overseas conferences.
Christopher Leong
President at LAWASIA
Christopher Leong is the President of LAWASIA. He delivered remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
Chunghwan Choi
President-Elect at LAWASIA
Chunghwan Choi is the President-Elect of LAWASIA. He delivered remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
Datuk D P Naban
Partner at Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
Datuk D P Naban attended the conference as a participant representing his firm.
Dr. James Ding
Commissioner at Inclusive Dispute Avoidance and Resolution Office, Department of Justice of Hong Kong SAR
Dr. James Ding participated in a panel discussing the adoption and implementation of UNCITRAL’s e-Commerce Conventions and model laws.
Eu Jin Ong
Partner at Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
Ong Eu Jin is a Partner at Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill. He moderated the Banking & Finance Session, focusing on fintech, cryptocurrencies, and initial coin offerings at the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
Geoffrey Ma Tao-li
Chief Justice at Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong SAR
The Honourable Geoffrey Ma Tao-li GBM is the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong SAR. He addressed the delegates at the Opening Ceremony of the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
Ignacio Tirado
Secretary General at UNIDROIT
Professor Ignacio Tirado is the Secretary General of UNIDROIT. He participated in the panel on 'Harmonised Regulation of E-Commerce in Asia and Current UNCITRAL Initiatives' at the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
James Ding
Commissioner at Inclusive Dispute Avoidance and Resolution Office, Department of Justice of Hong Kong SAR
Dr. James Ding is the Commissioner of the Inclusive Dispute Avoidance and Resolution Office at the Department of Justice of Hong Kong SAR. He participated in the panel on 'Harmonised Regulation of E-Commerce in Asia and Current UNCITRAL Initiatives' at the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
Jonathan Smithers
CEO at Law Council of Australia
Jonathan Smithers attended the conference, representing the Law Council of Australia.
Justin Dowd
Director at Watts McCray Lawyers
Justin Dowd attended the conference and was re-elected as Vice President of LAWASIA during the event.
Matthew Cheung Kin-chung
Acting Chief Executive at Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Honourable Matthew Cheung Kin-chung GBM GBS JP is the Acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. He officiated the Opening Ceremony of the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
Melissa Pang
President at The Law Society of Hong Kong
Melissa Pang is the President of The Law Society of Hong Kong. She delivered the opening remarks at the 32nd LAWASIA Conference and participated in the Plenary Session on 'Upholding of or Pursuit for the Rule of Law in Challenging Times?'.
Mr. Arthur Moses SC
President at Law Council of Australia
Mr. Arthur Moses SC represented the Law Council of Australia at the conference and participated in the LAWASIA Council Meeting.
Mr. Christopher Leong
President at LAWASIA
Mr. Christopher Leong, President of LAWASIA, participated in the opening ceremony and other conference activities.
Mr. Chunghwan Choi
President-Elect at LAWASIA
Mr. Chunghwan Choi participated in the conference as the President-Elect of LAWASIA.
Mr. Jonathan Smithers
CEO at Law Council of Australia
Mr. Jonathan Smithers, CEO of the Law Council of Australia, attended the 32nd LAWASIA Annual Conference in Hong Kong.
Mr. Shreyas Jayasimha
Advocate at Aarna Law
Mr. Shreyas Jayasimha, an Advocate at Aarna Law, moderated the panel on 'Harmonised Regulation of E-Commerce in Asia and Current UNCITRAL Initiatives' at the conference.
Mr. Wataru Nakajima
Associate at Hogan Lovells
Mr. Wataru Nakajima contributed to discussions on the regulation of electronic commerce within ASEAN during the conference.
Ms. Athita Komindr
Head at UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific
Ms. Athita Komindr participated in panels focusing on UNCITRAL initiatives and the regulation of electronic commerce.
Ms. Charlotte Stubbs
Policy Lawyer (International) at Law Council of Australia
Ms. Charlotte Stubbs, Policy Lawyer (International) at the Law Council of Australia, participated in the 32nd LAWASIA Annual Conference in Hong Kong.
Ms. Melissa Pang
President at The Law Society of Hong Kong
Ms. Melissa Pang, President of The Law Society of Hong Kong, delivered the opening remarks to welcome all participating guests.
Ong Eu Jin
Partner at Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
Ong Eu Jin moderated the Banking & Finance Session, focusing on fintech, cryptocurrencies, and initial coin offerings.
Professor Ignacio Tirado
Secretary General at UNIDROIT
Professor Ignacio Tirado, Secretary General of UNIDROIT, participated in a panel on 'Harmonised Regulation of E-Commerce in Asia and Current UNCITRAL Initiatives' and contributed to the 14th LAWASIA International Moot Competition.
Raphael Tay Choon Tien
Chair at LAWASIA Moot Standing Committee
Raphael Tay Choon Tien oversaw the 14th LAWASIA International Moot Competition during the conference.
Russell Coleman
Judge at Court of First Instance of the High Court of Hong Kong
The Honourable Mr Justice Russell Coleman is a Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court of Hong Kong. He participated in the Plenary Session on 'Upholding of or Pursuit for the Rule of Law in Challenging Times?' at the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
S Saravana Kumar
Partner at Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
S Saravana Kumar moderated and spoke at the Taxation Session, discussing how tax authorities address the taxation of the digital economy.
S. Saravana Kumar
Partner at Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
S. Saravana Kumar, a partner at Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill, moderated and spoke at the Taxation Session, discussing taxation of the digital economy.
Shaimerden Chikanayev
Partner at GRATA International Law Firm
Shaimerden Chikanayev spoke on 'Central Asia: A new frontier for renewable energy investors' in the Environmental Law session.
Shreyas Jayasimha
Advocate at Aarna Law
Shreyas Jayasimha is an Advocate at Aarna Law and Deputy Chair of LAWASIA UNCITRAL Section. He moderated the panel on 'Harmonised Regulation of E-Commerce in Asia and Current UNCITRAL Initiatives' at the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
Shyam Divan
Vice-President at LAWASIA
Shyam Divan is the Vice-President of LAWASIA. He participated in the Plenary Session on 'Upholding of or Pursuit for the Rule of Law in Challenging Times?' at the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
Simon Davis
President at The Law Society of England and Wales
Simon Davis participated in the conference, representing The Law Society of England and Wales.
Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah
Secretary for Justice at Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Honourable Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah GBS SC JP is the Secretary for Justice of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. She delivered a special address at the Opening Ceremony of the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
The Hon Geoffrey Ma Tao-li
Chief Justice at Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Hon Geoffrey Ma Tao-li was the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and delivered a speech at the conference's opening ceremony.
The Hon Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, GBM
Chief Justice at Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Hon Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, GBM, was the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and delivered a speech at the conference.
The Hon Matthew Cheung Kin-chung
Acting Chief Executive at Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Hon Matthew Cheung Kin-chung served as the Acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region during the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
The Hon Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah
Secretary for Justice at Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Hon Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, as Secretary for Justice, addressed the conference attendees during the opening ceremony.
The Hon Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, GBS, SC, JP
Secretary for Justice at Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Hon Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, GBS, SC, JP, served as the Secretary for Justice of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and addressed the conference attendees.
The Hon. Geoffrey Ma Tao-li
Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal at Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Hon. Geoffrey Ma Tao-li was the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the time of the conference.
The Hon. Matthew Cheung Kin-chung
Acting Chief Executive at Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Hon. Matthew Cheung Kin-chung served as the Acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region during the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
The Hon. Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah
Secretary for Justice at Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Hon. Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah served as the Secretary for Justice of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region during the event.
Wataru Nakajima
Associate at Hogan Lovells
Wataru Nakajima is an Associate at Hogan Lovells. He participated in the panel on 'Harmonised Regulation of E-Commerce in Asia and Current UNCITRAL Initiatives' at the 32nd LAWASIA Conference.
Yuri Suzuki
Partner at Atsumi & Sakai
Yuri Suzuki, a Partner at Atsumi & Sakai, served as a speaker on the 'Fintech, Cryptocurrency and Initial Coin Offering' panel during the conference.
Event Details
- Date
- November 6-8, 2019
- 3 days
- Location
- 🇭🇰 Hong Kong
- JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong
- Audience
- Legal practitioners, judges, jurists, legal organizations
- Attendees
- Over 600 participants from 30 jurisdictions