In PI 1 and PI 2 v MR, the Hong Kong Court of First Instance (“Court”) dismissed the plaintiffs’ application to set aside an arbitral tribunal’s decision that it did have jurisdiction to hear a dispute. It is noteworthy that...more
In two separate decisions in April 2025, the Hong Kong High Court first refused, but then allowed, an IT company’s application for an interlocutory injunction to enforce post-termination restrictive covenants against its...more
6/13/2025
/ Breach of Contract ,
Contract Disputes ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Former Employee ,
Hong Kong ,
Injunctions ,
Interlocutory Injunctions ,
Litigation Strategies ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Non-Solicitation Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants
It is common for construction industry participants to source various machinery, materials or components from overseas for construction projects in Hong Kong, or to have part of the construction and fabrication or assembly...more
6/5/2025
/ Buyers ,
Construction Contracts ,
Construction Industry ,
Contract Disputes ,
Contract Terms ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Hong Kong ,
International Trade ,
New Legislation ,
UNCITRAL ,
United Nations
What lawyers call a “battle of the forms” occurs when two parties, negotiating a contract, exchange conflicting standard terms during the contract negotiation and formation. This leads to the obvious and not uncommon dilemma:...more
4/29/2025
/ Construction Contracts ,
Construction Disputes ,
Construction Litigation ,
Contract Disputes ,
Contract Formation ,
Contract Interpretation ,
Contract Negotiations ,
Contract Terms ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Hong Kong ,
Standard Form Contracts ,
Standard Forms ,
Subcontractors
In Sze Fung Engineering Limited v Trevi Construction Company Limited [2025] HKCA 278, the Hong Kong Court of Appeal (“CA”) ruled that the “back to back” wording in that case was not a “pay when paid” clause, but governed only...more
4/29/2025
/ Ambiguous ,
Appeals ,
Breach of Contract ,
Construction Contracts ,
Construction Litigation ,
Contract Disputes ,
Contract Interpretation ,
Contract Terms ,
Hong Kong ,
Pay When Paid ,
Subcontractors
In Y and Another v GI and Another [2025] HKCFI 1317[1], the Hong Kong Court of First Instance (“Court”) allowed the defendant’s application for security for costs against the plaintiffs in respect of the plaintiffs’...more
On 10 February 2025, the Development Bureau (“DEVB”) issued a suite of model adjudication documents (“Model Documents”), including a set of model adjudication rules (“Model Rules”)....more
Adjudication has become a key tool in the construction industry, helping employers and contractors resolve disputes quickly and keep cash flowing on projects. But when insolvency enters the picture, things can get tricky —...more
2/14/2025
/ Construction Contracts ,
Construction Industry ,
Construction Litigation ,
Contract Disputes ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Hong Kong ,
Insolvency ,
Jurisdiction ,
Security of Payment Act ,
Singapore ,
Stays ,
UK
In SYL v GIF [2024] HKCFI 1324 (date of judgment: 20 May 2024), the Hong Kong Court of First Instance (“the Court”) set aside an Interim Award made by the arbitral tribunal (“Tribunal”) in an HKIAC-administered arbitration....more
In Sheffield Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust v Hadfield Healthcare Partnership Ltd and others, the Technology and Construction Court provides helpful guidance about the use of standstill agreements to pause limitation...more
Sampling and extrapolation is a common approach for presenting evidence in complex construction and commercial disputes. The exercise involves identifying and examining a properly representative set of sample allegations, and...more
What is the allocation of responsibility for damage and defects after the expiry of a tenancy -
The dispute in So Hon Ming Francis v Cheung Lau Shau Chun and Another ([2021] HKDC 1494, DCCJ 367/2019, 29 November 2021)...more
1/7/2022
/ Contract Disputes ,
Contract Interpretation ,
Contract Terms ,
Cost Allocation ,
Damages ,
Hong Kong ,
Landlords ,
Property Damage ,
Rental Property ,
Residential Leases ,
Residential Property Owners ,
Tenants
In the recent important decision of Law Ting Pong Secondary School v Chen Wai Wah [2021] CA 873, the Hong Kong Court of Appeal adopted the modern test for penalty clauses as laid down in the UK Supreme Court decision in...more
The recent English case of Timberbrook Ltd v Grant Leisure Group Ltd [2021] EWHC 1905 (TCC) (Date of Judgement: 16 July 2021), which was heard in the Technology and Construction Court, is a good illustration of the factors...more
Many modern commercial contracts contain dispute resolution clauses which submit disputes to arbitration. It is common for parties to agree to a set of pre-conditions or escalation mechanisms which have to be complied with...more
A dispute resolution clause specifies the process, usually by way of litigation or arbitration, through which parties wish to resolve a dispute between them. A dispute resolution clause must be drafted with essential clarity...more
The recent U.K. judgment Premier Engineering (Lincoln) Ltd v MW High Tech Projects UK Ltd [2020] EWHC 2484 (TCC) provides some useful practical insights into the court’s approach to handling timesheet evidence and examining...more
What should you do when an antitrust dispute arises between the parties and your contract is governed by PRC law or Hong Kong law? Can you resolve the dispute by arbitration? If your contract is governed by PRC law, as...more