Profile
Profile
Adrian was awarded the Bar Scholarship in 2020. He read BA (Jurisprudence) in the University of Oxford, where he ranked first in the year in Company Law. He graduated with distinction in the LLM from University College London and the University of Cambridge, with prizes in Unjust Enrichment and International and Commercial Trusts.
Adrian is frequently instructed to appear in all levels of the Court from District Court to the Court of Final Appeal, including in the notable Fok Ying Tung Family trial. Adrian is well-experienced in long trials and is regularly instructed as sole trial counsel, including in a 10-day trial in the Court of First Instance. Adrian is also regularly instructed to appear in arbitration, representing both state-owned enterprise and private companies.
Prior to joining Chambers, Adrian has served as a Judicial Assistant in the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal in 2018-2019. His research assistance has been cited in Court of Final Appeal cases (e.g. Securities and Futures Commission v Yiu Hoi Ying Charles (2018) 21 HKCFAR 475) and in articles. Adrian has also served as a marshall to Mr Justice G Lam of the Court of First Instance (as G Lam JA then was) in 2020.
Adrian’s work has been published in the Lloyd’s Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly. He has also been invited to author a chapter of the Encyclopaedia of International Commercial Litigation (Mr Justice Bryan eds) and a practitioner textbook on competition law in Hong Kong, and has contributed to a leading company law textbook in Hong Kong — Company Law: Powers and Accountability. Adrian has also been appointed as a part-time lecturer in contract law in the University of Hong Kong.
Adrian is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, and is well-experienced in drafting legal documents and conducting hearings in Chinese.
Civil and commercial
Trials
- Fok Lai Ping Patricia v. Fok Chun Wan Ian & Ors (HCA 92, 274, 275/2016) – appearing for the plaintiff in a 60-day trial in a multibillion-dollar trust and fiduciary duties dispute, settled (with Mr. Kerby Lau, and Ms. Rosa Lee)
- Green Light Marketing Co Ltd v. Lam Shi Yan & Anor (HCA 2128/2015 & HCA 2294/2017) – 10-day High Court trial involving breach of employment contract, restraint of trade, duty of fidelity, fiduciary duties, and economic torts (as sole trial counsel with cross-examination in both Chinese and English)
- Esports Business Development Ltd v. Wong Chun Yee Christopher [2023] HKCFI 1349 – 8-day High Court trial in a contractual dispute over an alleged joint venture in an esports company, gaming analytics database and odds calculations (with Mr. Patrick Chong)
- China Health Group Ltd v. Li Zhong Yuan [2023] HKCFI 3290 – 13-day High Court trial concerning an alleged fraudulent arrangement, breach of fiduciary duties, and enforcement of a promissory note (led by Dr. William Wong SC, with Mr. Patrick Chong)
Interlocutory applications
- Max Pointer Limited v. Huang Youlong (HCA 981/2021) – successfully appearing for the well-known defendant in summary judgment proceedings, resisting interim payment and striking out of the counterclaim, in an action involving dishonoured cheques and a debt claim of over HK$300 million (with Mr. Patrick Siu)
- Nanyang Commercial Bank v. Cao Jianfeng & Ors (HCA 762/2021) – successfully resisting an application to set-aside leave for service of defendants out of jurisdiction (involving dishonest assistance of directors, and the double-actionability rule) under Order 11 r.1(1) and Order 12 r.8 on behalf of the bank (with Mr. Patrick Siu)
- Keiron Peter Arch Rochester v. Glory Sky Precious Metals Ltd [2023] HKCFI 2536 & [2024] HKCFI 551 — successful appeal against Master’s decision on a witness statement summons, and a discovery summons (as sole counsel)
- Wong Ming Fai v. Glory Sky Precious Metals Limited (HCA 480/2020) – successfully striking out the plaintiff’s unjust enrichment claim for around HK$7.5 million, with indemnity costs awarded (as sole advocate)
Company, Winding-up & Bankruptcy
- Pan Sutong v. Bank of China Ltd (HCSD 28/2021) – appearing for the plaintiff in an application to set aside the statutory demand in bankruptcy proceedings, heard together with HCCW 215/2021 (led by Mr. Rimsky Yuen SC, Dr. William Wong SC, with Mr. Lai Chun Ho)
- Bank of China Ltd v. Proman International Ltd (HCCW 215/2021) – appearing for the defendant in the substantive winding up hearing, heard together with HCSD 28/2021 (led by Mr. Rimsky Yuen SC, Dr. William Wong SC, with Mr. Lai Chun Ho)
- Re Lee Siu Fung, Siegfried [2022] HKCA 1623 – successfully resisted a Court of Appeal application for leave to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal in an application to remove the trustees in bankruptcy (with Mr. Patrick Siu)
- Re New Shine Group Ltd [2024] HKCFI 1104 – successfully resisted challenge to appointment of liquidator and committee of inspection (sole advocate)
- Ho Man Kit and Kong Sau Wai v. Lo Siu Chu Judy (HCA 2016/2017) – stay of execution of proceedings under the Bankruptcy Ordinance (Cap. 6) and 60 of the Conveyancing and Property Ordinance (Cap. 219) pending appeal to the Court of Appeal (with Mr. Patrick Siu)
- Absolute Skill Holdings Ltd v. Zioncom Holdings Ltd (HCMP 326/2022) – acted for the directors of a listed company in unfair prejudice proceedings (as sole counsel)
- Re China Ocean Industry Group Limited (HCCW 230/2019) – winding up petition and for substitution as petitioner (as sole advocate)
Civil Contempt & Defamation
- Lee Shu Hang and Li Sin Man Seline (as the Personal Representatives of the Estate of Lee Sai Nam, Deceased) v. Kan Lap Kee (also known as “Terry Kan”) [2022] 3 HKC 387, on appeal CACV108 & 347/2022– appeared for the defendant liquidator in resisting committal proceedings for civil contempt of court (led by Mr. Edwin Choy SC)
- Hsui Nga Man v Ho Wai Lim William (DCCJ 1919 /2023) – defamation in the insurance and employment context
Probate & Mental Health Ordinance
- Ip Woon Shun Administrator of the Estate of Fung Ching Jess (HCMP 1241/2023) – application for Beddoe order in favour of the administration of an estate
- In The Estate of Wong Chan Fee Jon (HCMP 1922/2022) – distribution of assets of the estate and service out of jurisdiction
- Various applications under the Mental Health Ordinance
Regulatory & Tax
- Profit Tax appeal before the Board of Review (Inland Revenue Ordinance) with 6 days reserved
- Legal opinion and pleadings on various market misconducts and offences (including price rigging, false trading, stock market manipulation and the section 300 offence) and a section 213 application under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571)
- Legal opinion in relation to various market misconducts and misrepresentation for alleged mis-selling of securities under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571)
Injunction
- SDM Education Group Limited v. Barium Real Limited & Ors (HCA 696/2022) – successfully obtaining undertakings in terms of the interim interim injunction restraining receivers from selling shares (with Mr. John Hui and Mr. Kevin Lau)
- Kyodo Yushi Asia Pte Ltd v. Yukun International Trade Co Ltd Xiang Chenxiao and Wu Chuan Cheng(HCA 1696/2021) – Mareva and proprietary injunctions and a Bankers Trust order for third party disclosure (as sole advocate)
- Various ex parte and inter partes applications, including injunction restraining the presentation of a winding up petition of a listed company, breach of employee duties and email fraud cases
Arbitration
- Acted for the subsidiary of a major PRC state-owned property developer in a Mandarin arbitration involving over RMB 900 million, governed by HKIAC rules (with Ms. Frances Lok)
- Acted for a Hong Kong company and individuals in a Chinese arbitration, governed by HKIAC rules (with Ms. Connie Lee)
- Acted for a PRC company in the semiconductor technology industry in an arbitration governed by UNCITRAL Arbitration rules in the HKIAC (with Mr. Patrick Siu)
- Judicial Assistant, Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (2018-2019)
- Part-time lecturer in Contract Law, University of Hong Kong
- Bar Scholarship (2020)
- St Edmund’s College Examination Prize (2020)
- White & Case Prize for Top First in Company Law (2016)
- St Catherine’s College Examination Prize (2016)
- British Council IELTS Scholarship for Overseas Studies (2012)
- St Joseph’s College Law Scholarship
- Various debating prizes
As Author
- Adrian Lee, The New Flamenco appraised: A new framework for avoided loss and mitigation [2021] LMCLQ 98
- Encyclopaedia of International Commercial Litigation, Mr Justice Bryan (ed.), Wolters Kluwer (upcoming) (contributor)
- Hong Kong Company Law Cases(2020-2021) (contributing editor)
- Competition Litigation in Hong Kong: Practice and Procedure (upcoming) (contributor)
- Hong Kong Master Tax Guide (contributing editor)
As Research Assistant
- Company Law: Powers and Accountability(2nd ed), LexisNexis (2017)
- Mr Justice Ribeiro PJ, Equitable Compensation for Breach of Fiduciary Duty (Asia-Pacific Judicial Colloquium, Singapore May 2019), cited in Zhang Hong Li v DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd (2019) 22 HKCFAR 392
- Mr Justice William Gummow NPJ, Sir Anthony Mason in Hong Kong (2019) 30 PLR 172
- Mr Justice Andrew Cheung PJ, Conflict of fundamental rights and the double proportionality test (Common Law Lecture Series 2019)
Discrimination, Banking, Bankruptcy, Defamation, Regulatory
Accolades
“First and foremost, Adrian Lee contributed immensely towards the research. He worked meticulously and tirelessly to ensure cases are up to date. His outstanding research has been nothing short of first class.”
- Company Law: Powers and Accountability (2nd ed)
“Also an Oxonian with a subject prize in Company Law, Adrian’s research work is thorough, precise and admirable.”