MembersLing Chun Wai

MembersJuniors

Ling Chun Wai

LLB (U.Lon)
LLM (Cantab)
Diploma in EU Competition Law (King's College London)
Ling Chun Wai

Profile

Profile

CW received his legal education in England, having obtained an LLM degree (First Class) from the University of Cambridge before serving pupillage in Hong Kong. Called to the English and Hong Kong Bar in 1996, he has been a member of Des Voeux Chambers since 1999. He completed a Diploma in EU Competition Law at King’s College London in 2018.

As a barrister, CW’s practice encompasses a broad range of civil and commercial matters including banking, insurance, insolvency, land, securities, companies, trusts, administrative law, disciplinary inquiries and professional negligence. A versatile practitioner, he appears regularly in all levels of courts and other tribunals. He has recently advised several Hong Kong and PRC companies in dealing with requisitions in connection with their bids to obtain listing status on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

CW is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is registered on the list of arbitrators and the Panel of IP Arbitrators at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre. He has appeared as counsel in arbitration as well as sitting as a sole arbitrator and a member of a tribunal. He acts regularly for listed companies, financial institutions and governmental bodies. As an accredited mediator (HKMAAL), he also regularly acts as a mediator in commercial and IP cases.

Selected Cases

  • ATWO TM [2023] HKTMR 30.  Successfully defeated an opposition based on descriptive technical meaning of word mark before the Registrar of Trade Marks.
  • The Law Society of Hong Kong v A Solicitor [2023] HKCA 694.  Successfully appealed against a penalty imposed by the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal for egregious accounting offices committed by a solicitor who was ordered to be struck off by the Court of Appeal.
  • Culturecom Ltd v Jade Dynasty Publications Ltd [2023] HKCFI 805. Acted for author and publisher of comics series against claim for copyright infringement and resisted application for interlocutory injunction.
  • INSOMNIAC [2023] HKTMR 3. Successfully defeated an opposition by a nightclub operating under the name Insomnia in Lan Kwai Fong.
  • Cheung Yuk Fung v Yip Chi Keung [2022] HKDC 1208, [2023] HKCA 665.  Leave to appeal to Court of Appeal on a finding of breach of shareholders’ agreement.
  • Mathnasium Center Licensing LLC v. Chang Chi Hung [2021] 1 HKLRD 188. First case of its kind where defendant who signed a statement of truth in relation to a defence containing a false admission.  Committal order overturned on appeal.
  • 造梦者Infinitus & Device [2020] HKTMR 49.  Successfully resisted an opposition to an application to register a device mark before on the ground of bad faith.
  • Monster Hunt TM [2020] HKTMR 6. Successfully resisted an opposition to an application to register a bilingual mark before the Registrar of Trade Marks.
  • Louis Vuitton Malletier v. Cuvee XLV French Wine Ltd [2019] HKCFI 1963. Obtained judgment for a fashion house in the first full-blown trial before the IP Judge in Hong Kong against a wine trader for infringement of a well-known trade mark (with Winnie Tam SC).
  • Xcelcom Ltd v. BGI-Hong Kong Co Ltd [2017] 1 HKLRD 421. Acted for the patentee in one of the first cases in Hong Kong involving infringement of a biochemical technology patent in an application for interlocutory injunction (with John Yan SC).
  • Acted for a main contractor in dispute with joint venture partner in a casino development (with Philip Boulding QC) (2015)
  • Nokia Corporation v. TCT Mobile [2014] 2 HKLRD 43. In the context of a dispute under a patent license agreement, the case raised interesting issues of specific discovery where the licensor (represented by CW) sought documents to prove royalties due under the agreement.
  • Acted for an architectural firm in professional negligence dispute with a university (employer) (with Ian Pennicott QC) (2013)
  • CSS Jewellery Co Ltd v. Registrar of Trade Marks [2010] 1 HKC 563. A trademark dispute between two undertakings with common historical origins, this was the first court case in which the doctrine of honest concurrent use was examined in the context of the new Trade Marks Ordinance.
  • Peconic Industrial Development Ltd v. Lau Kwok Fai & Others (2009) 12 HKCFAR 139. CW was the junior in this ground-breaking case in a common law jurisdiction regarding the applicability of limitation periods to dishonest assistance claims, in this case, against a fraudulent solicitor.


In addition, CW has taken part in many international arbitrations administered by the HKIAC in cases concerning commercial disputes, technology transfer, business secrets and patent infringement.

Memberships & Appointments

  • Chairman, Mediation Committee, Hong Kong Bar Association (2022-now)
  • Member of the Panel of Arbitrators for the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (2022)
  • Deputy Judge of the District Court, HKSAR (Feb 2022)
  • Member, ICC-HK Nominations Commission (2022-)
  • Chairman, Appeal Tribunal Panel, under Buildings Ordinance (Cap 123) (2021-)
  • Member of the Board of Revenue (Inland Revenue Ordinance) from 1 January 2021
  • HKIAC Domain Name Dispute Resolution Panel from December 2020
  • Chairperson, Hong Kong Mediation Council, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) (2019-2020)
  • Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (2008-)
  • Deputy Judge of the District Court, HKSAR (Dec 2015)
  • Vice-chairperson, Mediation Committee, Hong Kong Bar Association (2018-)
  • Vice-chairperson, Committee on Intellectual Property, Hong Kong Bar Association (2020-2021)
  • Member, Standing Committee on Overseas Admissions, Hong Kong Bar Association (2015-)
  • Member, Standing Committee on Discipline, Hong Kong Bar Association (2016-)

Publications / Lecture / Talks

Specific Areas of Expertise

Arbitration as counsel, Arbitration as arbitrator, Enforcement of Arbitral Award, Commercial Mediation, Mediation Advocacy, Contract, Conflict of Laws, Equity, Tort, Unjust Enrichment, Insurance Law, Negotiable Instruments, Partnerships, Sale of Goods, Corporate Governance, Compliance with Listing and Other Regulatory Rules, Derivative Action, Unfair Prejudice Petition, Enforcement, Follow-on Action, Investigation, Leniency, Mergers (Telecommunications), Bankruptcy, Winding-Up, Breach of Confidence, Copyright, Patents, Passing-Off, Trademarks, Letters of Credit, Sale and Carriage of Goods, Breach of Confidence, Employment, Restraint of Trade, Auditors’ Negligence, Disciplinary Proceedings, Medical Negligence, Solicitors’ Negligence, Surveyors’ Negligence, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Data Technology, Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs), Digital Assets, Mergers Review, Telecommunications Licensing, Trusts, Wills, Probate and Administration of Estates, Charities, Anton Piller Relief, Asset Tracing, Bankers’ Books Orders, Discovery, Injunction, Norwich Pharmacal Orders, Adverse Possession, Building Management, Charities, Conveyancing, Easements, Landlord & Tenants Disputes, New Territories Law

Accolades

Ling Chun Wai has been recognised as a Tier 2 Leading Junior for Intellectual Property by Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025 – Hong Kong Bar.

Strong advocacy skills, confident and direct to the point.

- Legal 500 Asia Pacific: Hong Kong Bar (2025)

Ling Chun Wai was ranked by Chambers and Partners Greater China Region 2024 as Band 1 Juniors in the field of Intellectual Property.

Chambers Review shared that “Ling Chun Wai of Des Voeux Chambers devotes a significant proportion of his broad civil and commercial practice to IP issues, offering experience in all areas of the discipline, handling both contentious and non-contentious issues, but being particularly active on trade mark-related mandates.

Clients commented that “He is very good at analysing the case and arguing for the client.” and “Chun Wai’s oral and written advocacy is very persuasive, to the point and succinct. He has the ability to cut through layers of complex legal and factual issues and get to the crux of the matter.“.

- Chambers & Partners: Greater China Region (2024)

Ling Chun Wai is recognised as Spotlight in the fields of Intellectual Property.

Ling Chun Wai of Des Voeux Chambers devotes a significant proportion of his broad civil and commercial practice to IP issues, offering experience in all areas of the discipline, handling both contentious and non-contentious issues, but being particularly active on trade mark-related mandates. Ling is praised as “certainly one of the well-known juniors in the field. He’s a safe pair of hand who knows the law quite well.”

- Chambers & Partners: Greater China Region (2023)

Ling Chun Wai is accredited as a Leading Junior in the fields of Intellectual Property.

‘His wealth of knowledge and practical approach is impressive. He is able to understand client’s concerns quickly and provide pragmatic options. His advocacy in court is to the point and persuasive.’

- Legal 500 Asia Pacific: Hong Kong Bar (2023)

Ling Chun Wai is recognised by Who’s Who Legal 2023 as Recommended Barrister in the field of Commercial Mediation.

- Who's Who Legal (2023)

Chun Wai Ling is praised for his “deep knowledge of both IP law and dispute resolution,” and is commended for being “extremely busy and one of the IP experts.” He is also noted for being “an obvious name to put on the list.” He is “approachable and responsive” and a “highly commercial and pragmatic” barrister who pays “strong attention to detail.” Ling devotes a significant proportion of his broad civil and commercial practice to IP issues, offering experience in all areas of the discipline, handling both contentious and non-contentious issues, but being particularly active on trade mark-related mandates.”

- Chambers & Partners Greater China Region (2022)

Ling Chun Wai is singled out as a Leading Junior for Intellectual Property.

- Legal 500 Asia Pacific: Hong Kong Bar (2022)

Ling Chun Wai has been recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a “Global Leader” in the field of Commercial Mediation.

- Who's Who Legal Global Leaders (2022)

“Hardworking with strong attention to detail, he is highly commercial and pragmatic.” Ling Chun Wai is singled out as a Leading Junior for Intellectual Property.

- Legal 500 Asia Pacific: Hong Kong Bar (2021)

Ling Chun Wai of Des Voeux Chambers is a recommended IP expert and is referenced in World Trademark Review 2019 as “a specialist in civil and commercial cases, and intellectual property is a substantial component of his practice.”

- World Trademark Review (2019)

Ling Chun Wai of Des Voeux Chambers represents parties in a diverse array of commercial and administrative cases and is a seasoned pro in IP, particularly trademark, disputes.

- World Trademark Review (2018)