Lavesh Kirpalani

Barristers & Arbitrators

Barrister & Arbitrator

Practice profile

Lavesh has a broad civil litigation and commercial arbitration practice and accepts instructions in all areas of work. His civil litigation experience includes commercial, construction, company, corporate insolvency, fraud, regulatory, harassment, shipping, employment, intellectual property, non-refoulement claims, and matrimonial law. He has appeared in his own right before the Court of Final Appeal, the Court of Appeal, the Court of First Instance, the District Court, and the Magistrate Courts.

He is recommended in Legal 500 Asia Pacific from 2021 to 2026 for Commercial Disputes, and is recognised as a Leading Employment & Labour Law Barrister in Doyles Guide 2023 to 2025.

Upon completing his studies and before joining Prince’s Chambers, Lavesh clerked at both the Court of Final Appeal and the Court of Appeal. While working as a Judicial Assistant and Judicial Associate at both courts, he assisted in a wide range of matters. He continues to assist at the Court of Appeal on a part-time basis.

Lavesh is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Law (Hong Kong Campus) and has previously served as a member of the HK45 and CIArb (EAB) YMG committees.

Rankings

2021-2026

Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Commercial Disputes (Leading Junior)

2023-2024

Doyle’s Guide Leading Employment & Labour Law Barrister

Professional qualifications

2022

2017

HKIAC Tribunal Secretary Training Programmee

Barrister, Hong Kong

2014

Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Judicial clerkships

2021 – ongoing

Part-time Judicial Associate at the Court of Appeal

2015 – 2016

Judicial Associate to the Honourable Mr Justice Barma

2014 – 2015

Judicial Assistant at the Court of Final Appeal

Education

2014

Master of Laws, London School of Economics

2013

Postgraduate Certificate in Laws, City University of Hong Kong

2012

Bachelor of Laws, City University of Hong Kong

2010

Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Management, University of Huddersfield

Arbitration practice

Lavesh has an active arbitration practice and has acted as Counsel in various arbitration proceedings. He has also completed the HKIAC Tribunal Secretary Training Programme.

Counsel in an HKIAC arbitration for a US$27m dispute
Counsel in an HKIAC arbitration seated in Hong Kong, between Austrian and Lebanese nationals and a Hong Kong company concerning a contract for the sale of shares governed by Hong Kong law
Counsel in an HKIAC arbitration seated in Hong Kong for a claim relating to a breach of a distribution agreement
Counsel in ICC proceedings concerning claims, exceeding HK$100m, for payment under a distributorship agreement arising out of the supply of aircraft parts against one of the largest aircraft manufacturers
Counsel in an HKIAC arbitration concerning breaches of investment agreements
Advised on enforcement and set-aside applications
Counsel in an HKIAC arbitration in respect of a US$88m claim for breaches of a financing agreement and for asset stripping

Litigation (selected cases)

Oon Kim Koh v Quest Investments Ltd & Anor [2025] HKDC 1196, opposing a leave to appeal application

Re New Grand Coach Ltd [2025] HKCFI 4942, substantive hearing opposing an application for proprietary, mareva and ss.728 and 729 Companies Ordinance injunctive relief

SFC v Superb Summit International Group Ltd & Ors [2025] HKCFI 2682, Carecraft procedure

Samantha Jane Bradley v Sir Elly Kadoorie & Sons Ltd [2025] HKCFA 13, leave to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal

Maurizio de Gasperis & Anor v Shanghai Tang Investment Holding Company Ltd & Ors [2025] HKCFI 2372, 5-day trial, breach of contract

Sir Elly Kadoorie & Sons Ltd v Samantha Bradley [2025] HKCFI 1812, O.15, r.12 representative action challenge and strike out application

Sze Fung Engineering Ltd v Trevi Construction Co Ltd [2025] HKCA 278, appeal concerning the construction of a ‘back-to-back’ payment clause (appeared with Mr Phillip Rompotis)

Re New Grand Coach Ltd [2025] HKCFI 1011, case management hearing for opposing an application for proprietary, mareva and ss.728 and 729 Companies Ordinance injunctive relief

Tobrix BV v HongKong Tripod Ltd [2024] HKCFI 2124, 8-day trial concerning sale of goods (appeared with Mr Phillip Rompotis

Friendship Shipping and Trading SA v IVL Dhunseri Polyester Company SAE [2024] HKCFI 3180, costs application (appeared with Mr Eugene Kwok).

Sir Elly Kadoorie & Sons Ltd v Samantha Bradley [2024] HKCA 1030, sought leave to appeal to the CFA on the question of whether a corporate entity could be a victim of harassment (among other matters)

Friendship Shipping and Trading SA v IVL Dhunseri Polyester Company SAE [2024] HKCFI 3180, resisting an application for an anti-suit injunction, where the Court stated that the prima facie test is applicable in deciding to grant an anti-suit injunction when there are two plausible arbitration agreements (appeared with Mr Eugene Kwok

Kushaev & Ors v Sfeir & Anor (unrep. HCA 1022/2019), resisting summary judgment

Sir Elly Kadoorie & Sons Ltd v Samantha Bradley [2024] 4 HKLRD 428, appeal against an O14A determination that a corporate entity could not be a victim of the common law tort of harassment (among other matters)

Techtronic Product Development Ltd & Anor v Fauteux[2024] 2 HKLRD 737, an application for leave to appeal against an order granting leave from the implied undertaking

Hua She Asset Management (Shanghai) Company Ltd v Gao Yan & Anor [2023] 4 HKLRD 575, an application by a 3rd party for injunctive relief to prevent the presentation of a bankruptcy petition (on the basis that the judgment debt was purportedly obtained by fraud)

Han Jaejoon v Lee Sang Young [2023] HKCFI 2202, application for the continuation of the injunction summons

Sir Elly Kadoorie & Sons Ltd v Samantha Bradley [2023] 5 HKLRD 240, application for indemnity costs

Sir Elly Kadoorie & Sons Ltd v Samantha Bradley [2023] 3 HKLRD 587, O14A application for a determination as to whether a corporate entity can be a victim of the common law tort of harassment

GEM Yield Bahamas Limited v National Arts Group Holdings Ltd, , HCA 846/2022, O14 summary judgment for breach of a share subscription agreement (appeared with Mr Phillip Rompotis)

Natwest Markets Plc & Anor v The Owner of the Ship or Vessel “Angelic Glory” [2023] HKCFI 644, regarding the interpretation of a court order

Sze Fung Engineering Ltd v Trevi Construction Co Ltd [2023] HKCFI 419, where virtually all the construction claims turned on the interpretation of a ‘back-to-back’ payment clause (appeared with Mr Phillip Rompotis)

Re Hongkong Bai Yuan International Business Co Ltd [2022] CLC 295, opposed a winding-up petition and argued that the English / Singaporean approach should be adopted in the insolvency context in Hong Kong

Mary Kay Inc. & Ors v Zhejiang Tmall Network Co Ltd [2022] HKCA 360, application for leave to appeal against an order setting aside service concerning claims for trademark infringement (s20 TMO defence), passing off, and internet intermediary joint tortfeasorship (appeared with Mr Sebastian Hughes)

The “Angelic Glory” [2022] 1 HKLRD 87, appeal regarding the “well-founded” threshold under O75, r21(7) RHC

Jindong Securities Ltd v Golden World Motors (International) Ltd [2021] 5 HKC 87, an application to set aside the defendant’s counterclaim judgment and to reinstate the plaintiff’s claim (out of time), pursuant to O25 RDC

Hugo Boss Trade Mark Management Gmbh & Ors v The Britain Boss International Co Ltd & Anor [2021] HKCA 1496, for leave to appeal to the CFA

Ah-fat Jean Max v Xian Corp Limited [2021] HKCFI 22, a dispute over the employment contract terms

J-Land Korea Co Ltd v Choi Fung Trade Ltd [2020] HKDC 1009, application for the continuation of a freezing order

Recovery Vehicle 1 Pte Ltd v Total Alliance Investments Ltd [2020] HKCLC 1129, application to winding up a company; awarded indemnity costs resulting from the defendant putting up a manifestly inadequate defence

X and Y v Z [2020] HKCFI 826, successfully set aside an ex parte injunction order restraining Z from intimidating and harassing X and Y based on material non-disclosure, with an order for indemnity costs to Z (the injunction was re-granted in favour of X only). The case dealt with the appropriate threshold for injunctive relief in harassment cases and the legal principles regarding gagging, anonymity and disclosure orders in harassment and intimidation cases

Re Asia Master Logistics Limited [2020] 2 HKLRD 423, successfully obtained a winding-up order, where Deputy High Court Judge William Wong SC, in obiter, stated how a court should deal with arbitration dispute resolution clauses in winding-up/insolvency proceedings, with reference to the Salford-Lasmos principle

ACT Resources International Ltd v Hong Kong Energy Resources [2020] HKCFI 232, application for a freezing order (appeared with Mr Sebastian Hughes)

Ah-fat Jean Max v Xian Corp Limited (unrep., HCLA 11/2019, 19 November 2019), successfully obtained leave to appeal to the Court of First Instance from LBTC 100/2018

Sea Trader International Ltd v Straits Bunkering Pte Ltd [2019] HKCFI 135, successfully resisted an application for an injunction to prevent the presentation of a winding-up petition

SJ v Chu Sui Ying & Ors [2018] HKCFI 2396, acted for the Secretary for Justice regarding sentencing in the Occupy Central Minibus Criminal Contempt trial (led by Mr Victor Dawes SC, Mr Jin Pao SC, and Mr Derek Chan SC)

Publications and editorial experience

2020-present

Contributing Editor

Hong Kong Civil Procedure (White Book) – O.59RHC

2026 (forthcoming)

Contributing Author

Employment Law in Hong Kong

2024

HK Lawyer Article titled ‘ The Impact of Arbitration and Exclusive Jurisdiction Clauses on Insolvency Proceedings: A Brief Comparative Analysis’ (together with Mr Franklin Koo)

2023

Hong Kong Lawyer Article called ” Forgery, a Null and Void Arbitration Caluse, a Matter Best Left for the Court The Arbitrual Tribunal?”

2022

Contributing Author

Company Law in Hong Kong: Insolvency 2022

2021

Contributing Author

LexisNexis HK Practical Guidance Practice Notes on Contract Law

2015

Research Assistant, City University of Hong Kong – Legal English Project (https://legalenglish.hk/)

2015

Assisted The Honourable Mr Justice Fok, as a Judicial Assistant of the Court of Final Appeal, in the preparation of Money Laundering: A Comparative Perspective

2015

Assisted The Honourable Chief Justice Ma as a Judicial Assistant on his speech titled: A Grail for All Seasons: Magna Carta

2012

19 th Willem C. Vis International Commercial Moot and 9th Willem C. Vis (East) International Commercial Moot 2011- 2012 (2012) 16 International Trade and Business Law Review, pp. 433-552

2010 – 2011

2010-2012

Editor of the City University of Hong Kong Law Review

Member of the City University of Hong Kong Law Review

Appointments and memberships

2023 – 2024

HK45 Committee Member

2022 – 2023

Member of the Young Member Group Committee of the East Asia Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

2022

HKIAC Tribunal Secretary Programme

2021 – present

HK45 Member

2021 – present

Young ICCA Member

2020 – present

Visiting Lecturer at the University of Law

2020 – 2022

Co-opted member of the Young Member Group Committee of the East Asia Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrator

2019

Part- time tutor at he University of Hong Kong

2018- Present

2017

Member of the Indian Chamber of Commerce

Hong Kong Bar Association Convention Against Torture Training and Accreditation Programme

2014-Present

Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Scholarships and prizes

2013

Assistant coach to the City University of Hong Kong’s 20 th Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot team (1st Place)

2012

City University of Hong Kong oralist and winner of the David Hunter Award at the Ninth Willem C. Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot (1 st Place)

2012

City University of Hong Kong representative and recipient
of an Honourable Mention for Best Claimant a Respondent’s Memorandum at the Ninth Willem C. Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot

2012

Moot Court Prize from the City University of Hong Kong

2012

Certificate for Outstanding Performance in Mooting from the City University of Hong Kong

2012

City University of Hong Kong representative at the 3rd WAIDM-ACICA Australia Vis Pre-Moot (1st Place)

2012

City University of Hong Kong representative at the ShanghaiVis-Pre-Moot (1 st Place at the Shanghai e-Moot and Best Team Oralist at the Shanghai e-Moot)

2012

Dean’s List