Industry Insights: In conversation with Joanne Lau, Secretary General, HKIAC

Welcome to HFW Industry Insights: a series of discussions with leading figures from across our sectors on the issues facing their business and the wider market.

In this instalment, HFW Global Senior Partner Giles Kavanagh speaks with Joanne Lau, Secretary General of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC).

Joanne discusses HKIAC’s role as one of the world’s leading arbitral institutions and reflects on how international arbitration is evolving in response to changing user needs. Drawing on HKIAC’s latest case statistics, she highlights the growing international diversity of disputes being referred to arbitration, alongside increasing case values and complexity.

The conversation explores where demand for arbitration is growing fastest, including increased activity in the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa, and examines the rise of disputes involving digital assets, technology and life sciences businesses.

Joanne also discusses the changes introduced under HKIAC’s 2024 rules, including measures designed to improve efficiency, support diversity in arbitrator appointments, and strengthen the availability of emergency relief. She explains how arbitral institutions continue to adapt to meet market expectations around speed, cost, and procedural effectiveness.

Looking ahead, Joanne shares practical advice for in-house legal teams on dispute avoidance, risk management, and preparing for future claims, while offering insights into the work institutions undertake behind the scenes to maintain quality and integrity in the arbitral process.