Mary ThomsonBee Lay
Barrister-at-Law
I am a commercial dispute resolution specialist in high court litigation, including the Court of Final Appeal, arbitration and mediation. My extensive experience spans the financial, insurance, transport, energy, commodities and manufacturing sectors. I have conducted domestic and international, ad hoc as well as institution administered arbitrations including HKIAC, ICC, SIAC, LMAA, CIETAC and LOF arbitrations and have been appointed arbitrator since 1996 including as a “commercial man”. I am on the panel of arbitrators of various regional arbitration centres and also a number of mediator panels. I have successfully mediated large international commercial disputes including in shipping and insurance.

I regularly give presentations and training and they include:
  • “Use of ICC Arbitrations in International Trade Disputes” for ICC 
  • “Resolving Energy Disputes in Hong Kong” for the Energy Institute 
  • “Ignore Mediation at your cost” to the Hong Kong Corporate Counsels Association 
  • “Fraud and the L/C” to bankers ? Conducted workshop in Seoul on Oil & Gas charters   
  • Approved Course Director, Lecturer and Tutor of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators on courses in the  East Asia region 
  • Guest lecturer at Hong Kong and City Universities on arbitration, mediation and insurance law courses
  • Speaker at presentations in Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia, UK and the USA 

Career:
Barrister-at-law, Pacific Chambers Hong Kong

Partner, Brandt Chan & Partners/SNR Denton Hong Kong   

Partner, Hammonds Hong Kong   

Partner, Kennedys Hong Kong

Consultant, Denton Wilde Sapte Hong Kong   

Partner, Koo and Partners/ Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker Hong Kong

Partner, Ng and Partners Hong Kong 

Solicitor & Employed Barrister, William A. Crump London

Claims Executive & Insurance Underwriter, Thomas Miller & Co London   

Claims & Insurance, Zodiac Maritime Agencies, London   

Pupillage, Chambers of GRA Darling QC Temple London 

Publications:
“Insurer and Broker Win Commission Case in Hong Kong” (Mondaq)

“New Rules Seek to Tighten Regulation of China’s Insurance Market” (Lexology)   

Admiralty volume, Hong Kong Court Forms in Civil Proceedings (Butterworths)

'A Commercial Man” (Asian Dispute Review, Society of Maritime Arbitrators, New York)

“Enforcement of Mainland Chinese arbitration award refused on public policy grounds in Hong Kong amid warnings on Med-Arb” (Lexology, Mondaq and Seaview)

“India declares it will enforce arbitration awards from China and Hong Kong” (Mondaq, Seaview)   

Hong Kong’s State and Crown Immunity: Immunity for State-Owned Enterprises?”(Mondaq, Seaview, Lexology and Client Alerts)

“Hong Kong Court of Appeal Reinstates ICC Award and Confirms Case Management Autonomy of Arbitral Tribunals”(Lexology & Clients Alerts)Back
CONTACT
Phone:
T: 852 2521 5544      
F: 852 2524 5912     
M: 852 6908 5192

E-mail:
mary.thomson@pacificchambers.com
mthomson88@gmail.com

Country of Residence: HONG KONG with bases in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, London and Edinburgh

Nationality: British
MAIN PRACTICE AREAS
  • COMMODITIES COAL
  • COMMODITIES GRAIN
  • OIL & GAS
  • PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
    Committee, Hong Kong Insurance Law Association

    Executive committee, CIArb East Asia Branch   

    Vice President, Women in Shipping & Trade Association

    Admiralty Court Users Committee

    Editorial Board, Asian Dispute Review

    Hong Kong Maritime Law Association

    Former Chair, Transport & Logistics, ICC HK   

    Former chair, Arbitration Standing Committee, ICC HK
    ADMISSIONS
  • ENGLAND AND WALES
  • HONG KONG SAR
  • EDUCATION
    Barrister, Bar of England & Wales (1983)

    Solicitor, England & Wales (1991)

    Solicitor, Hong Kong (1992)

    Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (2000)

    Accredited Mediator, HKIAC (2002)

    Fellow, Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators (2006)

    Fellow, Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (2007)

    Accredited Adjudicator, HKIAC (2008) ? Barrister, Hong Kong (from 11 May 2013)