Caroline Cordula Rahel Louise Thomas

In terms of experience and expertise, Caroline Thomas has either sat as an arbitrator or represented clients in over 50 arbitrations (LMAA, HKIAC, ICC, LCIA and SIAC). Her maritime arbitration expertise, gained at three maritime law firms, lies mainly in dry shipping (i.e., contractual disputes for example involving bills of lading, charterparties, commodities and international trade contracts, ship management, building and supply agreements as well as (re)insurance contracts). Caroline has written many updates and articles on shipping and arbitration law including longer reference works on arbitration, shipping law and marine insurance. She has considerable regulatory experience including having spent over two years designing and resolving legal and policy matters at the Insurance Authority of Hong Kong (2018-2020). As a director of the Hong Kong Insurance Law Association Limited (the Hong Kong chapter of AIDA) since 2012, Caroline has organised many events on cutting edge insurance topics. She is also on the Presidential Council of AIDA and co-heads its Dispute Resolution Working Group.

In terms of qualifications and skills, Caroline holds an MA in Economics and History from Trinity College Dublin; the Diplome du Programme International from Sciences Po Paris; and an LL.M from Columbia University where she focused on arbitration. Caroline is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and a solicitor qualified both in Hong Kong and in England & Wales. She is also admitted in New York.

Caroline has designed and taught Maritime Arbitration LLAW6328 & JDOC6328 to graduate students at the University of Hong Kong in the fall of 2025 (https://course.law.hku.hk/llaw6328-jdoc6328/).

Caroline is fluent in English, German and French, conversational in Spanish and Italian and learning Mandarin.Back