Former Co-Heads of the construction, infrastructure, and projects team at MinterEllison’s Hong Kong office, Steven Yip and Malcolm Chin, have joined Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) along with a team of five lawyers. Yip and Chin are now partners at HFW, bringing with them senior associates Yvonne Lau, Charles Cheung, and Brian Liu, and associates Nicole Leung and Suki Fung.
Yip specializes in cross-border dispute matters within the construction sector, representing clients in international arbitrations across Hong Kong, mainland China, Dubai, and Singapore. His portfolio includes major construction projects such as power plants, railways, and other transportation infrastructure. Recognized for his contributions, Yip was named one of the Growth Drivers among international law firm lawyers in China Business Law Journal’s A-List for 2023-24.
Chin’s expertise lies in construction litigation, focusing on disputes over complex commercial contracts and large-scale construction and engineering projects. His experience spans commercial and residential buildings, mining, transportation, manufacturing, and power plants. Chin has also provided counsel on international arbitration proceedings in various locations, including mainland China, Dubai, Hong Kong, France, Singapore, Switzerland, and the US.
Michael Sergeant, HFW’s global head of construction, highlighted the firm’s rapid growth, noting that the construction team has doubled in size over the past two years. HFW’s construction team now consists of 16 partners and over 90 lawyers worldwide.
HFW, a UK-based firm, has been strategically expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific region. In June 2023, HFW opened a new office in Shenzhen and later that year, recruited 15 professionals from MinterEllison, including four partners in Australia and one in China. This strategic growth aligns with HFW's broader objective to strengthen its footprint in the region.