Mr Yang Liu Hong Kong SAR; England & Wales; P.R. China

Edward Liu is a highly accomplished lawyer with qualifications as a solicitor in Hong Kong SAR, England & Wales, and as a lawyer in the People's Republic of China. He is widely recognised as a leading expert in commercial dispute resolution, specialising in international arbitration and commercial litigation. In July 2022, Edward received the Medal of Honour from the Hong Kong SAR Government in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of legal, arbitration, and dispute resolution services in Hong Kong, particularly in the field of transportation. Since 2020, Edward has consistently been recommended by renowned legal directories such as Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500, China Business Law Journal, Asia Business Legal, and Lloyd's List as a leading lawyer in both dispute resolution and shipping practices.

Edward’s expertise spans a wide range of international commercial disputes, including areas such as trade and commodities, energy and offshore projects, shipping and shipbuilding, shareholder disputes, international investment (especially related to Belt & Road projects), construction and infrastructure, commercial fraud, insolvency and restructuring, regulatory investigations, international sanctions, and the global enforcement of judgments and arbitration awards. Edward represents a diverse clientele, including financial institutions, insurance companies, multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations, Chinese state-owned enterprises, as well as major shipping and commodities companies. He handles complex cross-border commercial disputes in courts located in Hong Kong, London, and international tribunals. Additionally, Edward provides advisory services to banks, insurers, and trading companies on non-contentious matters related to asset finance, trade finance, and shipping finance.

In the field of dry shipping, Edward possesses extensive experience in handling various types of claims, including those arising from charterparties, bills of lading, long-term contracts of affreightment, sale of second-hand vessels, marine insurance, collisions, groundings, salvage and general average, ship arrests, and jurisdictional challenges. He has also been involved in numerous shipbuilding cases involving Chinese shipyards. As the principal representative of the International Chamber of Shipping (China) Liaison Office and Shanghai Representative Office, Edward actively contributes to discussions and the formulation of conventions and regulations within the United Nations International Maritime Organization. He is responsible for communication and coordination with the Chinese government and shipping organizations regarding policies and measures in the maritime industry.

Edward is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and a member of the International Court of Commercial Arbitration (ICCA). He serves on the panels or lists of arbitrators for various esteemed institutions, including the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), Asia International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA), Beijing Arbitration Commission/Beijing International Arbitration Court (BAC/BIAC), Dalian International Arbitration Court (DIAC), Tianjin Arbitration Commission (TJAC), Nanjing Arbitration Commission (NJAC), London Maritime Arbitrators' Association (LMAA), Hong Kong Maritime Arbitration Group (HKMAG), China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC), Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration, and eBRAM International Online Dispute Resolution Centre (eBRAM). Since 2018, Edward has accepted appointments as an arbitrator and has been appointed as a sole arbitrator in approximately 30 cases. He has handled arbitration cases as an arbitrator under the rules of HKIAC, LMAA, HKMAG, UNCITRL, SCIA, as well as ad hoc arbitrations, having issued 13 arbitral awards to date. Additionally, Edward is an accredited mediator of the Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association (HKMAAL), a mediator for eBRAM, and an APEC neutral.

Edward's expertise and contributions have led to his appointments as a member of several statutory and advisory bodies to the Hong Kong SAR Government. These include the Chief Executive Policy Unit Expert Group, Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Expert Committee, Expert Advisory Group on Legal and Dispute Resolution Services, Advisory Body on Third Party Funding of Arbitration and Mediation, Aviation Development and Three-Runway Advisory Committee, Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board, Task Force on Maritime and Port Development Strategy, Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Appeal Board, and Appeal Board Panel (Town Planning). He is also a member of the Professional Services Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Arbitration Committee and OLQE Committee of the Law Society of Hong Kong, an executive member of the Hong Kong Maritime Law Association, a member of the China Sub-Committee of the Hong Kong Shipowners' Association, and the vice-president of the Hong Kong and Mainland Legal Profession Association. Edward is also a member of the CPPCC Henan Provincial Committee and CPPCC Shanghai Hongkou District Committee.

Edward actively contributes to the field of law through his roles as an editorial member of the renowned English shipping law newsletter, Lloyd's Shipping & Trade Law, and as a special contributor to the leading English arbitration law newsletter, Arbitration Law Monthly. He holds positions as a visiting professor at Shanghai Maritime University and Tianjin Foreign Studies University.

Edward Liu joined Haiwen in August 2022 as partner. Before joining Haiwen, he was a partner of Hill Dickinson Hong Kong, and also worked as senior associate and associate at Reed Smith Richards Butler and DLA Pipier.

In July 2022, Edward Liu was honoured with the Medal of Honour for his significant contributions to the development and promotion of legal, arbitration, dispute resolution, and transport-related legal services in Hong Kong.

Edward has consistently been recognized as a leading lawyer in dispute resolution and shipping practices by prestigious publications such as The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners since 2020. He garners high praise from peers and clients, being consistently recognized as the "always first choice to work with", "at the top of the list", and a "very approachable" lawyer. His exceptional qualities, such as his remarkable speed, efficiency, quick thinking, and ability to deliver high-quality advice within tight timeframes, have earned him praise for providing “exceptional client service”. Clients commend his dedication to “going above and beyond to meet their needs”, highlighting his commitment to delivering outstanding service and exceeding expectations. (Chambers & Partners Greater China Region 2020-2024)

Edward is highly regarded and has been praised as "exceptional" for his ability to comprehend complex transactions spanning multiple jurisdictions with distinct legal systems, and he is recognized for being “pragmatic, very smart, and analytical”, with “impeccable judgment and a tireless work ethic”. He is commended for his “effective depth of knowledge and strategic thinking”, particularly in the context of assisting entities in Greater China with resolving disputes through international arbitration and litigation (Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020-2023)

In January 2023, Edward was named as one of the elite lawyers in China’s legal market by China Business Law Journal. He was acknowledged “as one of the best lawyers in international arbitration and maritime trade in the entire Greater China region”, and was highly regarded by clients as “one of the precious few dispute resolution-focused lawyers with a background in mainland China, gifted with a global vision, and qualified to practice in mainland China, Hong Kong and the UK”.

In addition, he has been a frequent winner with many awards:

• 2022-2024: A-List China’s elite lawyers, China Business Law Journal
• 2023: Asia Super 50 Dispute Lawyers, Asia Business Legal
• 2018-2023: Top 100 Most Influential People in Chinese Shipping Industry, China Transport News
• 2022: Rising Star, China Business Law Journal
• 2019-2021: Lloyd’s List Global Top 10 Maritime Lawyers
• 2020: China Shipping Top 100 Persons, China Shipping Gazette
• 2018: Ten Outstanding Young Persons in Chinese Shipping Industry, China Transport News
• 2017: Lloyd’s List Global Top 5 in the Next Generation in Shipping
• 2016 & 2017: Shortlisted as one of Lloyd’s List The Next Generation Award for Asia & Pacific
• 2015: The Ten Outstanding New Hong Kong Young Persons
Edward's educational background includes a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from Shanghai Maritime University in 2008, a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the University of Southampton, UK in 2009, and a Graduate Diploma of Laws (GDL) degree from BPP Law School in 2013.

In 2018, he completed the Investment Law and Investor-State Mediator Training Courses, co-organized by the Hong Kong Department of Justice, International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and Asian Academy of International Law (AAIL). In 2022, he successfully finished the HKIAC Advanced Arbitration Training Programme. In 2023, he completed the Advanced Course in Hong Kong – 1st Edition: “Current Trends on International Commercial and Investment Dispute Settlement”, co-organised by the Hong Kong Department of Justice, The Hague Academy of International Law, and Asia Academy of International Law.

Edward’s native language is Chinese and Putonghua, and can speak very fluent English and Cantonese.