Catrina Lam SC

Career

Catrina is a senior counsel with a versatile practice encompassing all aspects of commercial disputes, including both domestic and international arbitrations, competition and regulatory matters, and administrative and constitutional law.

Prior to taking silk, she consistently held a “Band 1” ranking for Commercial Dispute Resolution in Chambers & Partners and a “Tier 1” ranking in Commercial Disputes, Competition, and Administrative and Public Law in Legal 500. She is recognised as a Recommended Global Leader in Who’s Who Legal: Competition and a Thought Leader in Competition in the Lexology Index.

Catrina has extensive experience in handling complex and high-value disputes, often involving technical evidence or novel legal issues. Independent legal directories have described her as “an outstanding advocate” and “a great technical lawyer” with “incredible attention to detail”, noting her “sharp legal mind”, “meticulous preparation”, “outstanding courtroom presence”, and “quickness on her feet”. She has been recognised as a practitioner who “thinks outside the box and always tests the limits of the evidence” (Chambers & Partners, Who’s Who Legal).

In competition law, she is noted for commanding “particularly high esteem for her accomplished competition law practice” and as the “go-to competition barrister in town” (Chambers & Partners, Lexology Index). She has been described as “the most experienced and well-rounded competition counsel in Hong Kong” with “second-to-none knowledge of Hong Kong competition law and litigation” (Lexology Index, Who’s Who Legal).

She has acted in many of the first landmark cases on competition law in Hong Kong including Competition Commission v Nutanix Hong Kong Ltd & Ors (CTEA 1/2017), the first enforcement case brought by the Competition Commission; Taching Petroleum Company Ltd v Meyer Aluminium Ltd (CTA 1/2018), the first case in which a contravention of competition rules was raised as a defence to a civil claim; Competition Commission v Quantr Ltd & Ors (CTEA 1/2020), the first enforcement case brought following a successful leniency application; Competition Commission v ATAL Building Services Engineering Ltd & Ors (CTEA 2/2022), one of the largest cartel cases in monetary value brought in Hong Kong; and Competition Commission v Midland Realty International Ltd & Ors (CTEA 3/2023), involving four of Hong Kong’s largest real estate agencies. She has also appeared on behalf of PCCW-HKT in an abuse of dominance case and in an appeal concerning the sharing of essential facilities before the then Telecommunications (Competition Provisions) Appeal Board (led by Sir Peter Roth QC, former President of the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the United Kingdom).

Catrina regularly appears as counsel in arbitrations and related court applications. She also serves as an arbitrator in a wide range of commercial disputes and is a member of the arbitrator panels for the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the Shanghai International Arbitration Centre, and the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration.

Beyond her practice, Catrina is active in public service. She has served as a Temporary Deputy Registrar of the High Court and as a Deputy District Judge. She has also been appointed by the Hong Kong Government to various statutory appeal boards and tribunals. Since 2009, she has been served as the Secretary of the Middle Temple Society in Hong Kong and, in recognition of her contributions, was appointed an Honorary Member of The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in 2018.

Catrina speaks English, Cantonese and Putonghua (conversational), and is a CEDR-accredited mediator.

For more information, please refer to https://www.dvc.hk/members/catrina-lam