James Kwan

James Kwan is an International Arbitration partner who leads the International Arbitration practice in Hong Kong. He is a member of Hogan Lovells Cadwalader's International Arbitration Global Steering Committee leadership team. He specialises in technology, private equity, energy, and life sciences disputes. He represented clients in arbitrations in Asia, the U.S., Middle East, and Europe under the major institutional and ad hoc rules, such as ICC, HKIAC, SIAC, CIETAC, LCIA, AAA, DIAC, and UNCITRAL. James has also sat as arbitrator and rendered awards in HKIAC, ICC, and DIAC arbitrations, and in addition is on the CIETAC, LCIA, SCIA, SHIAC, KCAB, and AIAC panels. James is a solicitor advocate with Higher Rights of Audience before the Hong Kong courts.

James sat as a Temporary Judicial Registrar in the High Court of Hong Kong in 2023 and as a District Judge in 2024 and 2025.

James is widely recognised as a leading individual in International Arbitration by major legal directories, such as Legal 500, Chambers Asia-Pacific, Chambers Global, Euromoney’s Guide to the World’s Leading Arbitration Lawyers, Practical Law Company’s Which Lawyer?, Benchmark Asia Pacific: Arbitration, Global Law Expert and named one of Asian Legal Business’ Hot 100 Lawyers of 2008 and 2011.

He was named in Lexology / Who’s Who Legal (WWL): Arbitration, Legal 500 Arbitration Powerlist - Hong Kong Region, one of the top 10 lawyers in international arbitration in China by Business Today, and one of Asian Legal Business Asia Super 50 Disputes Lawyers in 2023 and 2024.

James is the author of a chapter in The Hong Kong Arbitration Ordinance Commentary and Annotations, Sweet & Maxwell, 2015 (2nd edition); Arbitration in China: A Practical Guide, Sweet & Maxwell, 2004; and co-editor of Construction Arbitration in Hong Kong: A Practical Guide, 2015, Wolters Kluwer. He is one of the authors of the forthcoming publication ADR in Hong Kong, 2025 (2nd Edition), Sweet & Maxwell.