Lianjun Li (M.Sc., LLM, FCIArb) has been a partner since 2004 and is a leading lawyer in the shipping team in Hong Kong. He qualified as a solicitor in Hong Kong, England and Wales in 2002. He has extensive experience in international trade and commodity disputes, documentary credit issues, shipping disputes (charterparty problems, ship purchase and sale disputes, bill of lading and cargo claims, P&I matters, ship casualties), ship finance and sale and purchase, international commercial and shipping arbitration and in practical and legal aspects of doing business, negotiation and litigation in China.

He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Panel Arbitrator of the Law Society of Hong Kong. He is also a listed or panel arbitrator in many well-known arbitration institutions including the Hong Kong International Arbitrator Centre (“HKIAC”), China International Economic Arbitration Commission (“CIETAC”), China Maritime Arbitration Commission (“CMAC”), Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (“KLRCA”) and Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (“SCMA”). He is also a supporting member of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (“LMAA”). 

He is a visiting professor to Dalian Maritime University, Shanghai Maritime University, Jimei University and Korean University. He is also a member of Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board, LMAA Supporting Members Liaison Committee (Asia Pacific) of LMAA, the Transport and Logistics Committee of the Law Society of Hong Kong and the SCMA Procedure Committee.

Lianjun studied and worked at Dalian Maritime University and Stockholm University before he came to work in Hong Kong in 1993. He qualified as second officer for ocean going vessel and worked at seas over two years.

Li Min is a commercial disputes lawyer with over 14 years of experience. He specializes in all aspects of dispute resolution including shipping, insurance, international trade and commodities litigation and arbitration. He has a significant London, Hong Kong and Singapore arbitration practice and regularly conducts arbitration under LMAA, LCIA, ICC, SIAC, SCMA, HKIAC, CMAC and CIETAC rules. He has lived and worked in Mainland China, Hong Kong and London, and applies his international outlook and local experience in providing long term practical solutions to his clients.

Li Min is a recognised practitioner in Chambers Asia Pacific and is recommended by Legal 500 Asia Pacific where clients have said he is “very professional and hardworking”, has “an excellent understanding of Chinese mores’, and is “excellent for disputes involving PRC shipping law”. He has a wide range of experience in advising shipowners, charterers and their P&I Clubs, financial institutions, commercial insurance companies, and Chinese state owned enterprises on various issues including charterparty, bills of lading, international sales of goods, letters of credit, ship sales and purchases, ship arrest, shipbuilding, and ship finance matters. He also has particular experience in handling high value shareholder and equity related disputes, multi-jurisdictional commercial disputes and worldwide enforcement of judgments and arbitration awards. He also has solid experience in contentious matters involving allegations of commercial frauds and has on various occasions applied for Mareva Injunction orders (asset freezing orders) and Norwich Pharmacal order (court orders to compel the disclosure of information and documents by innocent third parties).

Li Min has represented clients in a wide variety of high-profile cases. He was the lead partner in the case of Shagang South-Asia (Hong Kong) Trading Co. Ltd v Daewoo Logistics [2015] EWHC 194 (Comm), where he acted for Shagang South-Asia and successfully set aside a London Tribunal’s Award as to jurisdiction. The decision is an important one for the construction of arbitration clause and determination of seat of arbitration in the context of charterparty. In recent years, Li Min has also been involved in major litigation arising out of insolvency claims in shipping. He was commended in the Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2018 for “leading the team advising COSCO Petroleum on several matters arising out of the OW Bunker collapse”. 

Li Min is a graduate of Dalian Maritime University with a Bachelors of Engineering in International Multimodal Transportation and a Masters of Law in Maritime Law. He also holds an LL.M in Maritime Law from University College London (UCL). He is co-author of the book Maritime Law and Practice in Hong Kong published by Sweet & Maxwell for the chapters of “Voyage Charterparty” and “Time Charterparty”. He also lectures regularly for many educational and commercial institutions, and is a visiting professor to the Law School of Dalian Maritime University. 

Li Min is a native speaker of Chinese Mandarin and fluent in English.