continue to be busy in that arena too, especially in the professional indemnity space. On the other hand, we have seen a slight reduction in the number of enquiries relating to regulatory and competition disputes. What litigationrelated advice would you offer to law firms and to corporations as we near 2024? Key advice currently is to be patient when bringing claims in the Hong Kong courts. The courts have a very significant workload currently, meaning there are long waiting lists. For example, we recently had a case set down for a 11-day trial midway through 2025. insurance and financial services industries. In my personal capacity, I have also received an increased number of arbitral appointments this year. New matters include disputes concerning COVID-era PPE supply contracts and cryptocurrency. The increase in arbitration may have led to a slight decrease in the number of commercial cases going through the courts in Hong Kong, although we continuing the trend of last year in which parties sought to preserve $1.1 billion of assets or evidence in the Mainland in the HKIAC alone. The extent of the continued growth of arbitration in Hong Kong, as well as in the breadth of the RPC’s commercial disputes practice, is evidenced by our engagement as counsel this year on arbitrations spanning a wide variety of industries, including the construction, 62 LAWYER MONTHLY OCTOBER 2023 In our view, the judiciary could benefit from a major recruitment drive, especially for the High Court bench.
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