Neil Kaplan CBE QC SBS
Neil Kaplan CBE QC SBS has been a full-time practising arbitrator since 1995. During this period he has been involved in several hundred arbitrations as co-arbitrator, sole arbitrator or chairman. These arbitrations have included a wide range of commercial, infrastructural and investment treaty disputes under the rules of the ICC, HKIAC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, SIAC, SCC, ICSID and CIETAC. Mr. Kaplan has also presided over ad hoc arbitrations as well as bilateral investment treaty cases administered by the PCA.
Called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1965, Neil has practised as a barrister, Principal Crown Counsel at the Hong Kong Attorney General’s Chambers, practised as a Queen’s Counsel in Hong Kong at Des Voeux Chambers, and served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong in charge of the Construction and Arbitration List.
In June 2001 Neil was awarded a CBE for services to international arbitration. In 2007 he was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR.
As a result of his contribution to the development and growth of arbitration in Hong Kong, Neil is often described as “the father of Hong Kong arbitration”. (See C. Bao and F. Lautenschlager (eds.), Arbitrators’ Insights – Essays in Honour of Neil Kaplan, Sweet & Maxwell 2012, at p. 17, and V. Chong, “The Father of Hong Kong Arbitration”, The Hong Kong Lawyer, December 2012, at pp. 15-24.)
From 1991 until 2004, he was Chairman of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, and in 1999-2000 he was President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Since 1995, he has been a Council Member and now Governing Board Member of the International Council of Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) and in 2012 he became a Member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
He is a Chartered Arbitrator and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators. Additionally, he is a panellist of several other arbitral institutions including CIETAC.
Neil has published a number of books, articles and chapters in books. See a list of his main publications here. In addition to
conducting arbitrations in England and Hong Kong, Mr. Kaplan has also conducted arbitrations in:
USA
France
Germany
Croatia
The Netherlands
Malaysia
Vietnam
Korea
Laos
Japan
Thailand
Singapore
The Philippines
China
Dubai
Australia
Denmark
Sweden
Indonesia
South Africa
Ireland
Switzerland
Career & Key Positions Held
1965 | Called to the Bar of England and Wales
1965 – 1980 | Practised at the London Bar from Chambers at 1 Garden Court, Temple
1979 | Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
1980 – 1982 | Deputy Principal Crown Counsel, Attorney General’s Chambers, Hong Kong, with special responsibility for civil litigation
1982 | Appointed Queen’s Counsel
1982 – 1983 | Principal Crown Counsel (Deputy Law Officer on Civil Side, Acting Solicitor-General and Crown Solicitor on occasions)
1983 | Admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in the State of Victoria, Australia
1984 | Returned to private practice at the Hong Kong Bar. Founder and Head of Des Voeux Chambers
1984 | Appointed Justice of the Peace for Hong Kong
1984 – 1987, 1989 – 1990 | Chairman of the Hong Kong Branch, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
1985 | Council Member of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre
1986 | Admitted to the New York Bar
1990 – 1994 | High Court Judge for Hong Kong (Judge in Charge of Construction and Arbitration List, Member of Judicial Studies Board, Chairman of the Committee to examine court annexed mediation and related topics)
1991 | Bencher of the Inner Temple
1991 – 2004 | Chairman of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre
1992 – 1998 | Overseas Vice-President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
1994 – 1998 | Chairman of the Disputes Review Board for Hong Kong’s new airport at Chek Lap Kok
1995 | Visiting Professor, Faculty of Law, City University of Hong Kong
1995 | Council Member and now Governing Board Member of the Council of the International Council of Commercial Arbitration (ICCA)
1997 – 2006 | Chairman of the Release under Supervision Board of Hong Kong
1999 – 2006 | Chairman of the WTO Review Panel for Hong Kong
1999 | Chartered Arbitrator
2000 | President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
2000 – 2006 | Deputy Chairman of the Hong Kong Telecommunications Appeal Tribunal
2004 | Honorary Professor, City University Hong Kong
2007 – 2013 | Chair of Telecommunications (Competition Provisions) Appeal Board of Hong Kong
2009 – Feb 2012 | International Arbitration Adviser to Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Hong Kong
2012 – Apr 2015 | International Arbitration Adviser to King & Wood Mallesons, Hong Kong
2012 – 2016 | HK Member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration
2015 | Joined Arbitration Chambers Hong Kong
2017 | President of the Mediation and Arbitration Centre Mauritius
2020 | President of DELOS Board of Advisors
2022 | Judge of the Bahrain Court of Cassation
Qualifications
1964
Bachelor of Laws degree
1961-1964
King’s College, University of London (Law)
1956-1961
St Paul’s School, London
Professorships
City University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong University
Lyon Catholic University
Awards
2001
Awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for services to international arbitration
2007
Awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR