Stephen obtained his double degrees in Government and Laws from the University of Hong Kong. He is developing a broad practice in both criminal and civil matters. 

On the criminal and regulatory front, Stephen has represented clients in a wide spectrum of criminal cases, including white-collar crimes initiated by the SFC and the ICAC, violent crimes (manslaughter and serious assaults), sexual offences (non-consensual buggery and indecent assault), immigration offences and industrial summonses. Stephen has experience appearing before the Market Misconduct Tribunal for matters concerning insider dealing and other securities-related market misconduct. He also has experience handling ancillary criminal matters including discharging restraint orders and contesting confiscation orders. 

On the civil and commercial front, Stephen particularly focuses on company-related disputes, and has regularly acted for listed companies and professionals. He has often been instructed to handle shareholder disputes involving, inter alia, derivative actions and unfair prejudice claims, and has represented listed companies, state-owned enterprises and local and foreign liquidators both in his own right and as a led junior. Stephen has also conducted defamation proceedings and has experience obtaining urgent injunctions against the publication of information. 

Stephen’s practice also covers advisory work. Stephen has frequently been instructed to provide opinion on Hong Kong law for listing and proposed listings on the Main Board and on the GEM Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, including matters concerning inter alia initial public offerings (IPO), resumption of suspended trading and continuation of trading halt. Stephen has also advised clients in respect of ongoing criminal and quasi-criminal investigations, including inquiries from the ICAC, the SFC and the Competition Commission. 

Criminal and Regulatory Practice (Trial and miscellaneous)

• HKSAR v Mak Pak Pui and Others [2024] HKDC 445, appeared for the defendants on charges of conspiracy to commit false accounting and fraud (as sole advocate)
• HKSAR v Lo Kai Sing DCCC 586/2023, appeared for the defendant on a charge of money laundering (as sole advocate)
• HKSAR v Cheung Suet Mei WKCC 94/2023, appeared for the defendant on a charge of fraud (as sole advocate)
• SFC v Cynthia Chen and Others, appeared for the specified person at the Market Misconduct Tribunal for matters concerning insider dealing (with Jonathan Kwan)
• A v ICAC HCCM 774/2022, appeared for the applicants in discharging and varying restraining orders made under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (as sole advocate)
• HKSAR v Shum Yuk Kuen KCCC 2591/2023, appeared for the defendant on a charge of manslaughter (with Catherine Wong) (on-going)
• HKSAR v HYH FLCC 228/2024, appeared for the defendant on a charge of non-consensual buggery (as sole advocate) (on-going)
• HKSAR v Lin Ying Ying STCC 3818/2021, appeared for the defendant on a charge of breach of condition of stay (led by David Leung SC)
• HKSAR v Build King Construction Limited and Others KCS 503923-6/2020, appeared for the defendant on various industrial summonses (as sole advocate)
• HKSAR v Hong Kong Macau (Asia) Engineering Co Ltd and Another FLS 244-6, 260/2022, appeared for the defendants on various industrial summonses (as sole advocate)

Criminal Practice (Appellate)

• HKSAR v Lee Chun-man [2022] HKCA 1901, appeared for the appellant in his application for leave to appeal against conviction on a charge of riot (with Catherine Wong)
• HKSAR v Tse Kei-chung [2023] HKCFI 1756, appeared for the appellant in his appeal against conviction on a charge of possession of offensive weapon (with Catherine Wong) 
• HKSAR v Marc Gerard Progin [2023] HKCFI 2013, appeared for the defendant at trial and on review on a charge of aiding and abetting disorderly conduct in public place, and against the prosecution’s appeal for the award of costs at trial (with Michael Delaney) 
• HKSAR v Kwok Lai-fan [2021] HKCFI 1146, appeared for the appellant in her application to adduce fresh evidence and appeal against conviction on a charge of assaulting police officer (with Catherine Wong)
• HKSAR v Chow Chi-wang [2022] HKCFI 3039, appeared for the defendant on appeal against conviction on a charge of possession of instrument fit for unlawful purposes (as sole advocate)

Civil and Commercial Practice

• Bonita Co., Ltd. S.A. v Brenda Chark trading as Brenda Chark & Co [2022] 2 HKLRD 920, appeared for the plaintiff in appealing against Master’s imposition of a bar to future litigation upon discontinuance of proceedings (led by Audrey Eu SC)
• Tam Sze Leung v Commissioner of Police [2022] 1 HKLRD 480, appeared for the Commissioner of Police in relation to judicial review proceedings concerning the issuance of “letters of no consent” (led by Victor Dawes SC and with Peter Dong)
• Qiao Yuanzhang v Jean-Philippe Gaston Marie Benosit and Others [2023] HKCFI 1437, appeared for a shareholder in opposing the unfair prejudice petition and commencing derivative action (with Alan Kwong)
• Re Guangdong Overseas Construction Corporation [2023] 3 HKLRD 262, appeared for a Mainland liquidator for recognition and assistance of Mainland insolvency proceedings
• Charter Base Limited v The IO of Golden Building [2020] HKCFI 1591, appeared for the plaintiff in applying for injunctions against the IO’s inference (with Alan Kwong)
• Success Top (Asia) Ltd v Sze Kin Yu [2023] HKDC 1451; [2024] HKDC 530, appeared for the defendant in applying for striking out and security for costs (as sole advocate)