Kelvin manages a wide range of cases, from product liability defence and professional negligence to marine liability. He is particularly recognised for defending insurance brokers and auditors in professional negligence cases. Additionally, he has extensive experience with machinery or equipment breakdown incidents, such as excessive corrosion of gas turbine blades, failures of lifts and escalators, shore crane malfunctions, PCB board fire, hard drive contamination, vessel main shaft bearing overheating, and steam pipe explosions caused by water hammer effect. 

China is a significant focus of Kelvin’s practice, with his clients including major property and casualty insurers as well as reinsurers. His work in the region involves advising on bespoke policies specifically tailored to support China’s One-Belt-One-Road Initiative. 

Kelvin also handles broad range of shipping and trade matters. He has acted for major shipping lines, owners and charterers of bulkers and tankers, their P&I Clubs and cargo insurers in various disputes ranging from cargo damage/loss, unpaid charter hire, re-delivery disputes, demurrage to collision, unsafe port claims, personal injuries onboard and oil and air pollution charges. He also advised on a number of trade disputes for commodities traders, and has taken part in Hong Kong, Singapore, London and ICC arbitrations. 

Featured experience:

• Disputed HK$2 billion property insurance coverage issues arising from a fire at a construction project. 

• Covered property and business interruption losses related to the 2019 Hong Kong social unrest under property/business interruption and political risks insurance. 

• Advised on property losses in 2023 civil unrest in France following the fatal shooting of Nahel Merzouk. 

• Denied product liability and advertising injury claims by a toy manufacturer following US class actions. 

• Rejected a HK$260+ million property damage claim for super typhoon and flooding at an industrial complex. 

• Defended against a HK$25+ million claim for auditor negligence in detecting teeming-and-lading fraud. 

• Refused a reinsurance claim for losses from a pirate attack in West Africa. 

• Advised on retrocession cover for COVID-19-related risks for a professional reinsurer. 

• Achieved a favourable arbitral ruling for a yacht insurer in unexplained yacht fire cases, mitigating moral hazard through policy interpretation. 

• Denied total loss claim for a yacht that stuck submerged object in Hong Kong waters in 2021. 

• Advised insurers in 2021 Aberdeen South Typhoon Shelter fire which destroyed 36 yachts. 

• Secured the first and only win for insurance broker before Hong Kong court in broker negligence Kam Hing Trading v PICC [2010] 4 HKLRD 630. 

• Obtained a successful contribution in the first reported double insurance case in Hong Kong Tai Ping Insurance v. Tugu Insurance & General Accident [2001] HKC 401 

• Helped major shipping line in Singapore to purchase 4 Kien Hung Line container ships en bloc in a private treaty sale by Hong Kong court amidst fierce competition from around the world. 

Endoresements:

• "Very experienced in international reinsurance law" Chambers Asia Pacific 2023 

• "Very thoughtful and insightful ideas" Chambers Asia Pacific 2023 

• "Excellent lawyer with a good reputation in the market" Chambers Asia Pacific 2023