+852 2573 5000
Jurisdictions
- Hong Kong (1998)
- England and Wales (2005) (non-practising)
- New South Wales, Australia (1997) (non-practising)
Awards
Pamela Mak
Partner
Pamela joined Tanner De Witt in 2003 and became a partner in the Dispute Resolution Department in 2010. Now Co-head of the Dispute Resolution Department, Pamela is also Co-head of the China Practice Group and has developed a strong commercial litigation practice over two decades in Hong Kong advising clients in the Greater China region and overseas on cross-border and domestic disputes. Pamela wins praise as a “young partner who is on the way up” in Chambers Asia Pacific 2021, while Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021 highlights that she is “very friendly and gives considered advice – clients love her”. Pamela is recognised as a Leading Individual in the 2022 Legal 500 Guide for Litigation in Hong Kong.
Pamela focuses her practice on general commercial litigation with an emphasis on cross-border shareholders’ and contractual disputes, sale of goods, contentious trust and probate issues and injunction proceedings. Pamela frequently acts for listed and private companies, high net worth individuals and financial services providers. Her clients are often entities regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) and those requiring a Money Service Operator License.
Pamela has extensive experience advising clients in arbitration before Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Her clients are often engaged in complex and high value disputes. Pamela works closely with professionals in Europe, the US and other jurisdictions on cross-border arbitrations.
Another part of Pamela’s practice is advising financial institutions and regulated individuals on contentious regulatory and compliance matters which includes investigations conducted by the SFC, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department.
Pamela also helps international and local clients to resolve their contentious trust and probate issues. This includes challenging the validity of wills, the removal of personal representatives, the appointment of independent administrators and estate administration. Pamela also advises on Mental Health Ordinance issues such as the appointment of committee for mentally incapacitated person and related estate administration matters.
Key cases
- Acting for a listed client in the cement industry that is one of China’s top ten cement producers on a long running shareholders’ dispute between various listed companies involved in the cement industry, being listed in Taiwan, Mainland PRC and Hong Kong
- Advising a leading bitcoin mining chip maker in Mainland PRC which is listed in the NASDAQ
- Acting for a major PRC-headquartered asset manager in connection with its involvement in a substantial real estate project concerning a hotel property in the heart of Hong Kong
- Assisting a founder of a Cayman Island company which is one of the world’s largest independent mobile advertising platform company in the PRC in a shareholders’ dispute
- Acting for an angel series A investor and a shareholder in a joint venture that provides an online platform that connects different players in the international logistics industry on an HKIAC arbitration against some of the founders
- Acting for the only issue of a deceased in a contentious probate action against the surviving spouse of the deceased who had a large personal fortune. Concurrent legal proceedings are involved in the United States
- Acting for some of the beneficiaries/ executors of a deceased father who was one of the many low-profile but high-net-worth individuals in Hong Kong, with billions of Hong Kong dollars of assets in Hong Kong including a piece of land in the New Territories. The issues included the mental capacity of the deceased; forgery; and the ‘golden rule’ of preparation of Wills for legal practitioners in Hong Kong.
- Acting for a high net worth individual whose assets were misappropriated by his former employees and joint venture partners. Multiple concurrent legal actions and arbitration proceedings are involved, whether in Hong Kong or the PRC.
Chambers and Partners 2023 quotes many clients of Pamela: “She’s very skilled at handling even the most demanding clients.” “Pamela is excellent at handling sensitive matters.” “She’s very good at managing complex matters and gives practical and commercial advice.” “Pamela is very good at maintaining good client relations even with a sometimes difficult client.”
Legal 500 2023 states, “Pamela Mak is particularly skilled at dealing with mainland clients, and skilled at soothing difficult clients.”
Who’s Who Legal 2022 notes, “Pamela Mak heads the China practice group at the firm and is a highly respected litigator when it comes to cross-border shareholder disputes, regulatory issues and investigations requiring asset recovery expertise.” And, “Pamela Mak earns endorsements from peers for her representation of financial institutions, trusts, and asset managers in complex asset recovery issues.”
Who’s Who Legal recognises Pamela as a Thought Leader in Asset Recovery (GIR) 2022 and remarks: ‘Pamela Mak heads the China practice group at the firm and is a highly respected litigator when it comes to cross-border shareholder disputes, regulatory issues and investigations requiring asset recovery expertise.’
Recognised as a Leading Individual in the 2022 Legal 500 Asia Pacific Guide for Litigation in Hong Kong: ‘Pamela Mak is excellent with mainland clients in particular, and adept at smoothing over any problems and gaining trust of clients.’
Chambers Greater China 2022 notes: ‘Pamela is very good at maintaining good client relations even with a sometimes difficult client.’
Asia Pacific Legal 500 2021 notes: ‘Pamela Mak is very friendly and gives considered advice – clients love her’.
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2021 notes: ‘Pamela Mak is co-head of the firm’s China practice group and wins praise from a source who describes her as a “young partner who is on the way up.” She often acts on contentious probate cases, as well as shareholder disputes and asset tracing and recovery.’
Asia Pacific Legal 500 2020 notes: Pamela is part of the leadership of the litigation team helping provide ‘very user-friendly, no-nonsense advice’, and is ‘very strong on shareholder and listed company disputes’.
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2020 guide notes: New entry to the rankings Pamela Mak co-heads the firm’s dispute resolution practice and has over two decades of experience in handling commercial disputes. She is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English and regularly handles claims concerning contentious probate, asset tracing and shareholder and joint venture disputes. Interviewees praise her “hands-on approach,” adding: “She has very good attention to detail and understands the need to give technically accurate advice.”
Pamela is a key contact for dispute resolution and litigation in the Asia Pacific Legal 500 2018 guide which notes that she is ‘careful to avoid any unnecessary litigation’. The 2016 guide notes: “The highly regarded Pamela Mak’s recent cases include multi-jurisdiction probate proceedings and Sino-American telecoms sector disputes.”
Professional memberships
- Banking Litigation Network
- International Chamber of Commerce
- The Law Society of Hong Kong
