Neil Kaplan

Articles

Neil Kaplan

Neil Kaplan, KC
International Arbitration Advisor

Law office of Neil Kaplan International, Central, Hong Kong, HK (Hong Kong)

ADR Certified Designation : Chartered Arbitrator (C. Arb)

VanIAC Panel(s) : International Arbitration

Practice Areas : Construction, Corporate Commercial, Insurance and Reinsurance

Professional Experience

Neil Kaplan was called to the Bar in England and Wales in 1965 and he practised in London until 1980 when he joined the Attorney General’s Chambers in Hong Kong. In 1983 he commenced practice at the Hong Kong Bar having become a Queen’s Counsel in 1982. Mr. Kaplan has also been admitted to the Victorian Bar in Australia and the New York Bar.

Neil Kaplan was Chairman of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre from 1991 – 2004 and was President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators from May 1999 until May 2000.

Mr. Kaplan is a full-time practising arbitrator with Chambers in both England and Hong Kong. From March 1990 until the end of 1994 he was a judge of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong. He was the judge in charge of the Construction and Arbitration list. From 1994 until the end of 1999 he was the Convenor of the Dispute Review Group for Hong Kong’s new airport.

Mr. Kaplan was the Chairman of Hong Kong’s WTO Review Body on Bid Challenges from 2000 – 2004 and is currently Chairman of Hong Kong’s Telecommunications (Competition Provision) Appeal Board.

As of November 2009 Mr. Kaplan became an International Arbitration Advisor to the Australian Firm Malleson Stephen Jaques in their Hong Kong Office.

Dispute Resolution Experience and Training

Neil Kaplan is a Council member of the International Council of Commercial Arbitration (ICCA).

In addition to being a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Mr. Kaplan is also a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators and a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators and a panelist at many arbitration centres including CIETAC and a member of the LCIA.

Since 1995 Mr. Kaplan has been in full time practice as an arbitrator and has administered several hundred cases as co-arbitrator, sole arbitrator or chairman of an arbitral tribunal. He has conducted a wide range of commercial, infrastructural and investment treaty disputes. These have been under the rules of ICC, HKIAC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, SIAC, SCC, ICSID and CIETAC. Mr. Kaplan has conducted ad hoc cases as well as cases administered by the PCA and other institutions.

He has conducted numerous ICC arbitrations. In all, Mr. Kaplan has conducted arbitrations in at least 15 different jurisdictions in, England and Hong Kong, he has also conducted arbitrations in USA, Germany, Croatia, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Sweden, Malaysia, Korea, Laos, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Dubai, Australia, Indonesia and China.

Professional and Other Activities

In June 2001 Mr. Kaplan 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.

Mr. Kaplan has co-authored two books on arbitration in Hong Kong and China, published by Sweet & Maxwell, and has recently co-authored Model Law Decisions (published by Kluwer), a book on cases which apply the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration. He has also published many articles.

Mr. Kaplan was General Editor of Arbitration in Hong Kong: A Practical Guide to Arbitration in 2003, published by Thomson/Sweet & Maxwell Asia.

Academic Qualifications

St. Paul’s School, London, 1956-1961
King’s College, London University (Law), 1961-1964
B.L., 1964