Hong Kong's Advantages for Ship Leasing

Mr Benjamin Wong is the Head of Transport and Industrial Sectors at Invest Hong Kong, the Government department responsible for attracting and facilitating foreign direct investment into Hong Kong. He has a diversified portfolio covering aviation, maritime, mass transit, road transport, logistics, energy, mining and natural resources, construction and infrastructure, industrial trading and manufacturing etc.

He is a member of the Maritime and Port Board, Maritime and Port Development Committee, Manpower Development Committee and Promotion and Event Committee. Mr Wong also has a very tight collaboration with the community and government counterparts on major initiatives such as the Belt and Road and the Greater Bay Area.

With extensive experience in both the private and public sectors, Mr Wong's expertise combines transport sector knowledge, international marketing and economic development. Before joining InvestHK, Mr Wong has spent over ten years with some of the biggest European and American companies with regional responsibilities.

Mr Wong holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong; a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta, Canada. He is also a lifetime member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Society.

Mr. Lu Zhendong, deputy head of shipping finance department in Bank of Communications Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. He has long been engaged in international and domestic shipping financial leasing work. This professional team he works with has 380+ vessels with the balance of more than 63 billion yuan. This team has developed long and stable business relationships with Maersk, MSC, CMA, TEEKAY, Trafigura Group, Sinochem, Stena and so on, which makes it has established a leading market position domestic and worldwide.

Mr. Bill Guo joined in ICBC Leasing in 2013. He is now Executive Director of Shipping Business Unit, mainly responsible for the leasing business of the container shipping related field and Dry Bulk business. Before working for ICBCL, he had been working for Maersk Group for over 10 years as the management positions in different countries, with the solid knowledge in container shipping business and financial knowledge.

Qualified in both China and England & Wales, Edward Liu specialises in commercial and shipping litigation and arbitration. His practice covers all areas of commercial and maritime law, including charter party and shipbuilding contract disputes, cargo claims, sale of goods disputes, marine insurance and investment disputes. He is a member of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a listed arbitrator of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, a member of Hong Kong Maritime Arbitrators Group and a supporting member of the London Maritime Arbitrators' Association.

Edward has published numerous articles and case commentaries in respect of shipping and arbitration topics in reputable journals and newsletters in Mainland China, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. He is a visiting professor of the Shanghai Maritime University School of Economics & Management, an adjunct lecturer of the School of Professional and Continuing Education of The University of Hong Kong, and an editorial member of Lloyd's Shipping & Trade Law. He is a member of the Hong Kong Aviation Development and Three-runway System Advisory Committee, a co-opted member of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board, a member of the Henan Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and a member of the China Sub-Committee of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association.

In 2015, Edward was elected as one of "The Ten Outstanding New Hong Kong Young Persons". In 2017, he was named by Lloyd's List one of "Top 5 Next Generation in Shipping" and recommended as "a leading heavyweight lawyer of the future in the making, symbolising a 'new generation' of Asian lawyers. In 2018, he was named one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People in the Chinese Shipping Industry".

As an experienced Hong Kong qualified solicitor, Tat specialises in general banking, ship financing, and other non-contentious shipping transactions.

Tat has experience in the sale and purchase, lease and loan financing of ships, containers and certain other equipment. He also acts for banks, financial institutions and companies in pre-IPO financing, cross-border financing, syndicated and bilateral loan financings.

Currently on long-term secondment in Shanghai, Tat spent significant parts of his life in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. His diverse background has contributed to his fluency in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Whether at work or in his personal life, Tat strives to bridge the East and West with his affiliation and understanding of both cultures. He likes to travel and read, which is reflective of his inquisitive mind and drive to learn.

Tat also passed the PRC National Judicial Examination in 2013.