Since early February 2020, measures to contain Novel Coronavirus (commonly known as “Covid-19”) have been implemented in Hong Kong and Mainland China. These measures significantly affected the construction industry.

To say the least, workers were infected with Covid-19, construction sites were closed down, material supplies were suspended, health and safety measures were tightened, statutory approvals and consultant’s review, preparation and approval of design submissions were slowed down.

These hindrances impacted on the timely approval and completion of construction projects. Contractors sought extensions of time to shield themselves from being hammered by liquidated damages and consultants and architects fought their ways through the drawings and designs to ensure that adequate details were issued to the contractors to maintain the work progress.

All these result in additional time and costs to the contractors, the consultants, architects and the employers. Parties strive to preserve their contractual entitlements under the construction contracts by scrutinizing the commercial implications of delays and disruptions caused by Covid-19 on the construction contracts.

Taking into consideration the impacts on the development and construction sectors caused by the fifth wave of the Covid-19 epidemic, the Development Bureau announced on 14 March 2022 a decision to grant extension of time to public works contracts and the building covenant period under land leases of private development projects.

This webinar aims at taking a closer look into some key impacts of Covid-19 on the construction industry in Hong Kong and examining what lessons we have indeed learned since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020.

Our speakers are:

Mr Joseph Chung, Partner, Construction Department of Deacons

Joseph Chung is a Solicitor and Partner of Deacons. Joseph’s practice focuses on construction and international arbitration. He is also a Solicitor Advocate having rights of audience up to the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong and is a registered foreign lawyer of the Singapore International Commercial Court.  He was previously a Barrister until he became a Solicitor in 2001. Joseph is a fellow member of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors and the Hong Kong Institute of Construction Adjudicators. He is also on the Panel of Adjudicators of the Hong Kong Institute of Construction Adjudicators.

Joseph has extensive experience in all aspects of construction in both private and public sector work, advising developers, contractors, consultants and banks.

He is recommended in the area of construction in the Asia Pacific Legal 500 and acknowledged as one of the leading lawyers in the area of construction in Chambers Asia Pacific and the exclusive winner of the “Construction” category in Hong Kong by the Client Choice Awards 2018 and 2021.

Joseph is also the co-author of the Hong Kong version of one of the leading UK construction text “Emden’s Construction Law in Hong Kong”.

Mr Stanley Lo, Consultant, Construction Department of Deacons

Stanley is a Consultant in Deacons. He is a Solicitor admitted in the High Court of Hong Kong SAR, a Fellow of the HKIS, RICS and CIOB and an Accredited NEC4 Project Manager. He has over 35 years of experience serving the construction industry in Asia (Hong Kong, China, Macau, Philippines and Cambodia), Middle East (Kuwait and Abu Dhabi), Africa (Chad and Cameroon) and Australasia (Australia and New Zealand). Stanley specializes in construction law, contract administration, project management, Public–Private Partnerships and resolution of construction disputes through mediation, adjudication, arbitration and litigation.

Stanley is recognised as a Leading Front End Construction, Infrastructure & Projects Lawyer (Leading tier) and a Leading Construction & Infrastructure Litigation Lawyer (Recommended tier) in Doyle’s Guide Hong Kong (2021). He also received the NEC Large Project of the Year award for Year 2016 by the NEC Users’ Group for the Kennedy Town Swimming Pool Phase 2 on behalf of the main contractor. Whilst practising as an in-house lawyer, Stanley was elected as one of the 25 Top In-House Counsels in Asia by the Asian Legal Business (2012).

Stanley is admitted in HKIAC’s List of Arbitrators, HKIA/HKIS’s Joint Panel of Arbitrators and HKIAC’s Panel of Adjudicators.

Stanley is the reigning Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Mediation Council (under HKIAC) since July 2020. He was also the Chairman of the Construction Interest Group of the Hong Kong Mediation Council in 2019-2020 and 2015-2016.

Join us and register for this evening webinar. Thank you.

Venue : By Zoom (Details to be provided following registration)

Date / Time : Thursday, 1 September 2022; 6:30pm to 7:30pm (HK Time)

Language : English

Cost : Free for members of HKICAdj or LHC; HK$150 for non-members

A participant should not claim any CPD points if he is absent (excluding scheduled breaks) for more than 10 minutes for a course or event of less than 3 hours or for more than 30 minutes for a course or event of 3 hours or more in duration."

For any queries, please contact our Event Organizing Team by communications@hkicadj.org.