Secretary General of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, Mr. Christopher To visited the San Francisco Bay Area in January. The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco invited him to speak on “Arbitrating Chinese-Foreign Business Disputes: The Hong Kong Option” at a luncheon.

Co-sponsored by the Hong Kong Association of Northern California and the Bar Association of San Francisco, the luncheon was attended by more than 100 senior business executives, lawyers and professionals.

Mr. To elaborated on the advantages of using arbitration to resolve disputes and why Hong Kong is the prime center for expedient resolution of business disputes. Hong Kong’s common law legal system, its up-to-date Arbitration Ordinance (which is based on United Nations Commission on International Trade Law), the pool of pro-arbitration and specialist judges, and most importantly, the arrangement for reciprocal enforcement of Hong Kong and Mainland Awards, have made Hong Kong an ideal platform for arbitrating Chinese-foreign business disputes.

Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre is an independent, non-profit making center. It was established in 1985 to provide advisory and support services for the resolution of local and international disputes by mediation and arbitration.