Empowering Construction Managers with Adjudication under Hong Kong’s Security of Payment Ordinance (SOPO)

Mr. Nick CHAN Hiu Fung, BBS, MH, JP
Hon Fellow (HKUST), AALCO (Adj Arb Med SportsMed), FHKIArb, MCIArb
Director, AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre
Member, Legislative Council of the HKSAR

Lawyer, lawmaker and policy-setter with computer science background, Mr. Nick Chan, a Justice of the Peace, is the Director leading the operations of AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre. Established by operation of international law, the Centre operates under the auspices of Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO), an international inter-governmental organization with 49 countries as member states.

With arbitration rules and mediation rules that help to facilitate confidential cost-effective disputes resolution and economic advancements, the Centre has over 300 arbitrators from all over the world with a combined experience of over 3000 years to its Panel of Arbitrators, and over 100 mediators on the Panel of Mediators.

Mr. Chan frequently teaches law, AI and innovation at world-leading universities. He serves as Expert Committee of China-BRICS Artificial Intelligence Development and Cooperation Center, Chairman of the Hong Kong Government’s $2 billion Innovation and Technology Venture Fund Advisory Committee, Vice Chairman of the China Committee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, and as Honorary Legal Advisor of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries.  He holds various board memberships at sports associations and serves the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China. Mr. Chan is an experienced lawyer with regional responsibilities as Partner of a leading international law firm, Squire Patton Boggs with over 40 offices in 4 continents.

CAI Weiping (Dennis) is the Deputy Director of the AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre (AALCO-HKRAC), a position he has held since 2022. He is a seasoned executive with over two decades of leadership in Hong Kong’s dispute resolution sector, having previously held senior roles at HKIAC, eBRAM, and ADNDRC.

Since 2010, Dennis has been at the forefront of shaping Hong Kong’s construction payment regime. He has been deeply involved in the policy discussions, stakeholder consultations, and legislative process that led to the Construction Industry Security of Payment Ordinance (Cap. 652). This long-standing engagement gives him unparalleled insight into the Ordinance’s intent and practical application.

Dennis maintains an active practice as an arbitrator. He is a member of the AALCO-HKRAC Panel of Arbitrators, the China Maritime Arbitration Commission, the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), and other esteemed bodies. He is also one of the 143 arbitrators appointed to the trilateral Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Arbitrator Panel, a joint initiative of the three jurisdictions’ legal departments to enhance regional dispute resolution talent.

Since 2017, he has decided over 30 disputes in intellectual property, domain name, and e-commerce matters, giving him sharp, practical insight into statutory adjudication processes. At AALCO-HKRAC, Dennis leverages this unique combination of policy expertise, regional standing, and hands-on experience to guide the Centre’s role as a leading Adjudicator Nominating Body under the SOPO.