The Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre has announced that Joanne Lau, currently a partner at Allen & Overy, will become its new secretary-general. She will commence her role on Feb. 26.
Lau will succeed Mariel Dimsey, who has held that position since 2022. Dimsey will return to CMS to become local managing partner of its Hong Kong office.
Lau joined Allen & Overy as a trainee solicitor in 2012, and has been with the firm since. She handles commercial and investor-state arbitrations across multiple sectors, jurisdictions and arbitral rules. Lau also has a long association with HKIAC, having previously served on the HK45 committee, where she held the position of co-chair from 2020 to 2022, and on the HKIAC Proceedings Committee.
“As a seasoned arbitration specialist, Joanne will bring to HKIAC a wealth of expertise from her experience as counsel, advocate and arbitrator,” HKIAC said in a statement.
