Biography
Josh is a highly experienced commercial and corporate litigation and international arbitration lawyer, with a particular focus in security, asset tracing and enforcement actions which involve multiple jurisdictions. He also has a strong State Aid, Public Procurement and Judicial Review practice.
Prior to joining Signature, Josh was a partner at DLA Piper and led on matters involving Europe and China, and was head of the UK China Desk. Prior to this, he was a Senior Associate at Herbert Smith Freehills.
Josh acts for a broad range of clients, focusing particularly on Chinese-based organisations, utilising his in-depth knowledge and experience of practicing in both China and Hong Kong. He regularly acts for clients in the financial services, energy and extractive, insurance, manufacturing and retail sectors.
He has extensive expertise representing clients in ad hoc arbitrations and arbitrations under the ICC, LCIA, SCC and UNCITRAL rules and also specialises in security, asset tracing and enforcement actions involving the CIS, India, China and offshore jurisdictions such as BVI, Cayman and Belize.
Josh is native Chinese, speaks fluent Cantonese and good Mandarin, and is a regular speaker on issues relating to China at events organised by the China Britain Business Council, UK Trade and Investment and China Britain Law Institute. Josh is Chair of the Northern Chapter of Hong Kong UK Business Forum.
Described as a “a highly experienced commercial international arbitration expert“, Josh is recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2023 for international arbitration and banking litigation. A commentator remarks: “Josh Wong and his colleagues are a highly knowledgeable and intellectually-focused team that fully appreciates and acts upon all the levers within complex litigation, taking full account of the strengths and weakness of all components.” Past guides have also noted that he is “an expert in security, asset tracing and enforcement actions involving multiple jurisdictions”. He has also been ranked in Chambers Global as a ‘Foreign Expert Based in UK’ for his Chinese dispute resolution, arbitration expertise, and as a ‘Foreign Expert for China’ for UK dispute resolution.
Experience
Commercial litigation
- Advised a Chinese international company on a significant claim arising from an abortive acquisition in Israel.
- Acting for major Chinese Airline in relation to multi-million pound damages for breach of contract in relation to supply of equipment.
- Advising a large Chinese Auto manufacturer on claims arising from contractual disputes and regulatory issues following the acquisition of a global autoparts company.
- Instructed on behalf of a Russian bank in relation to asset tracing and injunctions against major debtor including actions in Belize, Liechtenstein, Cyprus and Luxembourg.
- Acted for a Fortune 500 company in respect to investigation and actions arising from a complex fraud in India.
- Advised a US insurance and investment company in respect to freezing injunctions against two employees in respect to multi-million fraud.
- Advised the world leading UK suitcase retailer on termination of contractual arrangements with six Chinese manufacturers and four agents in UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings in Stockholm.
- Acted for a Chinese entrepreneur on a large scale claim against a pharmaceutical company for breach of trading agreement and misrepresentation in High Court proceedings in London.
International Arbitration
- Acted for an investor in ICC proceedings in London against a Russian Investment Management Company in respect to professional negligence and breach of contract including issues of conflict of laws between UK, Russian and Cayman.
- Instructed on behalf of a Swiss-based insurance company in LCIA Arbitration proceedings in London in relation to a breach of indemnity in Sale and Purchase Agreement.
- Acted for City of St Petersburg in its defence against UNCITRAL Arbitration proceedings in Stockholm in relation to alleged breaches of public international law in respect to an investment contract.
- Represented Eastern European government authority in respect to claims by investors in the construction sector under a bilateral investment treaty for expropriation and unfair and inequitable treatment
- Acted for a Chinese purchaser in relation to claims by a supplier for rejection of rapeseed due to alleged poor quality, and confidential FOSFA Arbitration proceedings in London.
Publications
Discipline in court – Maritime Risk International – 12 November 2019
News in relation to Captain Rashid / OCIMF matter – The Lawyer – 27 August 2019
Ship inspector wins landmark UK High Court ruling in first accreditation case – Maritime Risk International – August 2019
Landmark High Court ruling in novel maritime litigation claim – ICLG – 23 August 2019
OCIMF in dock for ‘unlawfully’ removing SIRE inspector’s accreditation – Tanker Operator – 23 August 2019
OCIMF lambasted by High Court for unlawfully stripping surveyor of accreditation – Seatrade Maritime News – 20 august 2019
OCIMF facing substantial damages in unfair dismissal case – Lloyds List – 19 August 2019
Signature Litigation secures landmark UK High Court ruling against international oil federation – Oil and Gas Press – August 2019
OCIMF ‘unlawfully’ stripped surveyor of accreditation over false logbook claims – Trade Winds – 17 August 2019
Comments in relation to Chinese investment – The Times Raconteur – 18 October 2017
ZTE receives record sanctions penalty – CDR – 9 March 2017
Areas of Expertise
Josh Wong's Latest Published Articles
@SignatureLitLLP
Partner Simon Fawell comments on the possible expansion of the Quincecare duty, which will be considered by the U.K. Supreme Court in upcoming weeks, in @Law360. Read Simon's comments by following the link here: bit.ly/3JCgCLS #Quincecare #Fraud pic.twitter.com/88rcWkwKny
Signature Partners
Ioannis Alexopoulos
Ioannis is ranked in the Chambers UK 2022 Guide for international arbitration, which notes that he “consistently produces extraordinary, excellent work and he fills the client with great confidence and comfort”. He is further described as “adept at handling BIT claims” and “is very experienced and brings a wealth of knowledge to the field.” He is also recognised in The Legal 500 UK 2023 as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for civil fraud, international arbitration, commercial litigation and banking litigation, and he is praised for his “superb commercial and practical sense.” Ioannis is also recognised in Who’s Who Legal 2022 Arbitration Guide. He has been described as “well recognised for his top-notch arbitration practice among peers who say he is “very experienced and engaging with the tribunal”.”
Paul Brehony
Paul is recognised for his commercial litigation expertise in The Legal 500 UK 2023 Guide. He has also been recommended for civil fraud and banking litigation and is commended as “a highly accomplished insolvency litigator“, who “is fantastic in highly complex insolvency cases where his knowledge and experience put him head and shoulders above others“. Previous guides have described Paul as a “notable practitioner” for banking litigation and “highly recommended” for commercial litigation. He is further praised as “charming, well organised and a pleasure to litigate with.”
Natalia Chumak
Natalia has been ranked in the Chambers UK and The Legal 500 UK Guides for her International Arbitration expertise. She has previously been praised by The Legal 500 and Chambers UK for her “fantastic experience and responsiveness“, for being an “extremely good tactical mind“, a “steely litigator with excellent litigation instincts” and she has been praised for her ability to “remain incredibly calm under pressure“.
Julian Connerty
Julian has been ranked in Chambers for Civil Fraud and the Guide notes he “has considerable expertise in international fraud cases.” Julian is recommended in The Legal 500 UK 2022 for his civil fraud expertise. The Legal 500 has noted that Julian is an “extremely experienced practitioner” and “a specialist in international fraud and asset recovery actions”. Julian is also described as “subtle and meticulous” and “inspires great confidence in all around him”.
Simon Fawell
Simon has been recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK for his litigation and arbitration expertise and is commended as “a strong strategic thinker”, “a real team player” and “very good to work with”. He is also Recommended for insurance and reinsurance litigation.
Sylvie Gallage-Alwis
Sylvie is described by Who’s Who Legal as a “dynamic and determined litigator“, who is “a firm favourite among clients” as “she always goes the extra mile to support her clients, and is proactive in seeking commercial solutions to disputes” and is “analytical, intelligent and responsive“. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide ranks Sylvie as a ‘Leading Individual’ for Product Liability Litigation in France and she is recognised for her work on “high-profile toxic tort and product liability cases, handing a number of asbestos claims.”
Becca Hogan
Becca is recognised as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ by The Legal 500 UK 2023 for banking litigation. Becca is described as “exceptional“, with an “excellent grasp of the detail”. She is further praised as a “safe and skilled pair of hands.” She has been described, by previous editions of the Guide, as “stellar“, “calm and strategic“. She has also been praised for her “good instincts” and “commercial approach”.
Graham Huntley
Graham is consistently recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers as one of the UK’s highest ranked commercial and banking litigators and has been involved in some of the most significant cases of recent years. Chambers UK describes him as “an intense and effective solicitor with an incredibly client-focused approach” and he has previously been described as “very bright, very hard-working, a good tactician” and “very committed and driven”. The Legal 500 UK 2023 recognises Graham as a ‘Hall of Fame’ lawyer for both banking litigation and commercial litigation, and a ‘Leading Individual’ for his civil fraud expertise. He is described as “a doyen of London banking litigation” and a “master tactician“.
Abdulali Jiwaji
Abdul is regarded as a ‘Leading Individual’ in The Legal 500 UK 2023 for Commercial Litigation and a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail. The Guide notes he is “absolutely unflappable” and that he “inspires confidence“. A commentator notes that: “One of the best litigators I have had the privilege of working with is Abdulali Jiwaji.” Abdul is further described as having “a grip of the big picture and the detail; very deft in client handling; tenacious and determined; swift, responsive and clear-thinking“. Previous Guides have noted Abdul “is always on the ball and has a good tactical brain” and recognises he “has always provided sound and very considered advice”. He is also praised for being “a steady hand during turbulent times”. Chambers Global has described him as a “technically sound, sensible and robust litigator who always finds practical solutions”.
Tsegaye Laurendeau
Tsegaye Laurendeau is recognised as a ‘future leader’ in the Who’s Who Legal Arbitration Guide. Peers and clients say he is a “brilliant arbitration lawyer” and “very adept at steering cases and handling experts”. Previous editions of this Guide note that Tsegaye is “one of the best arbitration lawyers of his generation”, “a top-notch attorney” who is “rapidly establishing himself as one of the leading practitioners, notably in Africa-related disputes”. Tsegaye also features in The Legal 500 International Arbitration Powerlist UK, which showcases the UK’s leading arbitration practitioners.
Emmanuèle Lutfalla
Emmanuèle is recognised as a ‘Thought Leader’ in Who’s Who Legal’s France 2020 Guide. She is also ranked as both a ‘National’ (in France) and ‘Global’ Leader for Product Liability Defence in Who’s Who Legal. The Guide notes Emmanuèle “excels in handling disputes at the intersection of product liability and insurance matters, representing clients from the life sciences sector in litigation and product risk management.” The Legal 500 EMEA Guide ranks Emmanuèle as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for insurance and notes she is “very renowned in the insurance sector“. The Legal 500 also ranks the insurance and reinsurance litigation practice very highly in Paris, and also notes the department “unites an impressive bench of stellar litigators“. The Chambers Europe 2022 Guide notes that Emmanuèle noted as “the key point of contact” for insurance at the firm. Chambers ranks Signature Paris’ insurance practice as a leading firm in its Europe Guide and highlights the team’s “knowledge and ability to handle complex and difficult matters“.
Hermès Marangos
Hermès is recognised as a ‘Leading Individual’ in The Legal 500 UK 2022 for his insurance and reinsurance litigation practice. Hermès has been ranked as an expert in Chambers Global and Chambers Latin America for his Insurance expertise in the region.
Neil Newing
Neil is regarded as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2023 for international arbitration and banking litigation. He is for his “excellent arbitration experience, and excellent appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of cases.” Previous Guides have described Neil as “a strong lawyer who stands out for the quality and thoroughness of his analysis” and noted for managing “major cross-border disputes“. The Legal 500 UK 2021 recognised him as “an outstandingly clever counsel who will go very far”. Neil is also described as being “an exceptionally talented lawyer, a strategic thinker and a pleasure to work with. The depth and breadth of his experience in international commercial arbitrations is a huge asset to the firm”. He is also ranked in the Who’s Who Legal Arbitration Guide as a ‘future leader’.
Elliott Phillips
Elliott is an internationally recognised barrister and specialises in global commercial litigation and international contentious trusts disputes. He has been recognised in The Legal 500 for his experience in dispute resolution work and is also ranked as a Band 2 individual in both Chambers Global and Chambers Europe for General Business Law: Dispute Resolution — Gibraltar. Elliott is also recognised as one of the world’s leading private client lawyers and trusts and estates litigators, and is listed in the Private Client Global Elite community. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide recognises Elliott as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for dispute resolution in Gibraltar, and notes he “is a specialist in international trusts and estates disputes.” A referee in the Guide described Elliott as “an accomplished litigator, highly experienced, knowledgeable and great to have on your side” and another praised his “vast knowledge and experience across an array of different areas” and noted he is “the stand-out practitioner in a hugely talented team.“
Flore Poloni
Ranked in the Who’s Who Legal Arbitration Guide, Flore is described as “the most dynamic young arbitration practitioner in Paris“, “a very dynamic and multi-skilled lawyer” and praised for her “excellent communication skills and perfect knowledge of arbitration“. The Legal 500 EMEA 2021 Guide ranks Flore as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for dispute resolution and has been recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ lawyer for International Arbitration. Flore has been praised for her “extensive expertise in international arbitration” and described as “extremely capable”.
Thomas Rouhette
Thomas is ranked as a leading expert by both Chambers Global and Europe for his litigation and aviation law expertise, with sources praising him for his “invaluable” advice, experience and knowledge. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide consistently recognises Thomas as a ‘Hall of Fame’ lawyer for his aviation and commercial litigation practices. Who’s Who Legal regards Thomas as the “finest product liability lawyer in the country and one of the very best on the continent.”
Tom Snelling
Highly ranked in the Chambers UK Guide for his commercial litigation expertise, Tom Snelling is described in the 2020 Guide as “extraordinarily good” and an “utter pleasure to work with and enormously talented, with a sixth sense for where a case is going and very sound judgement”. The Guides have also noted that Tom is “amazingly dedicated with strong credentials in international litigation” and that he is both “practical and commercial”. Tom is recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2022 for Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail and Commercial Litigation.
Daniel Spendlove
The Legal 500 UK Guide describes Daniel as “hugely talented“, “with a really creative eye for litigation strategy“, “an exceptionally committed, exceptionally hard working lawyer, with a careful and thorough approach to issues” and “a really effective litigator“. He has also been described as “very smart, client focused and details-oriented” and “excellent, with great attention to detail, wide experience and excellent client care’“. He has also been praised as “highly professional”, and “a strategic thinker” who “brings real energy to cases”. He is highly ranked across the Commercial Litigation, Banking Litigation and International Arbitration categories. He was recently described, by Commercial Dispute Resolution magazine, as “one of a new breed of independent and forceful commercial litigation partners”.
Rory Spillman
Rory is recognised as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ by The Legal 500 UK 2023 for banking litigation and a commentator notes that Rory has “tremendous judgement” is “very hard-working“, and comes “highly recommended for banking disputes.” He has also been described by previous Guides as “impressive“, “excellent” and a “real authority“.
Josh Wong
Described as a “a highly experienced commercial international arbitration expert“, Josh is recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2023 for international arbitration and banking litigation. A commentator remarks: “Josh Wong and his colleagues are a highly knowledgeable and intellectually-focused team that fully appreciates and acts upon all the levers within complex litigation, taking full account of the strengths and weakness of all components.” Past guides have also noted that he is “an expert in security, asset tracing and enforcement actions involving multiple jurisdictions”. He has also been ranked in Chambers Global as a ‘Foreign Expert Based in UK’ for his Chinese dispute resolution, arbitration expertise, and as a ‘Foreign Expert for China’ for UK dispute resolution.
