Three barristers make the cut as senior counsels

Three distinguished barristers will be appointed senior counsels in a ceremony scheduled for May 11.

The three - Parkside Chambers' Benson Tsoi Yat-ming and his wife Frances Lok Man-yin from Des Voeux Chambers as well as Temple Chambers' Queenie Fiona Lau - have made significant contributions to the legal profession and excelled in their areas of practice.

Tsoi, 41, was admitted to the Bar here in 2007 after graduating from the University of Leicester and has since specialized in criminal cases, gaining recognition for his defense of clients caught up in organized-crime dragnets.

As such, he is well versed in trials and appeals and has handled high-profile money laundering and fraud cases.

Lok, 43, read arts at Chinese University before going on to secure a master of arts (jurisprudence) degree from the University of Oxford and then a master of laws degree from Harvard University.

Admitted to the Bar the same year as her husband, Lok practices primarily in the fields of company law, construction and arbitration, probate and trusts.

Her extensive academic background and expertise make her a valuable asset in complex legal matters.

Lau, 41, joined the Bar in 2008 after graduating from University of Cambridge.

She has since developed a distinguished civil and commercial practice, with her areas of expertise including audit and professional negligence, defamation, employment and probate litigation.

Lau has qualified as a mediator for reputable organizations such as the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution in the UK and the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre.

Her father, James Lau Yee-cheung, used to serve as secretary for financial services and the treasury, while her mother, Stella Lau Kun Lai-kuen, is the principal at Diocesan Girls' School.