Asian Institute of International Financial Law

Join us for our upcoming event on 30 Jan: HKU Competition Law Lecture Series: Regulation of the Digital Markets in Japan with Professor Masako Wakui, professor at the Graduate School of Law, Kyoto University at HKU Law.

Deatils & registration: https://aiifl.law.hku.hk/events/upcoming-events/

This lecture explores the evolving landscape of competition law and policy in Japan, with a focus on recent developments that highlight both the strengths and limitations of the current legal framework. Central to the discussion is the recent Antimonopoly Act (AMA) violation case involving Google’s Android, which raises critical questions about platform dominance, market power, and significance of default setting. Complementing this case study is an examination of the newly enacted Smartphone Act, designed to reinforce and supplement the AMA by addressing structural issues in digital markets and ensuring fairer competition among app stores and mobile service providers. Beyond these specific legal measures, the lecture will consider broader themes: what competition law in Japan can realistically achieve in regulating complex, fast-moving digital markets, and where its boundaries lie.

Join us for "The 8th Conference on International Coordination of Secured Transactions Reform" on November 27-28, 2025, at HKU Faculty of Law.

This 1.5 day Conference will feature expert panels and collaborative discussions addressing:

International Standards for Secured Transactions
Regional Developments in Secured Transactions Law Reforms
Intangible Assets and Secured Financing (IP Rights, Digital Assets, Receivables)
Product-Focused Reform Strategies for MSME Financing
Coordination of Legal and Regulatory Frameworks

Principal Organiser:
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law - UNCITRAL

Co-organisers & Hosts:
Asian Institute of International Financial Law, HKU Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong

Joint Network Executive Committee Members:
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law - UNCITRAL
International Institute for the Unification of Private Law - UNIDROIT
IFC - International Finance Corporation - World Bank Group
International Law Institute

Details & registration: https://aiifl-event.law.hku.hk/
This is an in-person event. Attendance is free of charge, but registration is mandatory due to limited seats.

We are excited to host a one-of-a-kind three-day intensive introductory course on “Taxation for a Sustainable Environment”, designed for legal in-house practitioners, counsels, and postgraduate commerce or law students.

This course, an initiative of AIIFL’s Taxation Law Research Programme (TLRP), features Professor Archie Parnell (Jindal Global University Law School) and guest speaker Professor Christine Loh (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), who will explore how taxation and carbon pricing mechanisms can address climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and other environmental challenges, with a particular focus on Hong Kong’s role in the global and regional context.

Save the Date:

📅 7–9 November 2025

📍Cheng Yu Tung Tower, Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong


For more information and registration: https://aiifl.law.hku.hk/events_posts/taxation-for-a-sustainable-environment/

Join us for our upcoming event: War & Insurance with Professor Özlem Gürses.

Professor Gürses, a commercial law scholar at King's College London, specialises in insurance and reinsurance law. She is the author of several works in the field, including the widely used textbook Marine Insurance Law (3rd ed., 2023, Routledge) and Reinsuring Clauses (2nd ed., 2025, Informa).

The discussion will be moderated by Professor Michael Tsimplis (School of Law, City University of Hong Kong, CUHK). His research spans maritime, commercial and environmental law, as well as oceanography and environmental science.

This event is organised by the HKU Centre for Private Law and Asian Institute of International Financial Law. The seminar will be held on 5 September at the HKU Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong.

This is an in-person event and registration is required. Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/gaXNehjG

The Asian Institute of International Financial Law (AIIFL) is pleased to welcome two HKU Faculty of Law members as AIIFL Fellows: Dr. Angus Young, PhD (Senior Lecturer) and Ms. Lea-Anne L. (Senior Lecturer).

Dr. Young’s research and teaching interests are in governance, risk and compliance as well as financial regulations and crimes, offering critical insights into ethics and accountability in finance. Ms. Lee is a seasoned financial law and regulation expert, bringing her extensive experience in domestic and cross border legal and compliance matters.

We are delighted to welcome Angus and Lea-Anne to AIIFL!

The Asian Institute of International Financial Law (AIIFL) is pleased to welcome two HKU Faculty of Law members as AIIFL Fellows: Professor James Si Zeng and Professor Ying Zhu.

Professor Zeng specializes in corporate law, the Chinese legal system, and empirical legal studies, with research interests and publications encompassing corporate governance, securities regulation, and the relationship between law and finance. Professor Zhu focuses on how to reform international economic law to promote sustainable development, with her research spanning across international investment law, international trade law and environmental law.

We are delighted to welcome James and Ying to AIIFL!

Join us for our upcoming seminar: Dynamism and Politics in EU Merger Control with Dr. Anna Tzanaki.

Dr. Tzanaki, a Lecturer in Law at the University of Leeds, specialises in competition law and policy, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and finance, and digital markets.

The event will take place on 18 August at the Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong. It will be chaired by Professor Julian Nowag, AIIFL Fellow and Associate Professor at the HKU Faculty of Law.

This is an in-person event and registration is required. Learn more and register here: https://aiifl.law.hku.hk/dynamism-and-politics-in-eu-merger-control/

The Asian Institute of International Financial Law (AIIFL) is pleased to welcome two HKU Faculty of Law members as AIIFL Fellows: Professor Adrian Kuenzler and Professor Julian Nowag.

Professor Kuenzler, whose research sits at the intersection of law, markets, and technology, brings extensive expertise in antitrust, consumer protection, and the regulation of innovation. Professor Nowag, a leading voice in EU competition law, sustainability, and economic regulation, adds depth to AIIFL’s growing focus on cross-border regulatory and policy issues.

We are delighted to welcome Adrian and Julian to AIIFL!

We are proud to announce and welcome Professor Giuliano Castellano as the new Director of the Asian Institute of International Financial Law (AIIFL) at HKU Faculty of Law, effective 1 July 2025.

Since its founding in 1999, AIIFL has been an integral part of The University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Law. It has grown into one of the leading hubs for research, teaching, and policy engagement in financial, corporate, and economic law (broadly intended). With over 10 specialist research programmes, hundreds of public events in the past five years, research grants, and partnerships with leading research institutions and policymakers worldwide, AIIFL continues to drive cutting-edge scholarship and impact.

Professor Castellano, a globally respected scholar with established experience in international standard-setting and law reforms, builds on the legacy of past Directors - Professors Joseph Norton, Say Goo, Charles Booth, Douglas Arner, Gary Meggitt, and Emily Lee.

Stay tuned for AIIFL’s upcoming events and initiatives.

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Professor Philip St. John Smart Memorial Lecture
"The Cross-Border Insolvency Cooperation between Mainland China and Hong Kong SAR: Is the Arrangement Enough and Why?"
will be held on 3 May 2023 by Professor Jingxia Shi, Renmin University of China
Details: https://aiifl.law.hku.hk/cross-border-insolvency-cooperation/.

Tax Webinar "The Public Revenue Regime in Hong Kong: Land & Housing" will be held on 13 April 2023
Speaker: Professor Richard Cullen
Details: https://aiifl.law.hku.hk/the-public-revenue-regime-in-hong-kong-land-housing/.