Denis Brock is the Chair of O’Melveny’s International Disputes and Arbitration Practice and the regional head of the Asia Litigation Practice. He concentrates his practice on commercial and corporate arbitration, litigation, and regulatory investigations.
Denis is regularly recognised as a leading dispute resolution and insurance practitioner in Asia and the UK. He is currently ranked as “Band 1” by Chambers Asia in dispute resolution and has equivalent ranking with other relevant legal directories. He is an Advocate in England & Wales and an Advocate in Hong Kong.
Denis draws on years of experience handling corporate and joint venture disputes, partnership issues, commodities and resources disputes, professional negligence claims (particularly against accountants, brokers, and lawyers), banking and finance litigation, insurance matters, and regulatory issues.
Denis is a Fellow of CIArb and is regularly appointed as arbitrator. He appears as counsel in arbitrations including those under the administration of the LCIA, HKIAC, CIETAC, and ICC.
- Appearing as a Solicitor Advocate in actions before the High Court and Court of Appeal of Hong Kong, and The High Court, Court of Appeal of England & Wales, and The House of Lords (now reconstituted as the Supreme Court)
- Representing Hong Kong listed companies and multi-national corporations in regulatory investigations conducted by the Securities and Futures Commission, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, and other regulatory bodies
- Acting for a Hong Kong regulator as investigations and prosecution counsel
- Defending the directors of a Hong Kong listed company against a minority shareholder action
- Defending an international investment bank against claims arising from the alleged mis-selling of financial products
- Defending an international insurance broker against high-value claims for professional negligence arising from the placement of insurance programmes
- Representing a leading accounting firm network in the expulsion of its then Hong Kong member firm and the ensuing arbitration in London and litigation in Hong Kong
- Representing a Hong Kong listed company in a long-running court battle with numerous counter-parties over a very substantial acquisition
- Defending a leading professional services firm and its partners against a claim for negligence relating to their role as trustees in bankruptcy
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- Hong Kong (Solicitor-Advocate)
- England & Wales (Solicitor-Advocate)
- Ireland
- Australia
- New Zealand
- New York
Court Admissions
- Singapore International Commercial Court (Registration of Foreign Lawyers)
Education
- University of London, LL.B. (Honours)
- University of Hong Kong, LL.M. (Distinction)
Honors & Awards
- Recoginized by Chambers Asia-Pacific (2020-2024) and Chambers Greater China Region (2021-2024) for the categories of Dispute Resolution: Litigation (International Firms), China, Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (International Firms), China, and Insurance Contentious (International Firms), China
- Asia-Pacific Legal 500 (2021-2024): Hall of Fame lawyer for the categories of China/Hong Kong, Dispute Resolution: Litigation
- Asia-Pacific Legal 500 (2021-2024): Leading Individual lawyer for the categories of Hong Kong, Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration, and China, Insurance: Foreign Firms
Chambers Asia-Pacific (2019-2021): Band 2 for Insurance: Contentious (International Firms)
- Denis Brock is a well-respected commercial litigator and has vast experience handling contentious insurance cases, particularly in connection with D&O and professional indemnity claims. A client comments: "He is a very strategic thinker, somebody who, if you go to him with a difficult problem, is always good at finding solutions, which is why we always go to him."
Chambers Asia-Pacific (2019-2021): Band 1 for Dispute Resolution: Litigation (International Firms)
- Impressed sources describe practice head Denis Brock as a "bright and hard-working" litigator who "needs no introduction." He has extensive experience in handling commercial disputes and regularly advises clients on cases spanning professional negligence, joint venture and shareholder issues, banking litigation and fraud. Sources comment: "Denis can always be counted on to provide sage counsel and advice."
Chambers Asia-Pacific (2019-2021): Leading Litigator: Band 4 for Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (International Firms)
- Denis Brock leads the international disputes and arbitration practice at O'Melveny & Myers and possesses wide-ranging expertise across in the dispute resolution space. He handles a range of commercial arbitration cases arising out of shareholder and joint venture disputes, and breach of commercial contracts. One client says: "He is a very strategic thinker, somebody who is always good at finding solutions if you go to him with a difficult problem."
Chambers Global 2016-2023, Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (International Firms), Dispute Resolution (International Firms)
Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2019, Dispute Resolution Star for Commercial and Transactions, International Arbitration
Who's Who Legal 2018-2019, Recommended in Litigation
Who's Who Legal 2019, Thought Leader
Professional Activities
Member
- Law Society of Hong Kong (Council Member: 2000 to 2006, 2011 to 2021)
- ICC-HK Arbitration & ADR Committee
- Law Society of England and Wales
- Law Society of Ireland
Appointments
- Panel of Arbitrators, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre
- Panel of Arbitrators for Financial Services Disputes, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre
- Panel of Arbitrators, Singapore International Arbitration Centre
- Panel of Arbitrators, Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration
- Delegate, ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR
Fellow
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)
- Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators (FHKIArb)
General Editor
- Arbitration in Hong Kong: A Practical Guide (second edition)
- Commercial Litigation in Hong Kong: A Practical Guide
- Arbitration in Singapore: A Practical Guide
Author (contributing)
- “The ‘Pay As You Go’ Principle in Deciding Costs: A Powerful Tool in the Arbitral Tribunal’s Case Management Arsenal,” Asian Dispute Review, April 2021
- ADR in Business; Insurance Law and Practice in Hong Kong
- Enforcement of Foreign Judgments
- The White Book: Hong Kong Civil Procedure
Speeches
- IPBA conference in Hong Kong – Back to Business: How to return international arbitration to being cheap and quick (March, 2024)
- Due Process in International Arbitration virtual roundtable
- Inter-Pacific Bar Association annual conferences
- ADR in Asia conferences in Hong Kong
- In-House Congress conferences in Asia’ HKIAC roadshow to India: Bridging Asia’s Leading International Arbitration Destination with Asia’s Rising Economic Powerhouse
- HKIAC’s Complex Issues in International Arbitration
- SIAC’s conference in London: The Marco Polo Effect - The role of Singapore in the Euro-Asian legal eco-system
- SIAC’s conference in New York: The Marco Polo Effect - Arbitrations and Contracts with Chinese, Indian, and ASEAN Parties
- Guest Lecture on Insurance Law, The University of Hong Kong
- Guest Lecture on Arbitration, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
- O’Melveny Presents Seminar in Hong Kong: India-Hong Kong Tax Treaty, Opportunities for Business and Drafting Dispute Resolution Clauses with Indian Parties