The Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) has appointed Jocelyn Heng as managing counsel and promoted Zhang Xi, chief representative of its Beijing representative office, to head of China relations, a role she will hold alongside her current position.
Heng succeeds Long Dong, who has served as HKIAC managing counsel since November 2022, and assumes the role on 12 January. She joins the HKIAC from Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, where she was a senior associate.
Simon Chapman, the global co-head of international arbitration at Herbert Smith Freehills, told China Business Law Journal’s sister publication Asia Business Law Journal: “Jocelyn has been a terrific member of the team for many years and, while we are sorry to see her go, we’re delighted to see her skills recognised by the HKIAC in this way. We wish her well in her new role at such an esteemed arbitral institution.”
Zhang joined the HKIAC in October 2024 as chief representative of its newly established Beijing representative office. Prior to joining the HKIAC, she was the deputy general manager of the international legal affairs department at Sinochem Holdings. From 2015 to 2021, she was a senior counsel at the Beijing International Arbitration Centre.
Heng joined Herbert Smith Freehills as a trainee solicitor and was promoted to senior associate in 2022. During more than a decade with the firm, she advised clients across different sectors, including cryptocurrency, financial services, telecommunications, consumer goods and construction, and handled complex arbitration cases seated in different jurisdictions.
Dual-qualified in Hong Kong and England and Wales, Heng is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. In her new role, Heng will lead the HKIAC arbitration team, oversee case management, and strengthen co-operation and communication with stakeholders worldwide.
In a press release, Heng said she was joining the HKIAC “at a time when Hong Kong is a leading global arbitration hub”. She added: “I look forward to working closely with the secretariat team, practitioners and users worldwide to support HKIAC’s mission, and contribute to its continued leadership as a premier arbitral institution.”
