Adrian Hughes, QC

Adrian Hughes QC practises as a barrister and arbitrator from 39 Essex Chambers in London, Singapore and Malaysia. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2006. He sits as a Recorder and Court Examiner. His practice includes construction and engineering, energy, shipping, trade, insurance and financial services. His principal focus is international arbitration. 

He has a longstanding connection with China and frequently undertakes international arbitration and dispute resolution work as counsel in cases involving parties from China. He also sits as Arbitrator, Adjudicator and Mediator on international disputes both in the UK and internationally. He has been a member of the Foreign Arbitrators Panel of CIETAC (China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission) since 2001 and the CCPIT panel of Mediators since its inception. 

From 1990 to 2015 he ran the Young Chinese Lawyers Training Schemes in the UK on behalf of the Bar Council and chaired the Bar Council’s China Group and the China Law Council (the Bar and Law Society joint working group). He continues to play an active role in UK/China legal relations and was recently appointed by GBCC/FCO as Expert on Dispute Resolution to prepare a scoping report on potential cooperation between UK and China in this area.