Ms. May Tai specialises in cross-border China-related and Asian disputes, as well as contentious regulatory matters. She regularly advises governments, government-owned entities and commercial clients (including financial institutions and energy companies) in Asia, Europe and the United States, including acting as counsel and advocate in arbitrations under various rules and court proceedings. She has acted as arbitrator in SIAC and HKIAC proceedings, and has also sat as an Emergency Arbitrator under the ICC Rules.
May has published several articles on arbitration and dispute resolution, and is regularly invited to speak at conferences on such topics. She has also taught arbitration at Tsinghua Law School.
May speaks five languages fluently, including Bahasa (Malaysian and Indonesian), Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) and English. She is a CEDR accredited mediator and an arbitrator in the HKIAC List of Arbitrators. She also sits as a board member at The London Court of International Arbitration and a member of User Council at Singapore International Arbitration Centre. May is qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales, and Hong Kong.
May is based in Hong Kong but also spends time in Herbert Smith Freehills’ Shanghai and Beijing offices and has also practised in London, Singapore and Tokyo. She understands the legal and business scenes well in these cities.