Tim Owen KC
Call
Languages
English
Areas of Practice
Arbitration
Contact
Secretary: Ms. Kathy Chu
[email protected]
Tim Owen KC is a highly regarded specialist in a wide range of practice areas that span the fields of fraud/regulatory, criminal, public, human rights, sanctions, media and information, extradition/MLA, sports, asset recovery, police and civil fraud law. He has been consistently listed by the main Legal Directories as a leading Silk in 6 or more practice areas as well as being identified as one of the Stars at the Bar by Chambers and Partners.
His practice embraces pre-litigation advice, trial and appellate work and he is valued as an advocate with specialist knowledge of the criminal, regulatory and civil law aspects of complex investigations who can provide strategic advice to companies, regulators, multi-national corporations, professional bodies, governments and individuals from the earliest stages of an investigation through to trial and appeal.
In 2025, Tim Owen KC was admitted as a fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators (HKIArb), and has joined Bernacchi Chambers as an Arbitration Member since 2026, with a view to developing an arbitration practice in Hong Kong.
- BA History (First Class), London School of Economics
- Diploma in Law (City University)
Current and Recent Cases
- Defended Mainland Chinese Businessman Jack Chen since 2019 in two re-trials and an appeal to the CA and CFA in relation to charges of conspiracy to defraud the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and a Hong Kong ListCo.
- Acting for lead appellant police officer Inspector Wong Cho Shing before the Hong Kong Court of Appeal in the “Seven police officers’ case” arising from policing of the Occupy Central demonstrations in Hong Kong in 2016/17. The appeal raises novel issues concerning the proper test for the admissibility of video evidence.
- Defended Mainland Chinese businesswoman Madam Ye Fang in her 4 month 2017 trial in Hong Kong for laundering her husband’s proceeds of crime from New Zealand Crafars farms fraud (she was acquitted on all 17 ML counts)
- Defended British banker Rurik Jutting in his 2016 Hong Kong trial for sadistic double killings in a case which raised novel issues of diminished responsibility (please see here for the report).
- Appearing before the Hong Kong Court of Appeal in two significant fraud/money laundering appeals (HKSAR v. Hon Ming Kong [2014] HKCA 144 and HKSAR v. Ye Fang).
- Advising the Hong Kong DPP in relation to a complex appeal relating to convictions for misconduct in public office.
Summary of Significant Cases by Area
Fraud/business crime
- HKSAR v. Jack Chen and others – since 2019 Tim defended Hong Kong based businessman Jack Chen on charges of conspiracy to defraud the HK Stock Exchange arising from New Zealand Crafars farms acquisition.
- HKSAR v. Hon Ming Kong [2014] HKCA 144 (conspiracy to defraud and market abuse appeal by Chairman of two HK public companies raising issues of constitutional law arising from lack of MLA arrangement between Hong Kong and mainland China).
Criminal Law
- HKSAR v Rurik Jutting (2016) – Tim defended Hong Kong based British banker charged with murder of two sex workers – diminished responsibility https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/27/british banker-rurik-jutting-to-appeal-against-conviction