Major Developments In Hong Kong’s Competition Regime

Mr Samuel Chan Ka-yan, JP

Chairman of the Competition Commission

Mr Samuel Chan has been a member of the Competition Commission since 2016 and was recently appointed Chairman of the Competition Commission in May 2020. He is a practising barrister at Denis Chang’s Chambers, regularly advising and acting in commercial, company, and chancery disputes. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators.

Prior to being appointed as the Chairman of the Competition Commission, Mr Chan served as Vice-Chairman of the Consumer Council. He currently holds a number of public positions, serving as a Non-Executive Director of the Insurance Authority and as Deputy Chairman of the Town Planning Appeal Board

Mr Brent Snyder

Chief Executive Officer of the Competition Commission  

Mr. Brent Snyder was appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Competition Commission in September 2017.

Prior to joining the Commission, Mr. Snyder served in the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice from 2003 until 2017, first as a Trial Attorney playing a key role in the Division’s criminal matters, and as Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) from 2013 until 2017. In his capacity as DAAG, Mr. Snyder headed the criminal enforcement function overseeing enforcement, prosecutions, leniency and other policy work. Mr. Snyder twice received the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service and was awarded an Antitrust Division Award of Distinction.

Prior to joining the government, Mr. Snyder practiced law at Paul Hastings in Los Angeles and Perkins Coie in Seattle where he was a Partner.

Abraham Chan

SC, Barrister at Temple Chambers

Mr. Chan is a practising barrister who advises and acts as counsel and advocate in commercial, constitutional and administrative law litigation. His practice extends to regulatory fields with both private and public law elements, including securities, telecommunications, land administration and competition law.

Mr. Chan acted for the Commission (led by Daniel Beard QC) in Commission v W. Hing and Ors, the Tribunal’s first ever decision on the economic efficiency defence and the first time the Tribunal ordered the payment of pecuniary penalties.  

Mr. Chan has been cited across various editions of Chambers & Partners guides (Global/Asia Pacific) as “a very intelligent and articulate barrister” with “an excellent brain and exceptional presentation skills” who “commands the court’s respect”.

Adam Ferguson

Partner of Eversheds Sutherland

Mr Ferguson is highly experienced competition law practitioner, who, since 2015, has led Eversheds Sutherland’s competition practice in Asia. He is qualified in Hong Kong and England & Wales and has over 20 years’ experience in advising clients on all aspects of competition law and economic regulation.

Mr Ferguson represented the Hong Kong Communications Authority in Television Broadcasts Limited v Communications Authority, in which TVB judicially reviewed the CA’s finding that TVB had abused a dominant position in the Hong Kong broadcasting market (the first time the Hong Kong High Court was required to consider issues of competition law). 

Prior to taking up his role in Hong Kong, Adam represented clients on numerous European Commission cartel investigations, including the Tin stabilizers, Acrylic Glass and Trucks cartels and was part of the team that represented Reckitt Benckiser on its ground-breaking early resolution agreement with the UK Office of Fair Trading, in respect an alleged abuse of dominance relating to the heartburn remedy, Gaviscon.

Adam has been consistently identified as a leading individual for competition law in Hong Kong, with Legal 500, describing him as "personable, sharp and dedicated".