Academic and Professional Qualifications

• MA (Oxon) Jurisprudence
• Admitted as Solicitor of England and Wales
• Admitted as Solicitor of High Court of Hong Kong
• Accredited Mediator

Industry Experience

Professor Jessie Fok is a dual qualified lawyer with over 35 years of experience in corporate and transactional matters. She started her career in London with Herbert Smith Freehills where she worked on UK’s two transformative privatizations which reshaped the delivery of water and electricity public services in the UK. In Hong Kong, Professor Fok was a securities lawyer in magic circle law firm Clifford Chance before joining a multinational conglomerate with a remarkably diverse portfolio spanning across industries and continents in logistics, telecommunications, property/hotel development, retail and infrastructure/energy. At this conglomerate’s Head Office level, Professor Fok supported the Group’s legal, commercial and strategic needs in addition to ensuring holistic compliance with the HK Listing Rules by several of their listed companies in her capacity as Group Legal Counsel and Deputy Company Secretary. From 2004-2025, Professor Fok headed the investment banking APAC legal division of a Global Bank, building and leading a team of lawyers that provided regional support to its APAC Equity Capital Markets and Mergers and Acquisitions advisory practices spanning over 12 jurisdictions. During this time, Professor Fok also guided the Bank through several major and transformative regulatory changes whilst embracing ESG and revolutionary AI-related developments.

Professor Fok graduated from Oxford University with honours. She has been awarded the Top-Tier In-House Counsel of the Year Award in 2024 and was part of the HK team included in the Legal 500 General Counsel Powerlist 2023. She received accreditation on Business Sustainability Management from University of Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership with High Distinction in 2024. Professor Fok currently serves on the Development Committee of Hong Kong Arts Centre, a statutory body formed under the Hong Kong Arts Centre Ordinance (Cap. 304) and is an Accredited Mediator with AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre.

Research Interests

• Commercial Contracts
• Corporate Finance
• Corporate Governance
• Compliance, Ethics and Regulations