By Melissa Coade -
David Jin spends his days dealing with complex financial disputes in the Cayman Islands office of international law firm Appleby. But his professional life hasn’t always been white sand and offshore investments. The University of Wollongong engineering and law graduate worked for the Australia China Business Council after being admitted to the profession in NSW in 2011. He went on to spend four years as a solicitor in Sydney, developing his understanding of Chinese business culture and putting his language skills to use.
Jin talks about landing work among the big fish of dispute resolution in the Caribbean.
What led you to practise in Hong Kong and then the Cayman Islands?
I have been fascinated by the laws that govern international commerce, especially dispute resolution. In early 2017, I started looking at opportunities in Hong Kong given its status as an international city and as a place that would allow me to use my Chinese language skills. After two interviews, I was offered a position in the Hong Kong dispute resolution team at Appleby, with a focus on insolvency and restructuring.
While working in Hong Kong, a secondment opportunity to work in the Cayman Islands came up. I thought this was a great chance to experience dispute resolution in the Caribbean first-hand. I am currently in my second month here at Appleby’s Cayman office, and the team, led Peter McMaster QC, has welcomed me with open arms. They have not only helped me professionally, but also helped my wife and I to settle into our Cayman life.
