HKAPA

Dr Moses Cheng is known above all as a legal professional with an illustrious career spanning almost four decades since he was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong in 1975, following his graduation from the University of Hong Kong. He went on to qualify in England and Wales, Victoria in Australia, and Singapore. He is a Notary Public, a China-Appointed Attesting Officer and a Civil Celebrant of Marriages. He has been senior partner of P C Woo & Co since 1994.

Dr Cheng is a person with a sense of mission, which is reflected in his professional practice and in his service to the community and the church.

Before deciding on a career in the legal profession, Dr Cheng had other options : social work or accountancy. For Dr Cheng, the commonality is clear; it’s all about encouraging people to conduct their daily affairs with propriety and integrity. Consequently, Dr Cheng’s legal practice has focused on corporate law advising companies on listing, mergers and acquisitions, raising capital and restructuring corporate loans, corporate governance and regulatory compliance.

To help good corporate governance percolate down from corporations to the community at large, Dr Cheng has cultivated a fine corporate tradition at P C Woo & Co by ensuring that pro bono legal services are provided by both himself and his colleagues. He serves as the legal advisor to various schools, professional bodies, welfare, charitable and Christian organizations, including all establishments under the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (SKH) and the Hong Kong Christian Council. This service, which is a source of great pride to Dr Cheng and his associates, was recognised by the Law Society of Hong Kong in 2011 when the firm received the first ever Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year award.

Keen on giving back to the community, Dr Cheng’s profile in public and community services is second to none. He was appointed a member of the Legislative Council in 1991, serving it with distinction for four years. His expertise has been sought by many government bodies: the Betting and Lotteries Commission, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Advisory Committee on New Broad-based Taxes, the Advisory Committee on Post-office Employment for Former Chief Executives and Politically Appointed Officials, and the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund Board, among others.

A great believer in education, Dr Cheng is chairman of the Education Commission and a director of the Hang Seng Management College. He has also served as chairman of the Court and Council of Hong Kong Baptist University and as chairman of the Board of Education. He was Council member of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts between 2003 to 2006 and served as Deputy Chairman in 2007. He also finds time to serve on the Council of a number of primary and secondary schools, in addition to chairing the Committee on Free- Kindergarten Education in 2013. Taken together, the effect of these contributions is to better the Hong Kong education system and thus prepare students to excel in a global learning environment. To help young people from underprivileged families, Dr Cheng founded the Child Development Matching Fund and Quality Mentorship Network, in addition to having served on committees for the Federation of Hong Kong Youth Groups and the Hong Kong Juvenile Care Centre.

In his leisure time, Dr Cheng finds great satisfaction in the world of music. Growing up in a home filled with music, Dr Cheng was taught the violin, choral conducting, and operatic singing as a teenager, while being a member of the church choir. He counts La Traviata, Carmen and Turandot among his all-time favourites and is a great fan of Placido Domingo. As founding Chairman of Opera Hong Kong, Dr Cheng is instrumental in keeping the operatic tradition alive in the city. As a purist when it comes to music, Dr Cheng is chairman of the Hong Kong Hymn Society, which is dedicated to preserving the best traditions of church music. On each Sunday that he is in town, Dr Cheng takes great pleasure in singing with the church choir and occasionally conducting.

In recognition of his tremendous contribution to the well-being and development of Hong Kong, Dr Cheng was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1996 and was awarded the OBE by Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom in 1997 as well as the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2003.

He was made Honorary Fellow of the University of Hong Kong in 2003 and of CPA Australia in 2007. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree by Hong Kong Baptist University in 2007 and by Lingnan University in 2008.

Dr Cheng is currently serving as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (12th Session). He has also been a member of the Beijing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference for the 10th, 11th and 12th Sessions.