Mr. Clarence Cheng was born in Hong Kong and grew up there.  He graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor of Laws in 1977 and obtained a Post-graduate Certificate in Laws in 1978.  He received a Diploma in Chinese Law from the University of East Asia, Macau, in 1987 and passed the Canadian Securities Course in 1989 with honors.

Mr. Cheng practices law in Hong Kong as a solicitor since 1980 and he co-founded his own law firm in 1984.  He is still a consultant to his former firm and continues to hold a current practicing certificate as a Hong Kong solicitor.

Mr. Cheng was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1993.  In addition to Hong Kong and British Columbia, Mr. Cheng is also qualified to practice law in England, Singapore and Australia.  Before joining S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Foundation, Mr. Cheng was an Associate Counsel of one of the largest law firms in Canada with over 750 lawyers.  As a lawyer, Mr. Cheng practices in the areas of corporate, commercial and business law and global wealth management, including international wealth transfer and estates and assets preservation planning.

Mr. Cheng is a life member of S.U.C.C.E.S.S.  He was a member of the Board of Directors of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. for six years from 2001 to 2007.  He had been the Board Secretary and Chair of the Nomination & Governance Committee from 2002 to 2005 and the Vice Chairman, Membership & Volunteers, in 2006-2007.  Mr. Cheng was also a Board member and the Board Secretary of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Foundation from 2002 to 2007.

Mr. Cheng was a member of the Board of Directors of the United Way of the Lower Mainland from 1998 to 2005.  He sat on various committees including the finance committee, the agency and community services advisory committee and the CEO search committee.  He was the co-chair of Innovation Grants Committee in 2003 and the co-chair of Agency Liasion Process in 2005.

Mr. Cheng is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom.  He was also one of the delegates from the Province of British Columbia to the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference in 2004.