Dieter graduated from King’s College London, and received his Bachelor of Laws in 1985. He is a Fellow of King’s College London, and an Honorary Fellow of The Education University of Hong Kong. Dieter is the Chairman of the King’s College London Hong Kong Foundation.

By profession, Dieter is a solicitor who is renowned for his pioneering spirit, unswerving professionalism and quest for excellence. His legal practice focuses in the areas of capital markets, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory compliance. In 1994, he co-founded one of Hong Kong’s first independent boutique corporate and securities law firm, breaking the tradition of legal representation in these areas being predominately provided by large international firms.

Despite his heavy responsibilities as a law firm partner, Dieter has constantly lent his expertise and dedicated his time to serving the community, having accepted appointments to numerous important advisory, regulatory and governance positions in the legal, financial and education sectors in the Hong Kong SAR.

Dieter served on the Council of the Law Society of Hong Kong for 13 years, including a term as President, where he put forth changes important to the profession, ranging from limited liability partnerships and higher rights of audience for solicitors, to the future direction of legal education and training. He was a member of the Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service, which advises the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on pay and conditions for judges and judicial officers. He was also nominated by the Law Society to sit as a member of the Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training – an appointment which he holds today.

Dieter was the Convenor of the Investigation Panel of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and until earlier this year, a member its Registration Committee, where he helped to safeguard the rigorous standards of the accounting profession. He also spent six years in the regulation and supervision of Hong Kong’s financial markets, as a member of both the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Listing and GEM Listing committees. Currently, he is non-executive director of the Securities and Futures Commission, and a member of its Takeovers and Mergers Panel, as well as a non-executive director of the eMPF Platform Company Limited. Until earlier this year, Dieter was also Chairman of the Financial Dispute Resolution Centre, which provides accessible mediation and arbitration services for financial institutions and their customers.

A strong believer in the benefits of education, Dieter established the “Kwok & Yih Scholarship” in the early 2000s, and personally sponsored students to study law at his alma mater, King’s College London, so that these students could return to the Hong Kong SAR and contribute to its legal community. He was also appointed a member of the Council of The Education University of Hong Kong, and then Deputy Chairman of the Council in 2016. From 2016 to 2022, Dieter was also a member of the Education Commission, a non-statutory body which advises the Hong Kong SAR Government on the overall development of education. Currently, he is the Chairman of the Quality Education Fund Steering Committee, a member of the University Grants Committee and and ex-officio member of the Education Commission.

Dieter is married to Dr Caroline Yih, and together they have four children.

The London Ball Foundation is pleased to award the Outstanding Alumni Award to Mr Dieter Yih in recognition of his numerous contributions, dedications and commitment to serving the community and nurturing the next generation of talents.