Biography

Richard is a Consultant in the Dispute Resolution Practice having joined the firm in 2021. He specialises in commercial disputes work for clients based in or involved in investment, project development and trading. Richard focuses on the effective and efficient resolution of a variety of such disputes, including litigation and arbitration, as well as applying alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to optimise and often accelerate outcomes for his clients.

Richard has particular expertise in assisting clients in infrastructure and construction investment projects and assisting those clients with recovery strategies which often involve investigations and proceedings across multiple jurisdictions.

Richard graduated from King’s College London in 1988 and continued his studies there to secure an LL.M (with merit) in 1989. Richard has associated with Hong Kong since early 1999 and has previously been a partner at several international firms here. He is a solicitor qualified to practice in both Hong Kong and England & Wales.

Biography

• Acted for a multinational insurance company in defending claims made against a performance bond linked to a regionally significant civic project in Hong Kong and providing advice and support in relation to related insolvency and arbitral proceedings in both Hong Kong and Bermuda.
• Advising and acting for Asian investors in relation to development issues concerning the completion of a significant residential development in Canary Wharf London and achieving satisfactory, early completion.
• Advising and acting in relation to recoveries and events of default under a bond issued to raise finance to develop two significant residential developments in Thailand.
• Advising and acting for Asian investors in relation to events of default under a bond issued to raise finances to develop a significant retail and commercial centre in the United Kingdom as well as identifying routes to recovery.
• Acted for a shareholder deprived of shares in BVI entity and enforcing that shareholders rights in cross border litigation.
• Acted for minority shareholder groups in relation to various actions, including winding up proceedings in the Cayman Islands, related to an infrastructure development in Vietnam.
• Acted for various lessors and mortgagors in enforcing claims against aircraft airframes and engines, both in Hong Kong and regionally.
• Acted in relation to a cargo damage claims in Hong Kong, variously contesting causation and advancing the effectiveness of limitation of liability conventions.
• Advised and acted for a UK based bank in relation to various commercial and regulatory Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysian matters and initiating recoveries against defaulting borrowers.
• Advised and acting in relation to a shareholders’ dispute in relation to a group of property investment companies, involving proceedings in Hong Kong and the UK.

Biography

• The Law Society of Hong Kong
• The Law Society of England and Wales

Biography

John is a consultant in the Corporate and Commercial Practice, specialising in mergers and acquisitions, private equity and banking and finance, with a focus on listed companies and regulatory compliance. He led Bowtie Life Insurance’s ~SGD90m Series C fundraising, advising on valuation mechanisms, investor protections, and cross-border regulatory structuring. John also supported the Joint and Several Liquidators in Hong Kong’s largest-ever property developer liquidation, advising on cross-border asset disposals, complex financing documentation, corporate procedures, and Hong Kong Listing Rules matters, demonstrating expertise across high-value, complex corporate transactions and regulatory frameworks.

He is fluent in English and Cantonese and proficient in Mandarin.

Biography

• Acted for a Hong Kong listed company in issuing US$175 million fixed rate convertible bonds offered to professional investors only.
• Acted for a Hong Kong listed company in a “one for one” rights issue raising approximately US$150 million.
• Acted for a Hong Kong listed company in its HK$2.35 billion privatisation by way of merger by absorption under PRC law.
• Acted for a Hong Kong company in its disposal of a series of kindergartens in Hong Kong to an international brand of kindergartens headquartered in the United States.
• Acted for a United Kingdom company in its purchase of a SFC and HKIA licensed company in Hong Kong.
• Acted for a Hong Kong company in its outbound investment to finance the purchase and development of a series of overseas properties located in the United Kingdom and Italy.
• Acted for a Hong Kong company specialising in CAR-T research and development in its venture capital transaction.
• Acted for a Hong Kong company in its purchase of a series of beverage businesses in Hong Kong.
• Acted for a reputable Hong Kong school in various matters, including advising on the legality of certain articles in its articles of association in view of the anti-discrimination laws of Hong Kong.
• Acted for a multinational investment management fund in its public shareholder challenge against the disposal of a significant gold mine.
• Advised on the enforcement of a charge over listed shares securities in a distressed public company, including the relevant inside information concerns.

Biography

• The Law Society of Hong Kong

Biography

Natalie is a consultant in the Restructuring and Insolvency Practice, specialising in complex insolvency, liquidation, and bankruptcy matters. She advises on liquidator appointments, claims against directors, and stakeholder issues, collaborating with accounting firms and corporates on court applications. Experienced in commercial litigation, shareholder disputes, fraud investigations, and asset recovery, including cross-border and cryptocurrency cases, Natalie secures injunctions and disclosure orders. She has played key roles in high-profile cases such as Natural Dairy and Yes! E-Sports, demonstrating expertise in contentious insolvency, cross-border asset tracing, and regulatory compliance.

Natalie is fluent in both English and Cantonese, and proficient in Mandarin.

Biography

• Acting for the Provisional Liquidators appointed in the Cayman Islands over a Hong Kong-listed company that appears to have been the victim of a large-scale fraud.
• Acting for a US-based multinational technology conglomeration, which owns and operates a number of social media and social networking services, in various levels of Hong Kong courts in litigations involving Hong Kong parties and advising on various areas of Hong Kong law including defamation.
• Acting for a shareholder of a Hong Kong company in a complex shareholders’ dispute involving several sets of ongoing Court proceedings both in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
• Acting for a group of 136 investors who are victims of a fraudulent scheme was set up by two individuals who invited investors to lend money through their London-based wine brokerage to wealthy borrowers.
• Acting for a shareholder in a shareholder dispute where the parties have commenced a number of satellite litigations in relation to multiple issues. These include advising on mandatory injunctions in relation to the delivery up of books and records and valuable production lines and machinery based in the PRC as well as contempt proceedings.
• Acted for EY (BVI) as court-appointed liquidators in applications for recognition in Hong Kong. Thereafter, acted for the liquidators in various applications in Hong Kong to investigate the disposal of the company’s sole asset and proceeds tracing.
• Acted for a victim in an internet fraud whereby the fraudster set up an elaborate scheme to deceive the victim into investing in valuable artwork.
• Acted in a number of other asset tracing and recovery actions of varying values, including an action by an Indian bank on the tracing and recovery approximately US$2 million following payments arising out of CEO-imposter fraud.
• Acted regularly for insolvency practitioners in various court proceedings and applications. These include resisting applications by bankrupts for their removals, resisting appeals by creditors against rejections of proofs of debt and contempt proceedings against a bankrupt.
• Acted for the beneficial owners of property legally held by a bankrupt in proving their beneficial ownership in the property and resisting the Trustees’ claim over the proceeds of the sale of the property.

Biography

• General Member of Hong Kong Board, International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC)
• Turnaround Management Association (TMA)
• The Law Society of Hong Kong
• International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals (INSOL International)
• Restructuring and Insolvency Faculty (RIF)