Wednesday, 16 October 2019, Hong Kong
GRR’s afternoon event will bring together high-level practitioners and in-house counsel from across the world to discuss the latest developments and trends in restructuring and insolvency in and around Hong Kong. This conference provides an excellent opportunity for attendees to connect with and learn from like-minded individuals during the conference sessions and the networking breaks. Amongst other topics, the panellists are expected to look at the latest developments in the world of banking and question how these will affect future restructuring and resolution plans. Our sessions are all discussion led topics, which offer the audience an exclusive opportunity to jump in and ask questions to some of the leading figures in the restructuring sphere and weigh in on the hot topics.
E-mail Tel: +44 20 3780 4137
Chairs
Des Voeux Chambers
Look-Chan Ho is admitted to practise in New York, England and Wales, and Hong Kong. He is well-known for his high level of legal expertise and is a renowned expert in cross-border restructuring and insolvency. He has represented debtors, creditors, insolvency practitioners and distressed investors.
Sammy Koo
Ernst & Young
Sammy is a Partner at Ernst & Young Transactions Limited in Transaction Advisory Services in Hong Kong, and is experienced in domestic and cross-border corporate restructuring. She has more than 18 years of experience, focusing on trading resumption of public entities, distressed turnarounds, insolvency, debt capital restructuring, strategic exit solutions, contingency planning and financial feasibility assessments.
Sammy has led the restructuring of various companies suspended on the Main board or GEM Board of HKEX to successfully resume trading. She more recently advised two domestic systematically important banks on resolution planning. She has also consulted other financial institutions including commercial and retail banks, funds, asset management companies and multinational corporates in Greater China, UK, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Australia and Vietnam.
Programme
12.30: Welcome coffee and registration
12.45: Networking lunch
14.00: Chairs’ opening remarks
Look-Chan Ho, Des Voeux Chambers
Sammy Koo, Ernst & Young
14.05: Keynote speech: Technological disruption and how this is driving a new era of business transformation
14.35 Session one: Traditional vs virtual banking: What transformative changes can the financial industry expect?
Banks operating under traditional models everywhere are facing greater competition from new virtual banking rivals, and we are seeing this increasingly in China. This panel will discuss how these new competitors will affect Hong Kong’s restructuring sphere considering the Hong Kong Monetary Authority has recently issued a batch of virtual banking licences. Against that backdrop, this panel will discuss: to what extent will traditional banks be forced to restructure tools, and how will they do that? And from the virtual bank perspective, how will they embrace a digital revolution to stay ahead of the game?
The panel is expected to discuss questions such as:
- What actions would traditional banks consider taking given the rise of new virtual banking rivals?
- To what extent will they restructure, and using what methods?
- How will virtual banking approach bank resolution plans AKA living wills?
Moderators:
Look-Chan Ho, Des Voeux Chambers
Sammy Koo, Ernst & Young
15.30: Coffee break
16.00: Session two: Cryptocurrency and its impact in restructuring & insolvency
Interest in cryptocurrencies shows little sign of abating, raising a host of novel questions for insolvency practitioners. Recent cases in US, Europe and Japan including iconic appointments in Quadriga CX and Cryptopia have shown the difficulties faced by companies affected by defunct cryptocurrency exchanges. Those who are trapped often have no solution but to file for bankruptcy. Aided by speakers who have taken part in key cryptocurrency cases (and legal practitioners in this field), this panel will explore the most important factors such as the remedies available, the recoverability of assets from digital wallets, adjudication of debt, distribution or transfer of cryptocurrency assets, and a host of cross-border issues that are inherent with such cases.
Some of the issues the speakers are expected to address include:
- What complications do cryptocurrency assets add to a traditional insolvency?
- How far does the issue of cross-border insolvency recognition drive the planning of any restructuring initiatives, appointment or stay of legal action?
- What happens if there proves to be a bubble in this industry and several cryptocurrency businesses are affected?
Moderators:
Look-Chan Ho, Des Voeux Chambers
Sammy Koo, Ernst & Young
16.55: Presentation of IWIRC’s 2019 Woman of the Year (Asia) award
17.10: Chairs’ closing remarks
Look-Chan Ho, Des Voeux Chambers
Sammy Koo, Ernst & Young
17.20 onwards: Close of conference
Supporting organisation
