Norman Hau

Partner, Hong Kong Head of Disputes and Restructuring

Hong Kong | T +852 2842 9548 | M +852 6469 3363
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Norman Hau is a Partner and Head of the Hong Kong Disputes and Restructuring practice.

Norman is a seasoned commercial litigator with extensive experience in restructuring and insolvency matters and shareholders disputes in Hong Kong, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. Norman is a fluent English, Cantonese and Putonghua speaker.

Norman has acted for listed companies, liquidators, private equity houses, fund managers, and high net worth individuals in their contentious matters involving offshore laws. Norman is highly regarded by his clients and peers for his legal skills, commerciality and strategic mindset demonstrated in complex commercial disputes, insolvency and restructuring cases and asset tracing matters, having been recognised in the 2018 Edition of The Legal 500 for his “great client management and general litigation strategy” and his ability to provide “sensible and commercial advice”.

Norman has also been recognised in the 2020 Edition of IFLR1000. A client commented that Norman is “highly experienced and maintains good relationships with clients. He can provide pragmatic and innovative solutions to tackle problems and, at the same time, has strong technical skills at his feet. He is also able to understand the required work and provide a cost-effective quotation to suit a client’s needs.” Another client added Norman is “efficient and willing to listen.”

Norman has recently been recognized in the 2023 Edition of The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific as a leading individual. Clients comment that Norman “had a very deep understanding and knowledge of the litigation system and procedure. He is a strategic thinker and is always a few steps ahead of his opponents. I have never seen an unhappy client. He is also Hong Kong qualified and proficient in Chinese, which means that he is an excellent choice for cross-border or multi-jurisdictional litigation. He is one of the few people in the world who possesses such a unique combination of qualities.”

Jurisdictions

Experience

  • Acting for Moody Technology Holdings Limited (HKSE:1400) in its restructuring through light-touch provisional liquidation proceedings.
  • Acting for Prosperity International Holding (H.K.) Limited (HKSE:0803) in its restructuring through light-touch provisional liquidation proceedings.
  • Acting for GTI Holdings Limited (HKSE:3344) in its restructuring through light- touch provisional liquidation proceedings.
  • Acting for AID Life Science Holdings Limited (HKSE:8088) in its restructuring through light-touch provisional liquidation proceedings.
  • Acting for FDG Electric Vehicles Limited (HKSE:0729) in opposing winding up petitions and its proposed debt restructuring.
  • Acting for Titan Petrochemical Group Limited (HKSE:1192) in opposing a winding up petition.
  • Acting for National Arts Entertainment and Culture Group Limited (HKSE:8228) in its successful application in Bermuda for appointment of light-touch provisional liquidators for restructuring purposes, and generally in respect of its debt restructuring.
  • Acting for China Environmental Technology Holdings Limited (HKSE:0646) and its wholly-owned subsidiary in a successful application in the Cayman Islands for appointment of provisional liquidators against Pacific Fertility Institutes Holding Company Limited, a joint venture beneficially owned by the listed company and an individual named Leon Li in equal shares, on the bases of suspected misappropriation, breakdown of relationship and risk of dissipation of assets of the joint venture. The joint venture in question holds a group of companies running a business of providing medical treatments to patients with fertility issues.
  • Acting for the Joint Provisional Liquidators of Hsin Chong Group Holdings Limited (HKSE: 404) in respect of its debt restructuring.
  • Acting for Kingboard Chemical Holdings Limited (HKSE:148) and Kingboard Laminates Holdings Limited (HKSE:1888) in successfully defended a minority oppression claim commenced by a minority shareholder in respect of their Singapore-listed subsidiary Kingboard Copper Foil Holdings Limited through a full trial in the Supreme Court of Bermuda and a substantive appeal in the Bermuda Court of Appeal.
  • Advising Up Energy Development Group Limited (HKSE:307), a Bermuda incorporated coal-mining company based in China, in its debt restructuring, defending winding up petition and appointment of provisional liquidators for the purposes of restructuring.
  • Acting for Grand TG Gold Holdings Limited (HKSE:8299), a gold-mining and mineral processing company in its debt restructuring, defending winding up petition and its ultimately successful resumption.
  • Advising KDDI Corporation regarding the restructuring and liquidation of DMX Technologies Group Limited (Singapore-listed).
  • Acting for Jupiter Telecommunications Co Ltd., the Japanese television network (formerly listed in Japan) in pursuing winding up petition against its minority shareholder dissenting from its privatization based on a sum repayable pursuant to a Japan court judgment; successfully opposed and discharged an injunction refraining our client from filing a winding up petition which led to an amicable settlement between the parties.
  • Acting for China Zenix Auto International Limited (NYSE:ZX), a commercial vehicle wheel manufacturing business, in defending a minority oppression claim commenced by an institutional minority shareholder – eventually settled amicably before trial.
  • Advising a Cayman fund in respect of commencement of winding up petition for recovery of US$25 million (eventually settled before presentation of winding up)
  • Advising a major provider of private preventive healthcare services in China in relation to threatened winding up petition on mismanagement grounds.
  • Acting for a managing shareholder of a five-star hotel in China in successfully opposing an application for interim receivers in the BVI and generally in the minority oppression claim commenced by the passive investing shareholder.
  • Acting for an investment fund in its petition for a just and equitable winding up of a Cayman company holding the PRC business venture of providing Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network services.
  • Acting for a listed company in Hong Kong in its successful application for an interim injunction order refraining a creditor from presenting a winding up petition against it in Cayman Islands.
  • Acting for a NYSE listed, Beijing headquartered Cayman information technology services company in its employment dispute with a former senior employee involving question of validity of the employee’s exercise of share options.
  • Acting for numerous listed companies in Hong Kong in respect of contentious shareholders’ meeting issues and “board room fight” scenario.
  • Acting for Hong Kong-listed companies in their schemes of arrangement (typically involving parallel applications in Hong Kong and Bermuda/Cayman) for privatization or debt restructuring purposes.

Qualifications

Professional Background

  • Associate, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
  • Associate, Tanner De Witt
  • Trainee Solicitor, Holman Fenwick & Willan

Education

  • The University of Hong Kong, PCLL, 2002
  • The University of Hong Kong, LLB, 2001

Bar Admissions

  • British Virgin Islands, Solicitor, 2012
  • Bermuda, Registered Associate, 2012
  • England and Wales, Solicitor, 2008 (not currently practising)
  • Hong Kong, Solicitor, 2005 (not currently practising)

Awards & Accolades

  • Recognised as “Asia Top Offshore Litigators 2024” by Asian Legal Business Magazine
  • Recognised as a leading individual in the 2024 edition (and 2023) of Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (offshore law)
  • Recognised as a recommended lawyer in the 2024 edition of Legal 500 Caribbean (foreign based expertise)
  • Recognised in the 2022 and 2023 editions of Offshore Client Choice List by Asian Legal Business
  • Recognised as “Top 15 Offshore Litigator 2022” (and 2021) by Asian Legal Business Magazine
  • Recognised as “The A-List Top 50 Offshore Lawyers 2022” by Asia Business Law Journal
  • Recognised in the 2020 edition of IFLR1000
  • Recognised in the 2020 edition (and 2019) of Global Restructuring Review 100
  • Recognised in the 2018 edition of Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (offshore law)

Languages

  • Cantonese
  • English
  • Mandarin

Publications

Offshore Cases