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Provided by Ian De Witt
Restructuring and Insolvency, Litigation, Regulatory and Compliance, Fraud and Asset Recovery, Mediation
Ian is a partner and head of our highly awarded Restructuring and Insolvency practice. He has been recognised as a leading lawyer in major legal publications including Chambers Asia Pacific, Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Who’s Who Legal for more than a decade. An experienced litigator, Ian advises officeholders, shareholders, large multinationals, high net worth individuals and listed companies on insolvency, restructuring and litigation matters. He was recently selected by Asian Legal Business as one of the Top 50 Disputes Lawyers in the Asia-Pacific region.
Ian and his team have been involved in most of the major restructurings and insolvencies in the region over the past two decades, acting for liquidators, receivers, creditors, bondholders, financial institutions and directors across a wide range of sectors. His experience finding solutions for clients puts him at the forefront of the restructuring and insolvency legal market in Hong Kong. He is seen as a go-to advisor for companies and individuals in distress and works with a wide and established network of professionals in Hong Kong and abroad including in offshore jurisdictions.
Additionally, Ian advises on a wide range of commercial and contractual disputes, partnership and shareholder disputes, high value fraud matters involving debt recovery, asset tracing and the enforcement of judgments, pre-emptive actions such as injunctions, court appointed receivers, and the appointment of provisional liquidators.
Over the years, Ian has acted in respect of investigations, regulatory matters and prosecutions carried out by the Police, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and various disciplinary committees.
Ian De Witt was born in Wales and obtained an honours degree in law in London. After qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales, he joined and became a partner in a prominent London law firm where he worked for many years before coming to Hong Kong in 1996. Ian founded Tanner De Witt in 1999 with Richard Tanner with just one member of staff.
The Law Society of Hong Kong, International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals (INSOL International), International Bar Association (IBA), Board member of International Insolvency Institute (III), International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), British Chamber of Commerce, Fellow of the Hong Kong Credit and Collection Management Association (HKCCMA), Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) Restructuring and Insolvency Faculty Technical Sub-Committee, Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, Insolvency Law Committee of The Law Society of Hong Kong, Mediator accredited by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), Turnaround Management Association (TMA), Company and Insolvency Law Society (COINS), Working Party on Taxation in Civil Proceedings of The Law Society of Hong Kong, Official Receiver’s Office Services Advisory Committee
Provided by Chambers
Ian De Witt's deep expertise spans both the advisory and contentious aspects of restructuring and insolvency-related work. He is a counsel of choice among liquidators and creditors.
Provided by Chambers
He is the brain of Hong Kong and sets the tone from the top. He is also just an absolute pleasure to work with, always a gentleman bringing incredible knowledge to the matters.
His immense technical knowledge in insolvency is a given. However, what I consider as further distinguishing Ian from other lawyers practising in the same field is his extremely personable manner.
Ian knows his way around the market and the landscape. He has a commercial and thoughtful process.
He is the brain of Hong Kong and sets the tone from the top. He is also just an absolute pleasure to work with, always a gentleman bringing incredible knowledge to the matters.
His immense technical knowledge in insolvency is a given. However, what I consider as further distinguishing Ian from other lawyers practising in the same field is his extremely personable manner.
Ian knows his way around the market and the landscape. He has a commercial and thoughtful process.
3 items provided by Tanner De Witt
Senior associate advancement announcement 2023
Tanner De Witt is pleased to announce the advancement of three solicitors to the position of Senior Associate.
The relevant law (the Companies Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions Ordinance) states clearly that the winding up of a company shall not bar the right of any creditor (or contributory) to have it wound up by the Court, and further provides that a winding-up petition may be presented even though
Service by NFT – Court serves defendants by ‘airdrop’ into digital wallet
In D’Aloia v (1) Persons Unknown and (2) Binance Holdings Limited and others, the High Court of England and Wales granted the claimant permission to serve court proceedings on ‘persons unknown’ over blockchain, by way of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Senior associate advancement announcement 2023
Tanner De Witt is pleased to announce the advancement of three solicitors to the position of Senior Associate.
The relevant law (the Companies Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions Ordinance) states clearly that the winding up of a company shall not bar the right of any creditor (or contributory) to have it wound up by the Court, and further provides that a winding-up petition may be presented even though
Service by NFT – Court serves defendants by ‘airdrop’ into digital wallet
In D’Aloia v (1) Persons Unknown and (2) Binance Holdings Limited and others, the High Court of England and Wales granted the claimant permission to serve court proceedings on ‘persons unknown’ over blockchain, by way of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).