Tim Au

Biography

Tim is a Partner in our Restructuring and Insolvency Practice having joined the firm as a Trainee Solicitor in 2012. Tim’s focus is on restructuring and insolvency, with a particular focus on contentious matters. He regularly advises insolvency office-holders (including the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms and other prominent accounting firms with an insolvency practice) and corporate clients on all aspects of restructuring and insolvency issues. He advises on schemes of arrangement, recovery of assets in insolvency estates (in particular pursuing and defending transaction avoidance claims), cross-border insolvency issues such as recognition of foreign officeholders and foreign restructuring processes, examination of persons capable of assisting insolvency office-holders, all aspects of enforcement including debt recovery; and a wide range of court applications in relation to administrative matters in bankruptcies/liquidations particularly concerning officeholders’ remuneration.

Tim has a particular interest in schemes of arrangement with a cross-border element having acted on the Kaisa and the Burwill schemes. He also advises on contentious scheme matters and successfully opposed the sanctioning of the Century Sun scheme. Tim regularly appears in the Companies Court and Bankruptcy Court.

Additionally, Tim advises in relation to general commercial litigation matters including contractual disputes and banking litigation matters (such as debt recovery and security enforcement). Tim has extensive experience in trial work having conducted several High Court trials.

Tim completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Liverpool (Bachelor of Arts in History and Law) and obtained a Juris Doctor degree and a Postgraduate Certificate in Laws from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 2024, Tim was recognised as one of Hong Kong Business Review’s ‘Most Influential Lawyers Under 40’.

Tim is fluent in English and Cantonese.

Biography

• Represented CFG Investment SAC in a claim worth over US$150 million involving the Pacific Andes group.
• Assisted China Singyes Technologies Holdings Limited in defending a winding-up petition and obtaining a validation order for restructuring costs, concerning debts exceeding US$500 million.
• Represented PwC as the provisional liquidator of Burwill Holdings Limited in restructuring debts over HK$550 million.
• Successfully opposed an appeal for Interactive Brokers LLC in bankruptcy proceedings against Mr But Ka Chon.
• Assisted SES S.A. in the liquidation of Genting, involving debts up to US$2.77 billion.
• Advised the bankruptcy trustees of Guy Kwok-Hung Lam on cross-border issues and recovery actions in Hong Kong.
• Represented the Joint Provisional Liquidators of Global Blood Cord Corporation in obtaining interim injunction orders against directors of subsidiaries in Hong Kong, and continues to assist in securing the company’s assets.
• Represented Sure Lead Limited in resisting transaction avoidance claims brought by liquidators of various Hong Kong companies.
• Represented Maxwell Road Limited in a US$150 million debt recovery claim against the defendant, Mo Ah Man. We successfully defended a strike-out application brought by the defendant and are continuing to pursue this high-value claim.

Biography

• Hong Kong Business Review ‘Most influential lawyers under 40’

Biography

• Offshore Alert Bangkok, speaking on the panel “Intelligence Briefing: Hong Kong” (March 2025)
• Taylor David Lawyers Restructuring Conference (March 2025)
• Training session on issues discussed in “Cross-border Insolvency in Hong Kong and Beyond: A Conversation with Hon. Justice Jonathan Harris” (April 2023)
• NSOL Focus Webinar: Navigating cross-border insolvencies – the Court’s jurisdiction to wind-up entities and provide assistance to officeholders (September 2023)
• Training session on Recent Developments in insolvency law in Hong Kong (July 2023)

Biography

• The Law Society of Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants Restructuring and Insolvency Faculty (RIF)
• International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC)
• Restructuring and Insolvency Faculty (RIF)
• Turnaround Management Association (TMA)

Biography