Anna Lin

Partner

Hong Kong | T +852 2842 9591 | M +852 6469 3381

Anna Lin is a Partner in the Hong Kong Dispute Resolution practice. She joined the firm in 2016.

Anna’s extensive legal work spans across three key areas, cross-border liquidation and restructuring, corporate disputes and trust. These matters encompass significant deals worth billions of dollars and cater to a clientele that includes listed companies and ultra high net worth individuals.

In the realm of cross-border liquidation and restructuring, Anna has amassed a wealth of experience in handling both contentious and non-contentious cross-border liquidations and restructuring of substantial magnitude. She excels in navigating the intricate processes involved, ensuring compliance with relevant legal requirements, and providing expert guidance to her esteemed clients. Anna’s expertise extends to managing complex winding-up and restructuring proceedings across multiple jurisdictions, including Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and the British Virgin Islands. Her involvement in various matters related to the cross-border liquidation or provisional liquidation applications showcases her in-depth knowledge of liquidation and restructuring procedures. Through her practical and solution-oriented approach, Anna has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor in the field of cross-border liquidation and restructuring.

Within the domain of company disputes, Anna has proven her proficiency in resolving a wide range of contentious corporate conflicts. Her track record includes successfully handling high-stakes shareholder disputes, including complex share appraisal proceedings, where the values involved reach into the billions of dollars. Anna’s expertise has also been instrumental in resolving directors’ liability disputes, safeguarding the interests of her clients in cases involving alleged breaches of fiduciary duties. Furthermore, she has skillfully managed professional negligence claims, urgent worldwide injunction applications, third-party disclosure, cross-border enforcement actions, schemes of arrangement and minority oppression claims. Anna’s ability to navigate complex legal issues and provide strategic advice positions her as a reliable advocate for clients embroiled in ultra high-value company disputes.

Anna’s proficiency in trust-related disputes is another area of her expertise, regularly dealing with significant deals involving ultra high net worth individuals and listed companies. She has a proven track record of successfully resolving trust disputes by employing her comprehensive understanding of trust law and related legal principles. Anna’s experience includes advising clients on matters such as trust administration, breach of trust, and disputes arising from complex trust structures. Her astute advice and ability to find practical solutions have proven instrumental in protecting the interests of clients involved in high-stakes trust-related conflicts. Anna’s work in this area extends to advisory matters concerning family trusts and management, where she offers strategic guidance on trust structures, fiduciary duties of directors, and company restructuring, catering to the unique needs of ultra high net worth individuals and listed companies.

Anna’s academic qualifications contribute significantly to her linguistic capabilities. She earned a First Class honours B.A. degree from the University of Hong Kong and was on the Dean’s Honours List. Additionally, she obtained a Master in Laws (Distinction) from the London School of Economics, where she was awarded a full British Chevening Postgraduate Scholarship. Her distinction from the University of Law further solidifies her educational achievements. As a native Mandarin speaker, Anna possesses exceptional language proficiency, which proves invaluable in effectively communicating with clients and stakeholders in diverse international contexts. Her linguistic abilities are enhanced by her academic background and the recognition she received during her studies.

Anna has received several prestigious awards and recognitions for her exceptional work in the legal field, including:

“Next Generation Partner” in the 2024 and 2023 editions of Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (Offshore Law)
“Top 15 Offshore Litigator 2022” by Asian Legal Business Magazine (and 2021)
Recognition in the 2021 edition of Legal 500 (Offshore Law)
Recognition in the 2020 and 2019 editions of Global Restructuring Review 100

These accolades highlight Anna’s expertise and demonstrate the high esteem in which she is held within the industry.

Jurisdictions

Experience

Insolvency Proceedings

Acted for a Singapore ListCo in the successful discharge of its provisional liquidators and the termination of provisional liquidation involving assets of more than RMB$2.2 billion.
Acted for a Singapore ListCo in a contentious winding up of a BVI company involving approximately US$60 million in assets with favourable court order granted without the court calling for any oral submission from the legal representatives of the opposing shareholder and company.
Acted for a Taiwanese ListCo in the successful winding up of various offshore debtor companies and was in charge of the negotiations with debtor companies of value of nearly US$40 million.
Acted for a high net worth entrepreneur in a dispute with his business partners involving a contentious winding up application in the BVI, advising in all stages of the proceedings, including the lodging of an appeal to the UK Privy Council in relation to how the BVI Court should exercise its broad discretion.
Acted for a Cayman ListCo to successfully set aside a statutory demand of approximately US$50 million and apply for an injunction preventing the filing of a winding up petition.
Acted for a Bermuda ListCo in its insolvency proceedings in Bermuda and the BVI; advised the Chairman of the ListedCo on litigation strategy, including the potential for a scheme of arrangement, the group’s capability to restructure, internal controls, potential application to remove the JPLs and negotiations with its creditors of value of more than US$180 million.
Acted for a Hong Kong ListCo in the termination of liquidation of its offshore subsidiary.
Acted for a Cayman ListCo in its opposition to a highly contentious winding up application based on doubtful claim of debts obtaining favourable results for the clients.
Acted for various companies in liquidation against former delinquent directors for potential asset recovery for approximately HK$1.3 billion.
Acted for liquidators on claims against former executive directors on misfeasance, conspiracy of false accounting and breach of director’s duties for over HK$105 million.
Acted for liquidators on claims against former auditors based on negligence and failure to identify and report the fraudulent conduct of directors.

Shareholder / Investors and Commercial Disputes

Acted for a HK$108 million fund incorporated in the Cayman Islands and the joint voluntary liquidators in a dispute concerning the withholding of the fund’s assets by a related party concerning risk of dissipation, mismanagement and improper treatment of the fund’s assets.
Acted for the joint liquidators of an insolvent fund in an application for court supervision to protect the fund’s assets, with the matter resolved swiftly in terms highly favourable to the clients.
Acted for a high net worth entrepreneur in a shareholders’ dispute between co-founders of a substantial BVI business of approximately RMB1.7 billion operating in the PRC involved in the research and development of medical diagnostics products.
Acted for the majority shareholder and the directors of a high-tech IT company in a shareholder dispute on breach of quasi-partnership and an application for winding up on the just and equitable grounds, successfully setting aside an injunction order and favourable costs order for the clients and enforced undertakings for damages against the opposing parties.
Acted for the board of directors and majority shareholder of a Bermuda company in a shareholder dispute seeking the winding up of the company on the just and equitable ground and a buy-out under section 111 of the Bermuda Companies Act.
Acted for the former shareholder of a Bermuda company producing mobile devices on a claim based on alleged wrongful exclusion from management, breach of a bilateral shareholder agreement and oppressive and prejudicial conduct under section 111 of the Bermuda Companies Act 1981.
Acted for a minority shareholder of a Cayman company in a claim against the majority shareholder on breach of shareholders’ rights and misconduct of directors appointed by the majority shareholders with various significant high net worths funds as significant stakeholders.
Acted for the majority shareholders of a Cayman company in the defence of a claim from the minority shareholders regarding alleged mismanagement and dissipation of the company’s assets of approximately RMB350 million.
Advised a minority shareholder of a BVI company on shareholders’ rights and substitution as the petitioner in a winding up petition.
Advised the board of directors of a Cayman company regarding the claim by a minority shareholder against the majority shareholder on mismanagement and prevention of access to the company’s financial information regarding its global operations across twenty jurisdictions.
Acted for international financial institutions in an urgent worldwide injunction and freezing order applications for assets worths approximately US$10 million.

Voluntary Liquidation, Merger & Restructuring, Restoration and Corporate Advisory

Advised over 200 companies/partnership/SPCs/funds/unit trusts on termination, liquidation or dissolution in Hong Kong, the BVI, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda.
Advised various corporations on cross-border mergers between Cayman and BVI companies.
Advised various shareholders and companies on reinstatement or restoration of offshore vehicles.
Advised various directors of listed companies and substantial private companies on company law, fiduciary obligations and corporate governance related advisory issues, including validity of requisition, claims against directors for breach of fiduciary duty, deceit and conspiracy, derivative actions, conflict of interests.

Probate and Family Trust

Advised and assisted high net-worth individuals and family trusts/foundations on probate and family trust matters.
Advised and assisted family trusts/foundations on the management of estate and administration of trust issues.
Advised companies on transmission of shares following the decease of shareholders.
Advised in contentious trust related legal proceedings in the BVI and Hong Kong involving claims from shareholders and potential shareholders for shares under a purported trust created by the late chairman of the company.
Advised clients on various trust related matters including whether there is a valid case of proprietary estoppel, the requirements are for the creation of a valid trust.
Advised clients on probate application in the Cayman Islands and BVI.
Acted for trustees for Beddoe applications relating to potential trust dispute.

Expertise

Qualifications

Professional Background

Associate, Lipman Karas, Hong Kong
Trainee Solicitor, Clifford Chance, Hong Kong

Education

London School of Economics, Master in Laws (Distinction) (British Chevening Postgraduate Scholarship)
The University of Hong Kong, PCLL
The College of Law, GDL (Distinction)
The University of Hong Kong, BA (First) (Dean’s Honours List)

Bar Admissions

Bermuda, Registered Associate, 2018
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (British Virgin Islands), Solicitor, 2018
England and Wales, Solicitor, 2017
California, US, Attorney, 2016
Hong Kong, Solicitor, 2011 (not currently practising)

Awards & Accolades

Recognised as “Next Generation Partner” in the 2024 edition (and 2023) of Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (Offshore Law)
Recognised as “Top 15 Offshore Litigator 2022” by Asian Legal Business Magazine (and 2021)
Recognised in the 2021 edition of Legal 500 (Offshore Law)
Recognised in the 2020 edition (and 2019) of Global Restructuring Review 100