Norman Hau
Partner, Hong Kong Head of Disputes and Restructuring
Norman Hau leads Conyers’ Dispute Resolution and Restructuring practice in Hong Kong, advising state-owned corporations, listed companies, major financial institutions, private corporates, senior executives, private equity houses, fund managers, insolvency practitioners, directors, shareholders, and high net worth individuals on high-stakes cross-border disputes, arbitration, restructuring, and enforcement across Bermuda, the BVI, and the Cayman Islands.
Ranked as a Leading Individual by The Legal 500 (Offshore/Asia Pacific) and a finalist for Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year at the ALB Hong Kong Law Awards in both 2025 and 2026 — the only offshore litigator to be shortlisted — Norman is known for a commercially driven, results-oriented approach to complex litigation, shareholder disputes, fraud and asset tracing, international arbitration, insolvency proceedings, and cross-border enforcement. He has also been consistently recognized by other leading legal directories including Chambers & Partners and IFLR1000.
Raised in Hong Kong and a locally qualified solicitor, Norman is trilingual in English, Cantonese, and Putonghua — allowing him to bridge effortlessly between onshore stakeholders and offshore jurisdictions. Clients note he possesses “a unique combination of qualities” as one of the few offshore litigators who is Hong Kong qualified and proficient in Chinese, making him “an excellent choice for cross-border or multi-jurisdictional litigation.”
Norman is recognised by the market for his “great client management and general litigation strategy” and his ability to provide “sensible and commercial advice” and “pragmatic and innovative solutions.” Clients describe him as a “strategic thinker” who is “always a few steps ahead of his opponents” with “strong technical skills” — and add that he is “efficient and willing to listen.”
He works alongside onshore counsel, liquidators, and restructuring professionals to develop and execute strategic litigation and enforcement plans — always with a focus on delivering practical, commercially sound outcomes.
Jurisdictions
Experience
Cross-Border Disputes and Shareholder Litigation
- Acting for Fang Holdings Limited (NYSE:SFUN) in defending a just and equitable winding up petition and application for provisional liquidators in the Cayman Grand Court.
- Acting for minority shareholders in King Bun Limited & others v. Lau Man Sang, James & others in obtaining judgment against Hong Kong-based directors of Vanway International Group Limited for fiduciary breaches and undervalued asset sale.
- Acting for displaced directors in Re Titan Petrochemicals Group Limited in appealing a Bermuda winding up order based on fraud by former management.
- Acting for Kingboard Chemical Holdings Limited (HKSE:148) and Kingboard Laminates Holdings Limited (HKSE:1888) in defending a minority oppression claim in Bermuda involving their Singapore-listed subsidiary
- Acting for China Zenix Auto International Limited (NYSE:ZX) in defending a minority oppression claim commenced by an institutional shareholder (settled pre-trial).
- Acting for the managing shareholder of a five-star hotel in China in opposing interim receivership in the BVI and defending a minority oppression claim.
- Acting for an investment fund in a just and equitable petition of a Cayman company holding a PRC VPN business.
- Advising a Cayman fund on a US$25 million recovery via winding up petition (settled before presentation)
- Acting for a Hong Kong-listed company in obtaining an interim injunction order refraining a creditor from presenting a winding up petition in the Cayman Islands.
- Acting for a NYSE-listed, Beijing headquartered Cayman IT services company in its employment dispute involving share option validity.
- Acting for numerous Hong Kong-listed companies in contentious shareholders’ meetings and boardroom disputes.
- Advising a major provider of private preventive healthcare services in China in relation to a threatened winding up petition on mismanagement grounds.
Restructuring, Insolvency & Provisional Liquidation
- Acting for Moody Technology Holdings Limited (HKSE:1400), Prosperity International Holding (H.K.) Limited (HKSE:0803), GTI Holdings Limited (HKSE:3344), and AID Life Science Holdings Limited (HKSE:8088) in restructurings 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.
- Advising Up Energy Development Group Limited (HKSE:307) on debt restructuring, defending winding up petition and appointment of provisional liquidators.
- Acting for Grand TG Gold Holdings Limited (HKSE:8299) in its debt restructuring, defending winding up petition and its successful resumption.
- Advising KDDI Corporation on the restructuring and liquidation of DMX Technologies Group Limited (Singapore-listed).
- Acting for Jupiter Telecommunications Co Ltd. in pursuing winding up petition against its dissenting minority shareholder and successfully opposing an injunction (settled amicably).
Expertise
- Arbitration Enforcement & Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Asia Disputes & Restructuring
- Asia Regulatory & Risk Advisory
- Commercial Litigation
- Dispute Resolution & Insolvency
- Fraud & Asset Tracing
- Fund Disputes
- Insolvency
- Insurance Disputes
- Regulatory Disputes
- Schemes of Arrangement
- Shareholder Disputes & Merger Litigation
- Trust Litigation
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
- Cayman Islands, Attorney-at-Law, 2026
- 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 by Chambers Asia‑Pacific (Offshore: Dispute Resolution) in 2025 and 2026
- Recognised as “Litigators of Asia 2025” by Asian Legal Business
- Recognised as a “Leading Individual” by Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (offshore law) since 2023
- Nominated as “Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year” by Asian Legal Business Hong Kong Law Awards 2025 (the only offshore lawyer nominated in this category)
- Recognised as “Asia Top Offshore Litigators 2024” by Asian Legal Business Magazine
- Recognised as a “Leading Individual” by Legal 500 Caribbean (foreign based expertise) since 2025 (and as a “Recommended Lawyer” in 2024)
- 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