Yolanda Lau
Senior Associate Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment
Languages
English, Cantonese, Mandarin
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Overview
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Experience
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Credentials
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Insights and events
With almost 10 years of litigation experience in Hong Kong and a strong business acumen, Yolanda is trusted for her ability to identify and pursue practical and real-world solutions to complex commercial disputes. She is passionate about her work, thorough and easy to work with.
Yolanda has been involved in a number of major pieces of multi-jurisdictional litigation involving court proceedings, arbitration, and mediation. Her experience spans across a range of specialist subjects involving company and commercial law including cross-border insolvency and restructuring, receiverships, professional negligence and fraud, shareholder disputes, and breach of directors' duties. Her representative experience includes involvement in the landmark case of Yung Kee, a substantial Hong Kong restaurant business (HK$2 billion), acting in relation to a dispute between the shareholders. In addition, she has also represented or advised clients in numerous other high profile family and shareholder disputes, many involving complex corporate structures and substantive business operations located in Hong Kong, the PRC and overseas.
With a strong commercial awareness and very sensitive to numbers (having trained in accounting as well as law), Yolanda has developed a keen interest in defending accountants/financial advisors facing allegations involving professional negligence and fraud. She is well-versed in handling investigations and dealing with regulators in Hong Kong including the HKMA, the SFC and the ICAC. She also regularly coordinates with the Hong Kong Police including the JFIU in relation to cyber fraud cases and matters involving white collar crime and misappropriation of company assets.
Yolanda is very experienced on the use of technology and innovation in dispute resolution. She is particularly skilled at project management involving multiple jurisdictions and regularly incorporates technology and alternative tools making litigation more cost-effective for clients.
Representative experience
Acting for the Hong Kong Court-appointed Receivers of a Cayman Islands-registered PE fund including in respect of substantial cross-border proceedings and investigations n multiple jurisdictions.
Acting for and advising a major bank in Hong Kong in bringing a winding up petition against a foreign company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in respect of a significant overdraft facility.
Acting for and advising the Chapter 11 Trustee of a substantial debtor in the United States in respect of tracing and recovering assets of the debtor in Hong Kong.
Acting for and advising a substantial Chinese bank and asset management company in respect of a series of outstanding loans of significant value arising from a PRC reorganization.
Acting for Keywise, a substantial PE fund, in a claim against the controlling shareholder to buy back shares; successfully recovered funds in satisfaction of a judgment in excess of US$45 million.*
Acting for the majority shareholder in the landmark case of Yung Kee Holdings, a Hong Kong restaurant business (HK$2 billion), in relation to a dispute between the shareholders.*
Acting for and advising the joint executors of a high profile individual in Hong Kong in relation to a dispute over assets that form part of the estate of the deceased.
Acting for TCT Mobile, the Hong Kong mobile phone business of TCL, in relation to a substantial claim by Nokia relating to a patent licensing agreement and the production of mobile devices.
Advising a leading digital asset exchange in Hong Kong on issues concerning employment, restrictive covenants and licensing.
Acting for and advising an investor in respect of bringing a claim against a Cryptocurrency trading platform for the recovery of monies / cryptocurrency invested through the platform.
Acting for a well-known cosmetic retailer in Hong Kong in bringing a claim to recover monies wrongfully paid to a rogue supplier; successfully recovered funds in satisfaction of the judgment.
Acting for a Kuwait investment company in bringing a claim to recover monies wrongfully paid in respect of fraudulent capital call notices; succesfully recovered funds in satisfaction of the judgment.
*Matter handled prior to joining Hogan Lovells.
Credentials
- Bachelor of Laws, Australian National University, 2011
- Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Australian National University, 2011
- Hong Kong
- Australia
- On 31 July 2021, Yolanda took and passed the first-ever 2021 Greater Bay Area Legal Professional Examination held by the Ministry of Justice of the People's Republic of China. Upon passing the exam and obtaining the relevant practicing certificate, Yolanda will be able to practice law in specified civil and commercial matters (including litigation and non-litigation matters) in nine Pearl River Delta municipalities in the Greater Bay Area.
- Board Member of the International Women's Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation Hong Kong