Adrian Hon Kit Yip, Partner

Adrian Yip is a partner in the firm’s Hong Kong office and specialises in disputes resolution by way of court litigation and arbitration.

Mr. Yip has extensive experience in handling cross-border disputes and complex commercial litigation with particular focus on asset recovery, corporate restructuring and compliance, internal investigations and dispute involving intellectual property matters. Mr. Yip also advises financial institutions in respect of regulatory matters.

Mr. Yip’s current matters include:

• Acting for key corporate defendants in the defense of their title and ownership in substantial assets in Hong Kong in excess of HK$2 billion, in relation to three sets of proceedings instituted by an overseas substantial corporation currently pending before the Commercial List of the High Court of Hong Kong.
• Acting for the Insured Parties under a Director & Officer Liability Policy in the defense of claims advanced by the liquidators of three substantial corporations in liquidation.
• Acting for an international firm of accountants and its partners in Hong Kong as Insured Parties under a Professional Indemnity Insurance Policy, in the defense of securities fraud claims pending before the United States District Court, Southern District of New York.
• Acting for leading life science patent holder based in Hong Kong in its disputes with two listed companies in China arising from licensing arrangements concerning use of its patented technology.
• Acting for the Hong Kong subsidiary of a PRC central state-owned enterprise in the recovery of substantial outstanding debts due under various loan and security arrangements.
• Acting for the directors and majority shareholders of a Hong Kong-based company, in disputes raised by a listed company based in Korea as minority shareholder for control of substantial assets in Hong Kong and the PRC.
• Acting for a leading European freight forwarder in proceedings pending in the courts of Hong Kong for the recovery of monies owed by a major U.S. corporation and its Hong Kong affiliates, as well as enforcement of Hong Kong judgment in the U.S.

Mr. Yip’s recent matters include:

• Acting for a state-owned corporation in France in respect of disputes arising from its joint ventures in Hong Kong and assets in the PRC.
• Advising the majority shareholder of a substantial corporation in respect of disputes in Hong Kong and in the United States arising from the restructuring of a US$1.3 billion debt.
• Acting for a Hong Kong-based corporation in respect of disputes in Hong Kong and in the United States arising from the restructuring of a US$200 million debt.
• Acting for a U.S.-based corporation against a listed issuer in Hong Kong in respect of claims arising out of their joint venture agreement concerning assets in China, by way of litigation in Hong Kong and the United States.
• Acting for a syndicate of U.S.-based banks and financial institutions in the recovery of substantial assets including various toll roads in China, by way of litigation in Hong Kong and China.
• Acting for the Deposit Insurance authority in Korea in the recovery of substantial assets in China, including real estate properties and interests in various forms of investments, by way of litigation in Hong Kong, China and various jurisdictions in Asia.
• Acting for a leading manufacturer of bedding products based in Hong Kong and China in respect of trade secret litigation instituted by a U.S.-based competitor.
• Acting for a European-based toy manufacturer in its enforcement program against counterfeit activities in China.
• Acting for a major Japanese bank in the recovery of substantial assets in China, by way of three sets of arbitration before the London Court of International Arbitration.
• Acting for a leading European contractor in an arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce in respect of disputes arising out of the construction project of a petro-chemical plant.
• Acting for a substantial privately held toy manufacturer based in the United States in its enforcement against counterfeit activities in China and in various countries in Asia.
• Acting for a leading manufacturer of television sets and other electronic products based in Hong Kong and China in the defense of claims made by a U.S.-based patent holder by way of proceedings in the High Court of Hong Kong.
• Acting for a U.S.-based corporation in the compliance audit of its operations in Asia in respect of intellectual property issues.
• Acting for a U.S.-based corporation in an internal investigation of potential violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act.
• Acting for a renowned “B to B” portal operator in China in the internal investigation of a suspected trade secret violation by current and former employees in Hong Kong and China.

Honors and Awards

Activities

Education

Speeches and Publications

Mr. Yip regularly speaks and writes about legal issues affecting his practice. His recent work follows.

Speeches:

• “Freezing Assets: The Power of the Mareva Injunction” 
• “Intellectual Property in China”