Anson is an appointment taker of appointments from the High Court of Hong Kong and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in the High Court of Justice, Virgin Islands.
Anson is highly skilled in investigating, locating and securing hidden assets, establishing and implementing enforcement and realization strategies in distressed situations and investigating and litigating fraudulent transactions and payments in liquidation and bankruptcy.
She also has extensive experience in undertaking independent financial investigations in respect to substantial suspicious payments and irregular transactions, undertaking solvency analysis in legal claims and reviewing financial documents to undertake analysis and valuations in contested divorce proceedings and shareholder disputes.
Anson has worked in our BVI office including with securing and realizing assets of hedge funds during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and taking control of BVI companies in receivership with international assets.
Professional Affiliations and Academic Qualifications
- Registered appointment taker with the Official Receiver's Office in Hong Kong
- Specialist designation in insolvency, SD (Insolvency), awarded by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Certified public accountant, the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Chartered accountant, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
- Member of the Restructuring and Insolvency Faculty of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Member of the International Women's Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation
- Postgraduate diploma in professional accounting, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Bachelor’s degree in economics and finance, University of Hong Kong
Expertise
- Asset tracing and realization
- Expert testimony
- Forensic accounting
- Investigation of fraudulent transactions
- Shareholder disputes and valuation
- Solvency analysis
Professional Experience
Insolvency
- Appointed joint and several liquidator of Gatecoin, a Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange. Key aspects of the work include identifying, securing and realizing crypto-assets, including Bitcoin and Ethereum tokens. This is the first liquidation of a cryptocurrency exchange in Hong Kong.
- Appointed joint and several liquidator of a group of entities listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that specialized in special steel manufacturing in PRC. The liquidators have taken proactive steps to identify and sell its key assets including, inter alia, plant, equipment and land in PRC and a stainless steel patent license sales contract generating royalty income to the group. Frequent and regular updates have also been provided to the company creditors in respect to the progress of the liquidation.
- Appointed joint and several liquidator of a group of companies owning and operating coworking space at various prime locations in Hong Kong. Key aspects of the work include communicating and meetings with the companies’ stakeholders in relation to aspects requiring their attention in relation to the liquidation of the companies, meetings and liaising with the creditors of the companies in relation to the commencement and progress of the liquidations. This is likely the first liquidation of coworking space in Hong Kong.
- Appointed joint liquidator of a BVI company whose principal trading activity was the sale of certain mineral products with cash and assets totaling USD 61 million. The liquidation of the company originated from a shareholder dispute resulting in a longstanding deadlock of the company’s business and operation. The work includes securing substantial bank deposit in Hong Kong, including by way of making applications to BVI and Hong Kong Courts seeking assistance in securing the bank balances and negotiating with the relevant bank in releasing the bank balances to the liquidators.
- Appointed joint and several liquidator of the Hong Kong subsidiaries of a U.S. group that engaged in the manufacturing of wax and paper flowers and silk wreaths and employed 200 workers.
- Appointed joint and several bankruptcy trustee of an established businessman who beneficially owned business and assets of over HKD 100 million shortly before the commencement of his bankruptcy. The work included investigations of voidable transactions and dissipation of assets with intent to default creditors and working with legal counsel to establish the legal strategy to secure the assets by way of legal claim.
- Receivership over subsidiaries of a Hong Kong listed group engaging in property development, property investment, property operation services, property agency services and hotel services in the PRC and U.S., which has defaulted on a secured loan of USD 150 million. We were also appointed directors of some of the group entities to assess the financial position and operational performance of the operating companies engaging in residential real estate development in Qingdao, PRC, and property investments and hotel operations in the U.S., working with the secured lender to stabilize the business and establish options available to the secured lender, including the possibility of any restructuring and sale of the business and property.
- Provisional liquidation (and subsequently liquidation) of one of the largest scrap metal recycling companies in PRC (listed in Hong Kong) with operations in Hong Kong and PRC following an application by the Securities and Futures Commission pursuant to section 212 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance. At least HKD 1 billion had been fraudulently dissipated by the group, and we have obtained worldwide Mareva injunction orders of HKD 1.6 billion against the chairman, his private company and other related parties.
Forensic Accounting, Expert Witness and Litigation Support
- Expert work engaged by the Hong Kong Department of Justice in criminal proceedings against ten individuals accused of dealing with proceeds known or believed to represent proceeds of money laundering. Prepared expert reports examining the transactions and fund flows for approximately HKD 5 billion and assisted the prosecution’s chief expert witness in an approximately 60-day trial. All defendants have been convicted.
- Expert work in relation to the legal proceedings commenced by the liquidators of one of the largest corporate collapses in Australia. The work included reconstructing the accounts and establishing the assets and their realization value, the liabilities and their due dates, investigation in respect to unauthorized payments, manipulation of accounts, and assessment of the solvency or insolvency of the companies at specified dates. Document discovery included audit work papers of an international audit firm.
- Independent accountant instructed by a stakeholder of a nonprofit organization to prepare a report in response to various allegations made by another stakeholder of the organization associated with the organization’s operation and governance.
- Expert work in legal proceedings in Australia engaged by the defendants, who conducted business selling men’s and women’s luxury fashion items, for damages of approximately AUD 62 million claimed by the plaintiff resulting from the contracts entered into between the plaintiff and the defendants for developing the business. The work included valuing the business (comprising 20 stores in Hong Kong, Macao and China selling luxury fashion items) and calculating the fees due by the defendants to the plaintiff at various relevant dates.
- Independent review of a company applying to be listed on an international stock exchange. The work included assessing whether there is any side agreement between the group of companies and its customers and reporting findings and observations to the sponsor of the company.
- Single joint expert work to value a company that is a major supplier of several food chain stores in Hong Kong. As a result of an ongoing shareholder dispute, a petition to wind up the company was filed by one of its shareholders. The court ordered that both parties file a joint expert report to value the company as if the company is sold as a going concern.
- Appointed independent accountant by a businessman to ascertain the value of a company that is engaged in the direct marketing of essential oil. The company was jointly owned by the businessman and his wife who intended to commence divorce proceedings against him.
