Tanner De Witt

Restructuring and Insolvency

Partner, Head of Restructuring and Insolvency

Ian is a partner and head of our highly awarded Restructuring and Insolvency practice. He has been recognised as a leading lawyer in major legal publications including Chambers Asia Pacific, Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Who’s Who Legal for more than a decade. An experienced litigator, Ian advises officeholders, shareholders, large multinationals, high net worth individuals and listed companies on insolvency, restructuring and litigation matters. He was recently selected by Asian Legal Business as one of the Top 50 Disputes Lawyers in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ian and his team have been involved in most of the major restructurings and insolvencies in the region over the past two decades, acting for liquidators, receivers, creditors, bondholders, financial institutions and directors across a wide range of sectors. His experience finding solutions for clients puts him at the forefront of the restructuring and insolvency legal market in Hong Kong. He is seen as a go-to advisor for companies and individuals in distress and works with a wide and established network of professionals in Hong Kong and abroad including in offshore jurisdictions.

Additionally, Ian advises on a wide range of commercial and contractual disputes, partnership and shareholder disputes, high value fraud matters involving debt recovery, asset tracing and the enforcement of judgments, pre-emptive actions such as injunctions, court appointed receivers, and the appointment of provisional liquidators.

Over the years, Ian has acted in respect of investigations, regulatory matters and prosecutions carried out by the Police, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and various disciplinary committees.

Ian has been a member of the International Insolvency Institute for several years and sits on the Insolvency Committee for the Law Society, the Technical and Editorial Committee of the Restructuring and Insolvency Faculty of Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Official Receiver’s Office Services Advisory Committee, and was recently reappointed to his role as director of the Company and Insolvency Law Society (COINS). Ian is a member of the Working Party on Taxation in Civil Proceedings of The Law Society of Hong Kong and is also an accredited mediator of HKMAAL.

Ian De Witt was born in Wales and obtained an honours degree in law in London. After qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales, he joined and became a partner in a prominent London law firm where he worked for many years before coming to Hong Kong in 1996. Ian founded Tanner De Witt in 1999 with Richard Tanner with just one member of staff.

Professional Memberships

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) British Chamber of Commerce Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) Fellow of the Hong Kong Credit and Collection Management Association (HKCCMA) Hong Kong International Arbitration Center Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) Restructuring and Insolvency Faculty Technical Sub-Committee Insolvency Law Committee of The Law Society of Hong Kong Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals (INSOL International) International Bar Association (IBA) International Insolvency Institute (III) International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) Law Society Insolvency Committee Mediator accredited by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) The Law Society of Hong Kong ThoughtLeaders 4 Fraud, Insolvency, Recovery, Enforcement (FIRE) Turnaround Management Association (TMA) Company and Insolvency Law Society (COINS) Working Party on Taxation in Civil Proceedings of The Law Society of Hong Kong

Other Memberships

Classic Car Club of Hong Kong Gold Coast Yacht and Country Club Hong Kong Club Hong Kong member of: St David’s Society; The Royal Society of St George; St Patrick’s Society; and St Andrew’s Society Land Rovers Owner Club MG Owners’ Club Oriental Club London Royal Commonwealth Society Royal Geographical Society