Joanne Collett

Joanne Collett

Partner

T +852 2596 3354
M +852 6395 7378

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Practice Areas

With over 22 years experience (including 12 years offshore, with 10 years in Hong Kong), and within the general specialty of insolvency and dispute resolution, Joanne Collett represents clients in relation to contentious and non-contentious matters advising on Cayman Islands, BVI and Bermuda law including commercial disputes and fund related matters, complex cross-border restructurings and privatisations (including by way of Scheme of Arrangement), contentious valuation issues, enforcement of rights by creditors and investors, information gathering and debt recovery. Joanne regularly represents debtors, creditors (both secured and unsecured), shareholders and insolvency practitioners in a wide range of litigation and insolvency/restructuring related matters regarding their options and strategies available offshore with a focus on commercial outcomes.

Joanne has extensive experience in acting for companies in financial distress, including as necessary seeking and obtaining the appointment of light touch provisional liquidators for the purposes of restructuring to assist with that process (for example In re Mongolian Mining Corporation (HKSE: 975); In re Winsway Enterprise Holdings Limited (HKSE: 1733); In re Hsin Chong Group Holdings Limited (HKSE: 404); In re CW Group Holdings Limited (HKSE:1322); In re North Mining Shares Company Limited (HKSE: 433); In re Samson Paper Holding Limited (HKSE: 713); In re Ping An Securities Group (Holdings) Limited  (HKSE: 0231); In re Burwill Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0024), In re US Holdings Ltd). Joanne recently led the team responsible for the successful restructuring of MIE Holdings Corporation (HKSE: 1555). Joanne was also the lead partner on the first appointment of a Restructuring Officer under the new regime in the Cayman Islands (In re Oriente Group Limited (Restructuring Officers Appointed)).  

Joanne also regularly acts for creditors and investors, and has recently acted on a number of large bank enforcement actions and for bondholders or other creditors in relation to a restructuring or liquidation of offshore entities (for example In re Trinity Limited (HKSE: 0891); In re NewOcean Energy Holdings Ltd (HKSE: 0342); (including in relation to a successful appeal to the Court of Appeal of Bermuda); In re Victory City International Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0539); In re Hong Kong Resources Holdings Company Limited (HKSE: 2882): In re Luckin Coffee Limited and In re Shinsun Holdings (Group) Co., Ltd (HKSE: 2599), which involves the first contested winding up petition in the Cayman Islands filed by a beneficial bondholder).   

Joanne is often called upon in an advisory role in relation to risk assessment and structuring considerations for potential finance and corporate transactions, and has particular expertise in the areas of corporate governance (including director's duties and board disputes), taking and enforcing security, funds and funds disputes, and creditor's and shareholder's rights. 

Joanne has acted for target companies, buyer consortiums, financiers and dissenting shareholders since 2015 in relation to mergers and appraisal cases of US listed companies involving a determination of fair value under s.238 of the Companies Act (2022 Revision), and regularly gives presentations to clients with respect to such cases.

Prior Employment Experience

Prior to joining Walkers, Joanne worked for another leading offshore firm in both its Cayman Islands and Hong Kong offices and provided advice and representation with respect to both Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands laws relating to insolvency, restructuring and general corporate matters, particularly in relation to fund clients and shareholder disputes. Prior to that she was an attorney in the financial restructuring group of New York law firm Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP where she worked on large and high profile Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, and also advised clients with respect to alternatives to Chapter 11, the use of Chapter 15 and the enforcement of security. Before practising in New York Joanne worked in Australia, initially with Finlaysons in Adelaide and subsequently at Blake Dawson (now Ashurst) in Sydney, both of which are leading firms in their respective markets. In Australia, Joanne practised primarily in relation to insolvency matters, representing banks and insolvency practitioners, as well as general commercial litigation.


Admitted in & Qualifications

Admitted In:

British Virgin Islands
Bermuda, Registered Associate
Australia (South Australia, High Court and Federal Court) (not practising)
England & Wales (not practising)
New York (First Department and Southern District of New York) (not practising)

Qualifications:
Master of Business Administration (International), Deakin University
Graduate Diploma in Military Law, Australian National University
Insolvency Education Program, University of Southern Queensland
LLB/LP (Honours), Flinders University of South Australia
Bachelor of Management (Marketing), University of South Australia

Other Distinctions

2023 Chambers Asia Pacific - Notable Practitioner - "Joanne Collett possesses solid expertise in handling insolvency and restructuring mandates."

2023 Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Recommended Lawyer

2022 Asian Legal Business – Asia's Top 15 Offshore Litigators

2022 Legal 500 Asia Pacific – ‘Joanne Collett, who leads the offshore Asian financial restructuring practice from Hong Kong, is a savvy cross-border restructuring lawyer who gives practical and commercial advice’.

2022 Chambers Asia-Pacific - Recommended - Offshore: Dispute Resolution - "Joanne Collett is a savvy cross-border insolvency and restructuring lawyer who is very hands-on, responsive and commercial."

2021 Asian Legal Business – Top 15 Offshore Litigators

2021 Legal 500 Asia Pacific – "The 'responsive and hardworking' Joanne Collett is 'very knowledgeable on cross-border restructuring issues.' "

2020 IWIRC Fetner Award

2019 The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Recommended Lawyer - " 'At the top of her game', Joanne Collett is well regarded for her prowess in handling cross-border restructuring and insolvency cases as well as shareholder dissent disputes."

2018 The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Recommended Lawyer

2016 The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Recommended Lawyer - "Joanne Collett is a ‘top-quality lawyer who is very easy to work with’."

News, Matters and Publications

MATTERS
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"A savvy cross-border insolvency and restructuring lawyer who is very hands-on, responsive and commercial."

Chambers Asia-Pacific

 

"Joanne is a ‘top-quality lawyer who is very easy to work with’."

Legal 500

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