Francesca Ip

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Francesca Ip is a Special Counsel of Karas So LLP. She specialises in the litigation and resolution of cross-border commercial, company and insolvency disputes.

Francesca has particular experience of acting for both creditors and debtors in high profile insolvencies and restructurings, and the enforcement of substantial arbitral awards and judgments in the APAC region and internationally. She also has experience of international arbitration administrated under the major institutional rules.

Francesca graduated in jurisprudence from the University of Oxford. She has been granted Higher Rights of Audience for civil proceedings and regularly appears in the High Court and Companies Court of Hong Kong as an advocate.

Key Experience

Commercial

Representing a syndicate of major investment banks and financial institutions in Hong Kong and PRC on the cross-border enforcement of defaulted facility agreement and notes totalling c. US $260 million.
Representing liquidators in claims for the ownership and directorship of a company with substantial assets and related debt claims, involving a successful speedy trial.
Representing a leading investment fund on the cross-border enforcement of defaulted notes, including obtaining freezing injunction and discovery orders, leading to full recovery.
Representing a leading ATM manufacturer in successfully resisting application to set aside parts of an arbitral award and opposition to enforcement, and the subsequent enforcement of the award in Hong Kong and PRC.
Representing a group of investors defrauded in a sport trading scheme in the cross-border recovery of their funds.
Representing a high net worth individual on the cross-border recovery of misappropriated funds, including a successful application for an order of committal before the High Court of Hong Kong.
Representing a high net worth individual on the cross-border enforcement of a substantial foreign judgment in Hong Kong, including successfully resisting an application to set aside orders for service out of the jurisdiction and interlocutory judgment for defamation.
Regularly representing arbitral award and judgment creditors in the enforcement and monetisation of HKIAC, SIAC, CIETAC and ICC awards and foreign judgments.

Company and Insolvency

Representing an ad hoc group of creditors in opposing the winding up of subsidiaries of Logan Group Company Limited.
Representing creditors in insolvency and restructuring proceedings involving China Evergrande Group.
Representing a high net worth individual in the just and equitable winding up of a Hong Kong company and the appointment of provisional liquidators.
Representing a high net worth individual and co-founder of major Chinese coffee company in opposing winding up applications in the Cayman Islands and BVI and on the restructuring of debt and termination of the liquidations.
Representing an oil super major in opposing the just and equitable winding up of a Hong Kong incorporated LNG trading company, procured the appointment of independent directors of the company, proceedings against the company’s shareholders and managing claims against certain of the company’s counterparties.

Arbitration

Representing a leading commodity trader in arbitration against a PRC state owned entity and thereafter managing the enforcement of the award in the PRC and Hong Kong.
Representing a leading commodity trader in arbitration against a major PRC steel manufacturer arising out of default under a long-term contract for the sale of iron ore.
Advising an oil super major and Korean conglomerate on arbitration against Hong Kong "mirror" company of PRC conglomerate following default under long term LNG swaps.
Representing a leading commodity trader in arbitration against a Singapore trading company arising out of default under a contract for the sale of coal.
Representing a leading commodity trader in arbitration against an Indonesian mining conglomerate arising out of default under a facility agreement.

Career History