Katherine Liu
Partner - Head of Finance and Financial Services Group, Greater China
Market leading fintech and regulatory expert, renowned for her responsiveness, pragmatic and commercially focused advice. A trusted legal advisor.
Partner - Head of Finance and Financial Services Group, Greater China
Market leading fintech and regulatory expert, renowned for her responsiveness, pragmatic and commercially focused advice. A trusted legal advisor.
Languages - English, Cantonese, Mandarin
Jurisdiction - Hong Kong
Katherine leads the Finance and Financial Regulatory Practice in Hong Kong, where she provides strategic advice to clients on a broad spectrum of matters, including compliance with financial laws, regulatory frameworks and personal data protection.
Her diverse client base encompasses banks, money lenders, securities brokers, asset managers, virtual asset businesses and payment companies. She has extensive experience guiding them through ongoing operational and compliance challenges, and advising on complex transactions such as business establishment, merger and acquisition, business transfer and closure.
In recent years, Katherine has counselled a wide array of clients on the development of digital platforms and other innovative projects relating to online banking, investment trading and payment systems, and is also highly experienced in preparing standard client documentation and structuring collaborations with business partners. More recently, she has been at the forefront of advising on virtual asset-related businesses.
Katherine is a sought-after speaker at industry seminars, raising awareness of regulatory and technological developments impacting financial services. Her expertise has been recognised by leading legal directories and awards.
Stablecoin issuance projects
Assisted in the structuring of the underlying legal arrangements supporting the operation of a stablecoin project, including providing continuous support to one of the HKMA's stablecoin issuer sandbox participants throughout their stablecoin-journey.
Cross-border payment companies
Provided legal and regulatory with innovative payment companies with virtual account and corporate credit card functions, including advising on implementing new technology (including stablecoins) as part of the payment company's payment structure, structuring their international businesses to cover Hong Kong customers, and advising on open/embedded finance collaboration with other institutions.
Authorised institutions (banks and digital banks)
Regularly advised different banks and digital banks on different legal and regulatory issues arising from new products and services, including new loan products, time-deposits, FX services and products, cross-border remittance services, overseas customer onboarding services, insurance policy financing services, credit referencing services, etc.
Securities firms and asset managers
Advised various securities firms and asset managers in relation to their regulatory requirements, including preparing their client facing documents, advising on the professional investor regime, disclosure of benefit requirements, complex products and risk factors and third party payment and AML requirements.
Token offering and virtual asset transactions
Advised on legality and the securities nature of tokens, and provided guidance on the applicable licensing and registration requirements for offering the tokens in Hong Kong. Assisted client in structuring financial transactions involving virtual assets and granting loans in stablecoins.
Import and export service company
Assisted in structuring a factoring and moneylending collaboration between an import/export service company and a licensed money lender to facilitate payments by shipping companies.
Establishment and closures of banking, lending, investment and payment businesses in Hong Kong
Advised various financial institutions in the establishment, acquisition and closure of their businesses, including the application to the SFC, HKMA, C&ED and Police for the relevant licences, conducting due diligence on the target companies obtaining the necessary approvals for a change in control and assisting companies in winding down their businesses.
Investigations by the SFC
Advised clients against an investigations by the SFC for alleged breaches of the SFO and/or the SFC Code of Conduct, arising from (1) the offering of investments to the HK public without the SFC's authorization; (2) carrying on business in a regulated activity in HK without the relevant licences; and (3) internal control issues.
