Beth Hackney
Special Counsel
About
Beth is a commercial litigator focused on contentious insolvency, fraud and asset tracing, professional negligence claims in financial and professional services, and trusted advisor to high-net-worth individuals and their estates. She has worked at premier law firms including King & Wood Mallesons and Norton Rose Fulbright in Sydney, and Stephenson Harwood in Hong Kong. Beth also served as Associate to then Honourable Justice Annabelle Bennett AC SC of the Federal Court of Australia.
Prior to joining Georgiou Partnership, Beth worked in the Regulatory Investigations and Litigation team at one of Australia’s major banks where she coordinated the bank’s response to high profile and time sensitive investigations conducted by domestic and international regulators.
Beth recently graduated with two LLMs specialising in international arbitration and international dispute resolution from the National University of Singapore and the Geneva Center for International Dispute Settlement. In 2024 she completed the HKIAC Tribunal Secretary Programme. Beth has acted as tribunal secretary in several arbitrations administered by the world's leading arbitral institutions, including the ICC, HKIAC and the SIAC.
Education
Education
Bachelor of Arts (Spanish Language and Culture), University of Technology, Sydney, 2008
Bachelor of Laws (Hons 1), University of Technology, Sydney, 2008
Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, 2009
Master of Laws (International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution), National University of Singapore, 2022
Master of Laws (International Dispute Settlement), Geneva Center for International Dispute Settlement, 2023
HKIAC Tribunal Secretary Training Programme, 2024
Admissions and qualifications
Barrister and Solicitor, Australia (New South Wales), 2009
Solicitor, High Court of Australia, 2009
Solicitor, Hong Kong, 2016
Affiliations and memberships
Insol International
IWIRC, Hong Kong
ArbitralWomen
Women in Arbitration
Languages
Accolades
Notable representations
Arbitration
%402x%20(2).svg){kind=icon}
Acting as tribunal secretary or assisting tribunals in arbitrations relating to:
- Purchase and management of a luxury hotel and resort complex (Singapore seat and Singapore law governed).
- Shareholders’ dispute involving claims of minority oppression (Singapore seat and Indian law governed).
- Dispute between investors relating to the redemption of shares and repayment of a convertible note (Hong Kong seat and Hong Kong law governed).
- Contract for the sale and purchase of LNG, involving a claim for non-performance due to Force Majeure (New York seat and New York law governed).
- Shareholders’ dispute relating to critical telecommunications infrastructure (London seat and English law governed).
Asset Recovery
- Global bank in relation to a US$89 million bunker fuel fraud, which involved obtaining numerous Mareva injunctions, disclosure and tracing orders against multiple defendants, the appointment of provisional liquidators and liaising with the Commercial Crime Bureau.
- European MNC in relation to a US$20 million email fraud. The funds were recovered in full.
Insolvency
- Liquidators in relation to a debt restructure involving an asset stripping investigation and garnishee disputes.
- Liquidators in relation to a HK listco restructure, involving an asset stripping investigation and examination proceedings against the ex-auditor.
- FTI Consulting (FTI) and Rod Sutton (former Asia-Pacific Chairman of FTI) in various proceedings, notably those commenced by the new liquidators of the Wah Nam Group Ltd, which were struck out on the ground of reflective loss: Wah Nam Group Ltd v Roderick John Sutton & Anor [2017] HKCFI 160. This decision was upheld on appeal: Wah Nam Group Ltd v Roderick John Sutton& Anor [2018] HKCA 687 and the plaintiff’s application for leave to appeal to the CFA denied: Wah Nam Group Ltd v Roderick John Sutton & Anor [2020] HKCA 30.
Litigation
- Deloitte in relation to discharge of their duties as administrators pendente lite of the estate of Nina Wang (Kung).
- Major European bank and its Asian subsidiaries in various proceedings, among them a claim for fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of contract against former counterparty, with damages exceeding US$150 million, and proceedings in Hong Kong to recover a majority equity stake in a HK listco.
- Hong Kong subsidiary of a UK auction house in various matters, including in a cross-border dispute arising from a disputed auction which gave rise to complex issues of conflict of laws, title to goods and contractual liens.
- AIG in relation to a claim made on an on-demand bond following the alleged insolvency of the main contractor for the West Kowloon precinct redevelopment.
