Chief Justice Ian Kawaley attended the INSOL International 2014 Annual Regional Conference in Hong Kong during the last week of March.

INSOL is a global organisation that links accountants, lawyers, lenders, academics and judges who specialise in insolvency and corporate rescue work.

The Hong Kong conference (attended by over 600 delegates) focused on emerging trends in foreign investment into China, much of which involves companies established in offshore jurisdictions such as Bermuda.

The Offshore Ancillary Meeting considered the frameworks for dealing with business failure in the substantial investment structures using offshore companies as a platform for investing in China.

Justice Kawaley appeared on a ‘Judicial Question Time’ panel, alongside judges from China (the mainland and Hong Kong) and Singapore, as well as from the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands.

The Chief Justice highlighted the strength of the Bermuda Court’s ability to deal effectively with business failures, which is an important aspect of Bermuda serving as a domicile of choice for inward investment in China.

The following day Justice Kawaley moderated the opening session of a ‘Judicial Round Table’, which included senior judicial representatives of a broader range of Asian countries including India, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.