Maria On
Maria is a commercial litigator with a particular focus on professional negligence, insolvency and shareholder disputes.
Maria has a broad dispute resolution practice and acts for insolvency practitioners, financial institutions, distressed companies, directors, shareholders and investors. With over a decade of experience, Maria frequently acts in cross-border disputes involving fraud, investment disputes, shareholder rights, breach of trust and fiduciary duties and professional negligence.
Maria has particular expertise in professional negligence claims against auditors, valuers, solicitors and trustee companies.
In addition to Hong Kong experience, Maria has appeared as counsel in proceedings in New Zealand and has spent time at an offshore law firm where she acted in high value proceedings in the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands involving cryptocurrency exchanges and funds, minority shareholder rights and failed investment funds.
Maria currently serves as the secretary of the board of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (Hong Kong).
Experience & capabilities
Selected matters
Professional Negligence
- acting for the liquidators of a former Hong Kong-listed company purporting to provide services in South East Asia in an audit negligence claim against a Big 4 accounting firm
- acting for the liquidators of a former Hong Kong-listed company that collapsed following admissions of misappropriation by its chairman in an audit negligence claim against a top accounting firm
- acting for the liquidators of a former Hong Kong-listed company purporting to own extensive assets in Mainland China in an audit negligence claim against a Big 4 accounting firm and in claims against former directors
- acting for the trustee of a litigation trust created following the collapse of a former Canadian-listed company purporting to own extensive assets in Mainland China in claims against former directors, auditors and valuers
- acting for the receivers of a failed finance company in a professional negligence claim against its former solicitors and in claims against its former directors
- acting for the receivers of a failed finance company in a professional negligence and breach of contract claim against a professional trustee and its former solicitors
Commercial Litigation
- acting for two companies in a HKD2 billion debt claim, against which the defendant alleged the transaction was a sham and/or the transaction was entered into without authority
- acting for a shipping company in resisting the discharge of a 21M injunction and appealing the discharge of that injunction
- acting for an Indonesian media company in resisting the enforcement of a USD130 million arbitral award
- acting for an international bank in respect of alleged breaches of equitable obligations
- acting for a PRC cement company in a minority shareholder dispute in the Cayman Islands
- acting for a beneficial shareholder of a Cayman company for claims in excess of USD500 million as against the company
- acting for the limited partner of a Cayman exempted limited partnership in a HKD900 million claim against the general partner and other related parties
- acting for the founding shareholders and directors of a Cayman company in respect of their removal from the management of the company and dilution of their shares
- acting in the liquidation of Three Arrows Capital, one of the largest cryptocurrency hedge funds at the time
- acting for a liquor company in an action against a competitor in respect of anticompetitive practices
- acting for a dairy company in defending statutory and tortious claims brought by a major customer in respect of baby formula
Background
Maria graduated with bachelor’s degrees in law, finance and accounting from the University of Victoria, Wellington, New Zealand and with a masters of laws from the University of Cambridge.
She began her legal career in New Zealand and moved to Hong Kong in 2014. Since moving to Hong Kong, Maria has spent time at international firms practising Hong Kong law, as well as at an offshore firm where she gained experience in Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands litigation.
Maria is qualified in Hong Kong, New Zealand, England and Wales and the British Virgin Islands.