Exclusive | Hong Kong to see more debt restructuring amid weak economy, says ‘King of Liquidation’


Hong Kong and mainland China are set to see more corporate restructuring and liquidation in commercial real estate, restaurants and retail shops in 2026 due to the weak economy and changes in consumer behaviour, according to veteran liquidator Derek Lai Kar-yan.
The challenging economic environment, however, provides opportunities for experts like Lai, 60, who is known in the industry as the “King of Liquidation”. He left Deloitte after 36 years with the firm and last week was appointed by EY as senior partner and leader of Asia-Pacific turnaround and restructuring.

Lai plans to expand EY’s restructuring team from 80 to 130 people next year as he believes many struggling companies need help from experts.

“I believe it is the right time to build a new high-quality restructuring team to help corporations that need rescue,” Lai said in an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post.

“While the weak economy has seen many companies struggle to repay their debts, it creates the demand for restructuring and liquidation professionals to help them turn around the business and sell assets to repay their bondholders or banks,” Lai said.

The challenging economic environment provides opportunities for liquidation experts, according to Derek Lai. Photo: Shutterstock
The challenging economic environment provides opportunities for liquidation experts, according to Derek Lai. Photo: Shutterstock

Companies Registry data showed a rising trend of firms closing down in the past few years – 88,232 in 2022, 94,002 in 2023, 116,073 in 2024 and 84,549 in the first 10 months of this year.

  • Related Posts

    China is world’s billionaire capital again as Hurun Rich List swells on stock surge

    More of the world’s billionaires live in China than anywhere else, after stock market gains and artificial intelligence generated a record number of billionaires globally, according to the latest Hurun…

    Continue reading
    Hong Kong banks face limited Middle East risk but tensions cloud expansion plans

    Hong Kong lenders have only “insignificant” exposure to the Middle East, the city’s banking regulator said, although analysts expect escalating tensions in the region could slow local banks’ expansion plans…

    Continue reading

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *