Charles D. Booth

Professor Booth returned to the faculty in January 2006 after spending 16 1/2 years at the University of Hong Kong. He teaches Asian-Pacific Insolvency Law, Second Year Seminar (with a focus on Asian-Pacific Commercial Law Topics), Secured Transactions. Corporate Reorganization, and Equitable Remedies; and he co-teaches Comparative Law and International Business Lawyering in Asia. He is the Founding Director of the Institute of Asian-Pacific Business Law (IAPBL).

Professor Booth practiced with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in New York from 1984 to 1986, taught in the faculty at the Law School from 1986-89, and taught in the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong from 1989 to 2005 where has also served as the Director of the Asian Institute of International Financial Law (AIIFL) from 2000-2005. In Hong Kong, he was a member of the Editorial Committee of the Hong Kong Law Journal for more than a decade, a member of the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Board of Review, a member of the Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong Sub-Committee on Debt Collection, and a member of the Hong Kong Deposit Protection Appeals Tribunal Panel.

Professor Booth is a leading expert on comparative and cross-border insolvency and commercial law and is especially well known for his work on Asian law. His current research examines Hong Kong and Chinese insolvency law and reform, and the development of insolvency and commercial law infrastructures in Asia in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis. He publishes extensively on these topics and has authored or co-authored more than 70 publications, which have been published in ten jurisdictions.

Professor Booth is a Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy, a Founding Member of the International Insolvency Institute (III), and a member of the International Academy of Commercial and Consumer Law. He is frequently invited to speak or moderate panels at conferences organized by INSOL International, the American Bar Association, the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors, and the International Insolvency Institute.

Professor Booth is very active in law reform. He has served as a consultant on insolvency and commercial law reform projects sponsored by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the EBRD, the OECD, the International Republican Institute, the ABA-UN Development Programme International Legal Resources Center, the Asian Business Law Institute (ABLI), and the III. He has contributed to law reform projects in China, Hong Kong, Laos, Mongolia, Vietnam and Vanuatu, and in Europe and Asia generally. He co-authored a report for the EBRD evaluating its Legal Transition Programme; co-authored the Study on Alternatives for the Debt Restructuring of Enterprises in China, the Report on the Treatment of the Insolvency of Natural Persons, and the Comparative Survey of International Commercial Enforcement & Insolvency Practices for the World Bank; led the drafting efforts of corporate and cross-border insolvency laws enacted in Vanuatu; assisted the Mongolian Judiciary with the drafting of an insolvency handbook; and conducted a Mid-Term Review of the Vietnam Debt Resolution Program for the IFC-World Bank Group.

He is also the Co-Designer and Co-Director of the Professional Diploma in Insolvency Course organized by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  In 2016, he delivered the keynote on ASEAN Cross-Border Insolvency to ASEAN representatives in Bangkok and was the Max Kade Visiting Professor at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany. He currently is serving as the Senior Insolvency Expert for an IFC- World Bank Group insolvency law reform project in Laos and is a member of the Advisory and Steering Committees for the ABLI and III Asian Principles of Business Restructuring Project (out of Singapore).

Books

• Charles D., Booth, ELG Tyler, Ludwig Ng & Terry Kan, Hong Kong Corporate Insolvency Manual (4th Edition) (Hong Kong: LexisNexis in association with HKICPA, in press, 2018). 
• Charles D. Booth & Edward Tyler, Hong Kong Personal Insolvency Manual (2nd edition) (Hong Kong: HKICPA, 2010).
• Jay Westbrook, Charles D. Booth, Christoph Paulus & Harry Rajak, A Global View of Business Insolvency Systems (World Bank & Kluwer/Martinius, 2010). HeinOnline | ScholarSpace

Articles and Book Chapters

• Charles D. Booth, An Analysis of Consumer Insolvency Trends in Hong Kong in the Aftermath of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and the 2007-2008 Global Financial Crisis, in Janis P. Sarra & Barbara Romaine (eds.), 2017 Annual Review of Insolvency Law (Canada), pp. 1051-1085 (Toronto: Thomson Reuters, 2018). 
• Charles D. Booth & Trevor N. Lain, Rescuing Hong Kong Companies with Provisional Supervision: Proposals that Workers and Management Can Support, 40 HONG KONG LAW JOURNAL 271-292 (2010). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Philip Smart, Charles D. Booth & Stephen Briscoe, Investigation of Insolvent Companies in Hong Kong: A Corporate Governance Crisis, 39 HONG KONG LAW JOURNAL 59-63 (2009). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Andrew J. Halkyard & Charles D. Booth, In Memoriam: Philip St. John Smart, 1961-2008, 38 HONG KONG LAW JOURNAL 321-323 (2008); republished in 18 INTERNATIONAL INSOLVENCY REVIEW 1-3 (UK, 2009). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, The 2006 PRC Enterprise Bankruptcy Law: The Wait is Finally Over, 20 SINGAPORE ACADEMY OF LAW SPECIAL ISSUE 275-315 (2008).  HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Philip Smart, Stephen Briscoe & Charles D. Booth, Insolvent Liquidation in Hong Kong: A Crisis of Confidence, (2007) 4(5) INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE RESCUE 263-275 (UK). SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Douglas W. Arner, Charles D. Booth, Paul Lejot & Berry F. Hsu, Property Rights, Collateral, Creditor Rights and Insolvency in East Asia, 42 TEXAS INTERNATIONAL LAW JOURNAL 515-60 (USA, 2007).  HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Philip Smart & Stephen Briscoe, Chapter 12, Corporate Rescue in Hong Kong, in Rodrigo Olivares-Caminal (ed.), Expedited Debt Restructuring: An International Comparative Analysis, pp. 291-315 (The Netherlands: Wolters Kluwer, 2007).
• Charles D. Booth, Zhang Xian Chu & Wendy Chiu, The People’s Republic of China, Chapter 18, in Collier International Business Insolvency Guide, pp. 18-1 to 18-64 (LexisNexis, 2006).
• Douglas W. Arner, Charles D. Booth, Berry F. Hsu & Paul Lejot, Property Rights, Collateral, Creditor Rights and Financial Development, 17 EUROPEAN BUSINESS LAW REVIEW 1215-1240 (The Netherlands, 2006).
• Charles D. Booth, Corporate Reorganization in Hong Kong: Can Provisional Liquidation Come to the Rescue? 2(2) JOURNAL OF RESTRUCTURING FINANCE 183-188 (Singapore, 2005). SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Drafting Bankruptcy Laws in Socialist Market Economies: Recent Developments in China and Vietnam, 18(1) COLUMBIA JOURNAL OF ASIAN LAW 93-147 (USA, 2004). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace | ScholarSpace
• Philip Smart & Charles D. Booth, Cross-Border Insolvency and the Discharge of Debts, 20(4) INSOLVENCY LAW & PRACTICE 147-150 (UK, 2004). SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Review of Corporate Insolvency Law: Perspectives and Principles, Vanessa Finch, 34 Hong Kong L. J. 1 (2004). SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Current Trends in Consumer Insolvency in Hong Kong, Chapter 9, in Johanna Niemi-Kiesilainen, Iain Ramsey &William C. Whitford (eds.), Consumer Bankruptcy in Global Perspective 187-202 (Oxford and Portland, Oregon: Hart Publishing, 2003.
• Charles D. Booth, Rights, Powers and Duties of the Debtor and Creditors in Insolvency Proceedings in Hong Kong (2003). The ICFAI Journal of International Business Law, Vol. 2, No. 1, p. 74, 2003.  SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Transnational Insolvency: Cross-Border Co-Operation between the United States and Hong Kong - In re Axona International Credit & (and) Commerce Limited, 23 Hong Kong L.J. 131 (1993)  SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Securitization in Emerging Markets, Including Government Promotion of Securitization: A Comment on Hill and Arner, 12(2) DUKE JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE & INTERNATIONAL LAW 533-536 (USA, 2002). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Co-participant with George M. Kelakos, Saturo Murase, Arnold M. Quittner & Mark Sterling, Corporate/Debt Restructuring Roundtable: Japan, The Hong Kong SAR & the People’s Republic of China – A Roundtable Discussion, 10 AMERICAN BANKRUPTCY INSTITUTE LAW REVIEW 1-28 (2002). SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Philip Smart & Charles D. Booth, Corporate Rescue: Hong Kong Developments, 10 AMERICAN BANKRUPTCY INSTITUTE LAW REVIEW 41-45 (2002). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Zhang Xian Chu & Charles D. Booth, Chinese Bankruptcy Law in an Emerging Market Economy: The Shenzhen Experience, 15 COLUMBIA JOURNAL OF ASIAN LAW 1-32 (USA, 2001). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Philip Smart & Charles D. Booth, Reforming Corporate Rescue Procedures in Hong Kong, JOURNAL OF CORPORATE LAW STUDIES 485-499 (UK, Dec. 2001). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Zhang Xian Chu & Charles D. Booth, Beijing’s Initiative on Cross-Border Insolvency: Reflections on a Recent Visit of Hong Kong Professionals to Beijing, 31 HONG KONG LAW JOURNAL 312-323 (2001) HeinOnline; republished in 10 AMERICAN BANKRUPTCY INSTITUTE LAW REVIEW 29-39 (USA, 2002). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace | ScholarSpace
• Philip Smart & Charles D. Booth, Provisional Supervision and Workers’ Wages: An Alternative Proposal, 31 HONG KONG LAW JOURNAL 188-199 (2001).  HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Hong Kong Insolvency Law Reform: Preparing for the Next Millennium, JOURNAL OF BUSINESS LAW 126-156 (UK, 2001); SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth & Philip Smart, The New Avoidance Powers under Hong Kong Insolvency Law: A Move from Territoriality to Extraterritoriality, 34 INTERNATIONAL LAWYER 255-65 (USA, 2000) HeinOnline; republished in 17(5) NATIONAL INSOLVENCY REVIEW 54-63 (Canada, Oct. 2000).  SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, When Government Intervenes: Winding Up Fraudulent Companies in Hong Kong, Analysis, 29 HONG KONG LAW JOURNAL 368-92 (1999) HeinOnline; republished in 4 RECEIVERS, ADMINISTRATORS & LIQUIDATORS QUARTERLY 41-71 (UK, 2000). SSRN | ScholarSpace

• Charles D. Booth, Corporate Rescue: This Year, Next Year..., Butterworths Asia (2000) ScholarSpace

• Charles D. Booth, Hong Kong Corporate Rescue: Recent Developments, 19 Am. Bankr. Inst. J. 9 (2000) SSRN | ScholarSpace

• Charles D. Booth & Philip Smart, Retroactive or Prospective? Determining the Scope of Hong Kong’s New Insolvency Law, 8 INTERNATIONAL INSOLVENCY REVIEW 27-37 (UK, 1999). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, New Insolvency Law: Traps and Gaps, Hong Kong Lawyer (1999)  ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Hong Kong Corporate Rescue Proposals: Making Secured Creditors More Secure, Analysis, 28 HONG KONG LAW JOURNAL 44-59 (1998) HeinOnline; republished in 14(4) INSOLVENCY LAW & PRACTICE 248-55 (UK, August 1998). SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Leaping forward to 1997: Bankruptcy Law Reform in Hong Kong , 6 INTERNATIONAL INSOLVENCY REVIEW 183-209 (UK, 1997). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, The Effect of 1997 on Hong Kong's Law of Transnational Corporate Insolvency, 7 AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF CORPORATE LAW 206-26 (1997). SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Living in Uncertain Times: The Need to Strengthen Hong Kong Transnational Insolvency Law, 34 COLUMBIA JOURNAL OF TRANSNATIONAL LAW 389-447 (USA, 1996). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, PRC Corporations, Garnishee Orders and Transnational Insolvency, 11 J. Int'l Banking L. 5 (1996)  SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, The Transnational Aspects of Hong Kong Insolvency Law, 2 SOUTHWESTERN JOURNAL OF LAW & TRADE IN THE AMERICAS 1-80 (USA, 1995). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, The Old Age Pension Scheme: A Tax by Any Other Name . . . , Comment, 24 HONG KONG LAW JOURNAL 319-27 (1994). HeinOnline | SSRN |ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Transnational Insolvency: Cross-Border Co-Operation Between The United States and Hong Kong 23 Hong. Kong. L. J. 131 (1993)  ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Recent developments in Hong Kong Bankruptcy Law Reform, 2 Int'l Insolvency Rev. 120 (1993). ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, Recognition of Foreign Bankruptcies: An Analysis and Critique of the Inconsistent Approaches of United States Courts, 66 AMERICAN BANKRUPTCY LAW JOURNAL 135-232 (1992).  HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, A History of the Transnational Aspects of United States Bankruptcy Law Prior to the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, 9 BOSTON UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL LAW JOURNAL 1-38 (USA, 1991). HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth & Donald J. Lewis, Liwan District Construction Company v. Euro-America China Property Limited, Case Digest, 6 CHINA LAW & PRACTICE 27-34 (Hong Kong, 1990). SSRN | ScholarSpace
• Charles D. Booth, The Cramdown on Secured Creditors: An Impetus Toward Settlement, 60 AMERICAN BANKRUPTCY LAW JOURNAL 69-108 (1986).  HeinOnline | SSRN | ScholarSpace

• Senior Insolvency Expert, IFC-World Bank Group, Insolvency Law Reform in Laos (2018)
• Max Kade Visiting Professor, Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, Germany (Dec. 2016).
• Senior Evaluation Expert, IFC-World Bank Group, Vietnam Debt Resolution Program (Sept.  2016- Mar. 2017).
• Keynote Speaker, ASEAN Cross-Border Insolvency, International Conference on Cross-Border Insolvency, Bangkok, Thailand (June 2016).
• Insolvency (Bankruptcy) Expert, IDLO & EBRD, Commercial Law Judicial Training Program in Mongolia (Aug. 2013-June 2014).
• Member, four-person team, evaluated the activities of the EBRD’s Legal Transition Programme from 2001-2010 (July 2011-Nov. 2012). SSRN | ScholarSpace | ScholarSpace
• Member, four-person team, drafted the Report on the Insolvency of Natural Persons for the World Bank (June 2011-May 2013). ScholarSpace
• Keynote Speaker, Asian Corporate Insolvency Reform, OECD Forum on Asian Insolvency Reform, Bangkok, Thailand (July 2009)
• Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law Expert, Asian Development Bank, led the drafting efforts for new Corporate and Cross-Border Insolvency Acts enacted in Vanuatu (Mar. 2007-Mar. 2010).
• Co-Project Manager, World Bank, Out-of-Court Restructuring of State-Owned Enterprises in China (June 2001-2002).
• Member, four-person team, drafted the Comparative Survey of International Commercial Enforcement & Insolvency Practices for the World Bank (June 2001-2009).