+852 2573 5000
Practice Areas
Jurisdictions
- Hong Kong (1990)
- Australia (1991) (non-practising)
- England and Wales (1989) (non-practising)
Awards
Jeff Lane
Consultant
Jeff is a consultant in the Dispute Resolution department and Fraud and Asset Tracing practice. He has a strong commercial practice with a focus on cross-border fraud and cybercrime. Jeff is the sole Hong Kong representative recognised in Who’s Who Legal: Global Thought Leaders (2017 – 2021 Editions) for Asset Recovery and is highly regarded by other legal publications.
Jeff has practiced as a litigator in Hong Kong for more than thirty years and is Hong Kong’s go-to legal professional in the area of cyber fraud enforcement. Jeff advises victims of all types of domestic and multi-jurisdictional financial fraud. This includes identity theft, CEO and employee fraud, romance frauds, immigration fraud and crypto fraud. Jeff works closely with the Hong Kong Police, the judicial court system and domestic and international banks to make urgent applications for Mareva injunctions and disclosure orders on behalf of his clients often securing applications for the recovery or preservation of funds within 24 hours of receiving instructions. Jeff is also often asked by clients to advise on the correct protection of business and commercial assets, proactively developing strategies to protect companies against cyber fraud.
Jeff is the sole Hong Kong representative of globally recognised and highly ranked lawyer network FraudNet, membership of which is by invitation only. FraudNet is an international network of specialist fraud practitioners established by the International Chamber of Commerce in 2004. This network combined with Jeff’s long-standing relationships with banks in Asia allows for an extremely high success rate of recovery of client funds. Jeff has been involved in matters undergoing judicial review; the outcome of these matters will impact how the courts and Hong Kong police are able to preserve and hold assets.
A number of Jeff’s matters involve white collar crime elements. Jeff is able to apply litigation tactics to achieve successful outcomes for his clients facing court proceedings.
Key cases
- Advising a multinational brokerage incorporated in Delaware which had fallen victim to a high-value CEO fraud.
- Advised a company based in Australia to recover funds misappropriated in a multimillion AUD identify theft fraud.
- Advised an ultra-high-net-worth US individual (a director in financial services industry) who fell victim to a high-value identity fraud.
- Acted on a pro bono basis for Pieta House, a charity based in Ireland, to recover successfully the stolen funds and part of the interest in the garnishee proceedings that amounted as a result of an identity fraud.
- Advised on the Hong Kong aspects of a multijurisdictional (Hong Kong, Andorra, Panama, Mexico, Columbia, Japan, Switzerland, the US (New York)) and large-scale fraud perpetrated by members of government of at least two countries who are now under investigation for, among other things, filing false Suspicious Activity Reports and Suspicious Transaction Reports to authorities in numerous jurisdictions including Hong Kong.
- Assisted client in the tracing and recovery of monies stolen via a multimillion email fraud. This matter was complex due to the initial proceedings and resulting satellite litigation that has arisen.
- Conducted an unusual and complicated action in retrover and detinue, successfully recovered a high value stolen watch which was discovered on sale at well-known auction house Sotheby’s following a burglary at the client’s home in England.
- Instructed by the liquidators of an Irish bank in a multi-jurisdictional tracing and recovery exercise seeking recovery of EUR2.5 billion through proceedings in Ireland, Russia, India, Switzerland, Dubai and Hong Kong
- Instructed by Grant MacEwan University in the tracing and recovery of CA $11.8 million misappropriated through cyber fraud through coordinated action in Hong Kong and Canada.
- Assisted liquidators of a UK technology company in recovery of £35 million due to HMRC through obtaining injunctions and disclosure orders in aid of overseas proceedings
Chambers and Partners 2023 states: “He’s very experienced and efficient, with a good network.”
Legal 500 2023 notes “Jeff Lane is a top disputes lawyer, with particular expertise in fraud and asset recovery matters.”
Who’s Who Legal recognises Jeff as a Global Elite Thought Leader in Asset Recovery (GIR) 2022 and adds: “Jeff Lane is counted among the finest lawyers in the region in this practice area by peers, who note that he ‘ensures immediate responses to clients’, ‘does a lot of heavyweight asset recovery work’ and ‘is a first-rate asset recovery practitioner’. Further, “Jeff Lane tops this year’s ranking, where he is considered ‘an asset recovery specialist’ who receives worldwide endorsements from market observers.”
Chambers Greater China 2022 notes: “Jeff Lane and his team went above and beyond for us and I can’t say enough good things about their hard work.”
Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022 notes: “Jeff Lane as a partner is always available and in appropriate cases with timely restrictions representing them in court.”
Chambers Asia Pacific 2021 notes “Jeff Lane is well versed in fraud claims and various tracing and recovery actions. He is also experienced with cyber-fraud claims.”
Who’s Who Legal Thought Leaders Global Elite 2020 says ‘Jeff Lane garners extensive praise as “an outstanding lawyer” from peers around the globe. He focuses on domestic and international financial fraud matters and asset tracing cases, with a particular niche in cyberfraud.’
Legal 500 Asia Pacific Guide 2020 mentions Jeff Lane for work in cyber fraud and high-value commercial fraud matters.
Chambers Asia Pacific 2020 notes: Jeff Lane is an “Excellent litigator” and is “pragmatic, direct, understands all the issues and is very prompt in his responses,” according to one client. He is an experienced litigation practitioner, with a practice focus on handling cases related to fraud, asset tracing and recovery and cyber fraud.
Legal 500 Asia Pacific Guide 2019 notes: Jeff Lane is recommended as ‘a fantastic practitioner, who gives clear and commercial advice on complex issues, and, most importantly, achieves results’.
Chambers Asia Pacific 2019 notes: Jeff Lane has substantial expertise in cyber fraud matters and regularly assists clients with asset tracing and recovery. Commentators note his good reputation in this area and consider him to be “a safe pair of hands.”
Chambers Asia Pacific 2018 notes: Jeff regularly assists clients with domestic and cross-border financial fraud disputes and asset tracing matters. He is also sought out for his expertise in issues relating to cyber fraud. Interviewees describe him as “a pretty impressive litigator” who “responds to requests very quickly.“
Jeff Lane is praised for ‘not shying away from the difficult-to-hear facts’in Legal 500 Asia Pacific Guide 2018.
Chambers Asia Pacific 2017 notes: Jeff Lane has a flourishing practice representing high-profile clients in complex litigation in the Hong Kong market. Sources acknowledge his established credentials, describing him as a “hardcore and serious litigator.”
Asia Pacific Legal 500 2017 notes: Jeff Lane is ‘a true market leader in fraud and asset recovery claims, with tremendous experience and local knowledge’. The 2016 Edition notes: “Jeff Lane is ‘an outstanding disputes lawyer’.”
Asialaw Leading Lawyers 2017 notes: “Jeff Lane has a strategic approach and asset recovery expertise,” says a client. “Jeff has good legal knowledge, the ability to put a strong case in court and he’s very professional,” says a client. Jeff is listed as a Market-leading lawyer in this publication.
- FraudNet (sole Hong Kong representative; international network of specialist fraud and leading civil asset recovery specialists established by the International Chamber of Commerce)
- ThoughtLeaders4 Fraud, Insolvency, Restructuring, Enforcement (FIRE)
- The Law Society of Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Club
- Hong Kong Football Club
Professional memberships
Other memberships
