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Calvin K. Koo photo
Calvin K. Koo
Lawyer
Hong Kong
ICBC Tower, 6th Floor
3 Garden Road
Central, Hong Kong
+852 2127 3297
calvin.koo@kobrekim.com
vCard Download 
Hong Kong
ICBC Tower, 6th Floor
3 Garden Road
Central, Hong Kong
+852 2127 3297
calvin.koo@kobrekim.com
vCard Download 

Calvin Koo represents clients, including ultra-high-net-worth individuals, pursuing offensive and defensive strategies related to cross-border government enforcement matters and regulatory enforcement actions. He also advises clients throughout Asia in high-stakes international investigations by government and regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; the U.S. Department of Justice; the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption; and the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission.

Mr. Koo also counsels financial technology clients regarding cryptocurrency-related disputes and investigations, as well as victims of fraud on international asset tracing and judgment enforcement strategies.

Before joining Kobre & Kim, Mr. Koo practiced at Winston & Strawn LLP, where he represented corporations and their executives in white-collar investigations, class-action securities disputes, bankruptcy and other related litigation.

SERVICES

Admissions

  • Solicitor, Hong Kong
  • New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Education

  • Northwestern University, BA
  • Boston University School of Law, JD

Languages

  • Mandarin
SERVICES

Select Engagements

  • Representation of a senior officer of a U.S. investment bank in internal and related investigations by U.S. and Hong Kong (HK) authorities, including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the HK Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), regarding alleged Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and HK corruption/bribery law violations by the investment bank in Asia.
  • Representation of an Asia-based business executive in a multijurisdictional investigation, including by the DOJ and the HK Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), involving allegations of fraud, bribery and money laundering.
  • Representation of three senior employees in Shanghai, Taipei and HK who worked for a multinational engineering firm in responding to a “show cause” inquiry from the World Bank in connection to several World Bank-financed projects.
  • Co-representation of a blockchain technology company in responding to an SEC subpoena regarding initial coin offerings.
  • Representation of a Japan-based executive of an international financial institution in investigations being conducted by the SEC, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the DOJ into allegations of anti-competitive behavior related to derivatives products.
  • Representation of an Asia-based business executive in connection with criminal charges filed by the DOJ for alleged FCPA violations stemming from work in the oil and gas industry.
  • Representation of a former senior executive of a nutritional product manufacturer and distributor during an internal investigation into potential FCPA violations in China.
  • Representation of the former chief financial officer of DHB Industries Inc., n/k/a Point Blank Solutions Inc., a body armor supplier, in securing a noncustodial sentence, having faced years in prison after pleading guilty in 2007 to her role in an alleged US $200 million fraudulent scheme to inflate company earnings and profits.
  • Conducted an internal investigation on behalf of the special committee of the board of directors for a major media publication into allegations of misconduct in the sale of overseas licensing rights, stemming from a whistleblower complaint.
  • Conducted a highly sensitive internal investigation on behalf of a Macau-based gaming company relating to allegations of employee misconduct.
  • Representation of a U.S. Federal Trade Commission receiver for several companies, administered in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, in designing and implementing international asset recovery strategies in HK and Australia in connection with recovering assets for victims of fraud.
  • Representation of an international transportation company in pursuing a global asset recovery of US $36 million+ arising out of an embezzlement scheme perpetrated by a former employee in Asia.
  • Representation of an Australia headquartered oil and gas company in HK arbitration against its outbound investment adviser over breach of contract allegations.
  • Representation of a HK-listed entity’s director in connection with HK arbitration involving the listed company and a related SFC investigation.
  • Representation of a large Chinese conglomerate in disputes subject to International Chamber of Commerce arbitration in Singapore arising out of an engineering, procurement and construction contract for the construction of a power plant in Latin America, with US $700 million+ invested in the project.
 

Professional & Community Involvement

  • American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Member
  • American Bar Association, Section of International Law, Member
  • Northwestern University Alumni Association, Hong Kong Chapter, Member, Board of Directors
SERVICES

Publications & Presentations

  • Author, "Bitcoin and the Wealthy" (Financial Times, June 2021)
  • Author, "Bitcoin: Legal Risks For Asia-Based Investors And Advisors" (Wealth Briefing Asia, March 2021)
  • Author, "The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same: Hong Kong Courts Adapt to the World of Bitcoin and iPhones" (Hong Kong Lawyer, April 2020)
  • Contributing author, The Asset Tracing and Recovery Review - 3rd through 8th Editions (Law Business Research, 2015-2020)
  • Author, "AA & EA v. The SFC, and the Challenges that Remain for Subjects of Global Investigations." (The Hong Kong Lawyer, April 2019)
  • Co-author, "Enforcement of Foreign Judgments - Hong Kong" (Getting the Deal Through, 2017)
  • Co-author, "India Rising — Tread Cautiously" (Regulation Asia, March 2016)
  • Author, “Preserving Investment Value Through Judgment Enforcement" (Real Estate Finance Intelligence, May 2013)
SERVICES

Credentials

Admissions

  • Solicitor, Hong Kong
  • New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Education

  • Northwestern University, BA
  • Boston University School of Law, JD

Languages

  • Mandarin

Engagements

  • Representation of a senior officer of a U.S. investment bank in internal and related investigations by U.S. and Hong Kong (HK) authorities, including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the HK Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), regarding alleged Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and HK corruption/bribery law violations by the investment bank in Asia.
  • Representation of an Asia-based business executive in a multijurisdictional investigation, including by the DOJ and the HK Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), involving allegations of fraud, bribery and money laundering.
  • Representation of three senior employees in Shanghai, Taipei and HK who worked for a multinational engineering firm in responding to a “show cause” inquiry from the World Bank in connection to several World Bank-financed projects.
  • Co-representation of a blockchain technology company in responding to an SEC subpoena regarding initial coin offerings.
  • Representation of a Japan-based executive of an international financial institution in investigations being conducted by the SEC, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the DOJ into allegations of anti-competitive behavior related to derivatives products.
  • Representation of an Asia-based business executive in connection with criminal charges filed by the DOJ for alleged FCPA violations stemming from work in the oil and gas industry.
  • Representation of a former senior executive of a nutritional product manufacturer and distributor during an internal investigation into potential FCPA violations in China.
  • Representation of the former chief financial officer of DHB Industries Inc., n/k/a Point Blank Solutions Inc., a body armor supplier, in securing a noncustodial sentence, having faced years in prison after pleading guilty in 2007 to her role in an alleged US $200 million fraudulent scheme to inflate company earnings and profits.
  • Conducted an internal investigation on behalf of the special committee of the board of directors for a major media publication into allegations of misconduct in the sale of overseas licensing rights, stemming from a whistleblower complaint.
  • Conducted a highly sensitive internal investigation on behalf of a Macau-based gaming company relating to allegations of employee misconduct.
  • Representation of a U.S. Federal Trade Commission receiver for several companies, administered in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, in designing and implementing international asset recovery strategies in HK and Australia in connection with recovering assets for victims of fraud.
  • Representation of an international transportation company in pursuing a global asset recovery of US $36 million+ arising out of an embezzlement scheme perpetrated by a former employee in Asia.
  • Representation of an Australia headquartered oil and gas company in HK arbitration against its outbound investment adviser over breach of contract allegations.
  • Representation of a HK-listed entity’s director in connection with HK arbitration involving the listed company and a related SFC investigation.
  • Representation of a large Chinese conglomerate in disputes subject to International Chamber of Commerce arbitration in Singapore arising out of an engineering, procurement and construction contract for the construction of a power plant in Latin America, with US $700 million+ invested in the project.

Professional & Community Involvement

  • American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Member
  • American Bar Association, Section of International Law, Member
  • Northwestern University Alumni Association, Hong Kong Chapter, Member, Board of Directors

Publications & Presentations

  • Author, "Bitcoin and the Wealthy" (Financial Times, June 2021)
  • Author, "Bitcoin: Legal Risks For Asia-Based Investors And Advisors" (Wealth Briefing Asia, March 2021)
  • Author, "The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same: Hong Kong Courts Adapt to the World of Bitcoin and iPhones" (Hong Kong Lawyer, April 2020)
  • Contributing author, The Asset Tracing and Recovery Review - 3rd through 8th Editions (Law Business Research, 2015-2020)
  • Author, "AA & EA v. The SFC, and the Challenges that Remain for Subjects of Global Investigations." (The Hong Kong Lawyer, April 2019)
  • Co-author, "Enforcement of Foreign Judgments - Hong Kong" (Getting the Deal Through, 2017)
  • Co-author, "India Rising — Tread Cautiously" (Regulation Asia, March 2016)
  • Author, “Preserving Investment Value Through Judgment Enforcement" (Real Estate Finance Intelligence, May 2013)