Successful Conclusion of the Closed-Door Seminar on Cross-Border Asset Recovery and International Distressed Asset Investment
On the afternoon of 26 January 2026, the closed-door seminar titled “Cross-Border Asset Recovery and International Distressed Asset Investment: Opportunities, Challenges, and Pathways for Cooperation” took place at the Wealth 2 Hall of the Millennium Hotel Beijing.
Jointly organised by Fulcrum Capital and Global Yudu, the event convened nearly 50 senior professionals, including distinguished practitioners from leading law firms such as Hylands Law Firm, Duan & Duan, DeHeng Law Offices, Yingke Law Firm, and Maitland Chambers (UK), together with representatives from financial institutions, major asset management companies (AMCs), private equity funds, and other industry participants.
The programme focused on two principal themes: the global enforcement of Chinese financial claims and the cross-border recovery of international accounts receivable. The seminar sought to identify practical strategies for enabling Chinese creditors to achieve effective asset realisation and risk resolution in increasingly complex international environments.
Opening Addresses: Aligning Capital and Legal Expertise
Welcoming remarks were delivered by representatives of Fulcrum Capital and Global Yudu. The hosts observed that, against a backdrop of deepening economic globalisation and rising geopolitical complexity, debtors frequently utilise offshore structures, asset transfers, and layered arrangements to obstruct recovery efforts. Chinese financial institutions and internationally active enterprises now face heightened challenges in asset tracing and debt enforcement. The discussion underscored that cross-border recovery has evolved from reactive collection practices to a proactive discipline that integrates strategic planning with sophisticated capital solutions.
Global Yudu introduced its role as a Hong Kong-based specialist in litigation funding and case management, offering advance funding, end-to-end strategic oversight, and access to global networks for Chinese law firms and creditors. Fulcrum Capital highlighted its track record of transacting approximately USD 35 billion in distressed assets, providing tailored liquidity and capitalisation solutions for claims that are otherwise difficult to monetise.
Panel I – Global Enforcement of Chinese Financial Claims
Du Guodong outlined his firm’s established methodology for overseas enforcement, encompassing asset tracing, cross-border recognition of judgments or awards, and execution—including measures to penetrate avoidance structures. He noted that Chinese judgments now enjoy a credible basis for recognition and enforcement in at least 48 jurisdictions, with particularly actionable pathways in major wealth destinations such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and Singapore.
Addressing the substantial cost and uncertainty associated with international litigation, he emphasised how litigation funding and outright claim acquisitions can deliver both legal viability and financial feasibility.
Ding Jie shared practical insights from complex matters that have transitioned from conventional commercial disputes to cases involving fraud allegations and public-law dimensions. He identified four critical elements when engaging with funders: characterisation of the claim (public vs. private law), key commercial terms of funding agreements, precise asset location intelligence, and clarity on client identity and cost responsibility. He stressed the value of early-stage information packaging and leveraging established relationships to obtain meaningful preliminary assessments from funding providers.
Alisha Liu presented the principal asset recovery instruments available under English law, including worldwide freezing orders, search orders, passport surrender orders, and third-party disclosure orders, supported by the strong deterrent effect of contempt proceedings. She illustrated these tools with reference to high-profile matters, including the Evergrande liquidators’ pursuit of assets and cryptocurrency recovery actions, showcasing the effectiveness of tightly coordinated lawyer–investigator–funder teams.
Matthew Hamilton of Fulcrum Capital clarified the firm’s distinct positioning: rather than providing conventional litigation funding, Fulcrum focuses on the direct acquisition of claims and investment in distressed situations, thereby delivering immediate liquidity. He expressed particular interest in tariff-rebate receivables, bankruptcy claims, and exposures linked to Ponzi-type schemes, underlining the importance of long-standing global networks of counsel and investigators.
The subsequent Q&A session addressed practical considerations including cross-border remittance of funding fees, foreign exchange compliance, and the circumstances under which funders may evaluate defendant-side opportunities.
Panel II – Cross-Border Recovery of International Accounts Receivable
Shen Qian advocated for greater specialisation and clearly delineated professional roles in cross-border matters. She proposed innovative approaches to disputes involving reciprocal tariff rebates and engineering payment claims in jurisdictions such as Ukraine and Venezuela, while calling for structured referral mechanisms to reduce inefficiencies and learning costs for Chinese practitioners.
Chen Xiao, drawing upon fifteen years of cross-border contentious experience, reiterated the foundational principle of securing a favourable judgment or award before pursuing enforcement. He cited successful defences that removed Chinese entities from large-scale U.S. class actions and favourable outcomes in Canadian insolvency proceedings, cautioning that overseas counterparties typically retain elite counsel, making meticulous evidence preparation and legal strategy indispensable.
Han Lide offered a comprehensive industry perspective on accounts receivable management, highlighting sustained demand growth, the convergence of digitalisation and regulatory compliance, and the extension of services across the full credit lifecycle. He identified persistent obstacles—enforcement barriers across jurisdictions, information asymmetry, and imbalances between cost and duration—and recommended a multi-layered approach encompassing pre-emptive risk controls, process standardisation, and diversified post-default strategies, supported by global networks and technology.
Matthew Hamilton supplemented these observations with Fulcrum’s experience in international receivables, including large-scale tariff-rebate opportunities (with estimated aggregate value exceeding USD 100 billion), supplier claims in insolvency contexts, exposures to sovereign or quasi-sovereign obligors (e.g., Pemex), and legacy Ponzi-related claims. He reiterated the advantage of providing balance-sheet liquidity rather than purely contingent litigation outcomes.
Closing Remarks and Forward Outlook
Wang Jianzhong of Fulcrum Capital closed the proceedings by noting that the unusually extended discussion time reflected genuine and widespread industry interest in cross-border recovery and capital-enabled solutions. He singled out reciprocal tariff-rebate opportunities as a near-term priority and expressed strong commitment to deepening practical collaboration with law firms, financial institutions, and other stakeholders.
The seminar concluded with informal networking and a group photograph.
By convening leading legal practitioners, international investors, and creditors, the event successfully demonstrated a coherent end-to-end framework—from legal penetration through to capital realisation—for addressing cross-border asset recovery challenges. Participants concurred that, in an era of elevated global trade volatility, deeper professional specialisation, resource coordination, and third-party capital participation will constitute essential elements of effective overseas rights protection for Chinese creditors. Concrete follow-up initiatives were already under discussion on-site, with expectations high for the emergence of additional implemented cases and innovative structural solutions in the months ahead.
Global Yudu remains committed to facilitating such high-value industry dialogue and looks forward to continued collaboration with partners across the legal and financial sectors.