Sammy Lai is a Partner of PwC China. He has 25 years of valuation, forensic accounting, investment, and project finance experience.
Sammy has been instructed as an expert witness and served as a consulting expert in litigation and arbitration proceedings, dealing with valuation, identification and quantum of damages, and accounting disputes in contentious matters. He has delivered oral and written expert testimony in international arbitrations and has prepared expert reports for submission to Cayman Islands court and international arbitration center under HKIAC and UNCITRAL rules. He assisted legal counsel and clients in giving opinion on value / economic losses in relation to infringement of Intellectual Properties and breach of contracts. Sammy has been recognized by Who's Who Legal as an Arbitration Expert Witness and a Financial Advisory and Valuation Expert - Quantum of Damages.
Sammy has profound experiences in privatization and Section 238 appraisal cases in relation to US-listed Chinese companies. He is also experienced in providing fairness opinion and various types of valuation work, advising board of directors of listed companies and private equity sponsor groups on corporate finance matters.
Sammy has performed numerous valuations, financial modeling and due diligences work for corporates and investment funds in relation to businesses, securities, debts, derivatives and various asset classes for purposes like acquisitions, divestitures, divorce proceedings, joint ventures, financing, restructuring, initial public offerings (IPO), tax filing, go-private transactions, financial reporting and fairness opinions.
Sammy has advised clients in a wide variety of industries including consumer products, energy, entertainment, industrial products, information, media, pharmaceutical, technology and telecommunication. In addition, he has direct experience in the energy industry, spent five years specializing in direct investments and project financing for a U.S. and a European public company in the power industry. He also lectures on topics including mergers & acquisitions, valuations of intellectual properties, financial reporting at various professional events. Sammy serves as off-campus tutor for master classes in few universities in China.
Sammy got a degree in Chemistry from the University of Hong Kong and an MBA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is a Practicing Member of the Academy of Experts (MAE), an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) of the American Society of Appraisers, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter-holder, a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), Certified in Entity and Intangible Valuation (CEIV), a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), and a Member of AICPA – Forensic & Valuation Services, a Member of the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors (AIRA), and an Appointed Expert of the China Appraisal Society on Overseas Businesses (2021).
Sammy is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.