Dr Kai Luck has over 16 years of experience across legal practice, government, academia, and law reform and policy – a unique combination in the Australian market.
After obtaining his first-class honours degree in law and his doctorate in corporate insolvency law from The University of Queensland, Kai was admitted as a lawyer in both Australia and New York. He has since specialised in restructuring and insolvency law, corporate advisory, and corporate risk and governance. He is also regularly engaged on complex private client work for UHNW and HNW individuals.
Kai’s clients include boards of ASX and large unlisted companies, banks and other financial institutions, insolvency practitioners and large family groups.
He has acted on a number of high-profile restructuring and insolvency matters and regularly advises both insolvency practitioners and banks on recovery rights and the validity of security interests, employee entitlements, insolvent trading, safe harbour protection and voidable transaction recoveries. He is widely regarded in the insolvency industry and has previously worked part-time as the Legal Counsel for ARITA, and a Policy Adviser for INSOL International.
Kai has also played a significant role in global insolvency reform, having been part of a team that wrote the new insolvency law for the Kingdom of Bhutan, and also delivering recommendations to international policy organisations on best-practice reforms (including simplified MSE insolvency laws) to overcome the stigma of bankruptcy and to enhance innovation, entrepreneurialism and dynamism in emerging markets and developing economies.
In the corporate space, Kai’s practice extends to directors’ duties and personal liability (including on a “stepping stone” basis), managing conflicts of interest, continuous disclosure, insider trading, board and shareholders’ meetings, D&O insurance and indemnities, and regulatory compliance with mandatory climate disclosure and AML/CTF obligations.
Kai is also highly adept at assisting clients with regulatory investigations, having previously served as a lead adviser in the statutory inquiry into Crown Resorts (following its high-profile money laundering breaches in the operation of its international casino enterprise), and in the AUSTRAC and ASIC investigations into PayPal. Kai has also previously undertaken a secondment with APRA, and been engaged by the Australian Government to advise on the effectiveness of the FEG system in guaranteeing employee entitlements upon insolvency.
In a “gap year” from the law, Kai had the distinguished honour of serving as the Policy Adviser to the former Commonwealth Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister for 12 months, during which time he accompanied the Minister on official delegations to Pakistan, China and Hong Kong, and helped to facilitate deeper trade and foreign aid linkages for Australia in the Indo-Pacific.
Kai was also called to the bar in New South Wales in 2018, and spent several years working as a barrister on insolvency and corporate matters while at the bar.
Kai is a widely-published author both in Australia and internationally. Kai recently co-edited and contributed to Heading the Boardroom: A Practical Guide for Directors Navigating Governance, Risk and Growth. The book, released in 2026, analyses key corporate governance, risk and regulatory matters targeted towards ASX and large unlisted company directors. At a time of significant regulatory and economic change, the book is a valuable resource for the modern director.
Kai also continues to undertake academic, lecturing and insolvency policy work alongside his role at Hamilton Locke.
