Hotman Paris Hutapea

Hotman Paris Hutapea (born 20 October 1959) is an Indonesian lawyer, presenter, and businessman.

He is known for his flamboyant style, high-profile clients, and luxurious lifestyle.

Hotman was born on 20 October 1959 in Laguboti village, North Sumatra.

He was the sixth of 10 children in a Protestant Batak family.

His first name was taken from the Batak word hotma, which means 'steady'.

His father ran an intercity bus company called Bintang Utara and often had to live away from home in the North Sumatran capital of Medan.

His mother remained at Laguboti and encouraged the children to eat healthily, especially fish and papaya leaves, so they would develop high IQs.

Eight of the 10 children became university graduates.

Hotman had planned to study at Indonesia's prestigious Bandung Institute of Technology but failed to pass the entrance exam.

He said he knew the answers but did not know how to fill in the answer sheet.

Consequently, he applied to study law at Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung, West Java.

He said he had never dreamed of being a lawyer because he used to meet unemployed people with law degrees.

Despite his initial lack of enthusiasm, Hotman enjoyed his studies and achieved high scores, becoming the Law Faculty's first student to complete the course in three and a half years.

He graduated in 1981.

After Hotman graduated from law school, one of his lecturer's friends advised him to approach the Jakarta law office of O.C. Kaligis.

He took a bus to the office at a shop-house complex in the Glodok area and applied for a job.

Working for Kaligis, Hotman had his first experience in court.

"One time, O.C. Kaligis told me to come to East Jakarta District Court. It was just a regular court session. However, since that first experience of a trial, this leg can’t keep still. It’s always shaking,” he said. Later in 1982, he briefly joined senior lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution's firm Nasution Lubis Hadiputranto.

Hotman was recruited by Bank Indonesia because of his high academic achievement.

He quit after one year, later saying he realized he would never get rich there.

In 1983, Hotman took a job with Makarim & Taira S, a firm specializing in international corporate law.

From 1987-1998, he did some work for the firm's Australian affiliate, Freehill, Hollingdale & Page.

In 1998, he spoke out against foreign lawyers in Indonesia.

Hotman represented consumer goods company Mayora Indah when it sued Bankers Trust International (BTI) at South Jakarta District Court in October 1998.

Mayora Indah claimed BTI had sold its derivative contracts without providing adequate notice of the risk.

BTI's lawyer tried without success to have the presiding judge replaced.

BTI had initially taken the case to the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), which ruled in favor of BTI, but the South Jakarta District Court subsequently ruled in favor of Mayora.

He left Makarim & Taira S to set up his firm, Hotman Paris Hutapea & Partners in 1999.

His firm focuses on international finance litigation and dispute resolution.

He became famous for helping Indonesian conglomerates write off foreign debt, often arguing their original arrangements were illegal under Indonesian law.

Hotman has been described as "a behind-the-scenes operator" in handling cases.

He has reportedly admitted to meeting judges privately to get the result he wants and has given them money as thank-you gifts.

Commenting on alleged judicial corruption, he has said: "I live in Indonesian courts every day, it's unethical if I say something bad about my court, although you know the answer. Everything is possible."

BTI appealed and the Supreme Court upheld the ruling in 2000 and again in 2003, leaving BTI with no further legal recourse.

In a 2010 interview, Hotman told The New York Times, “If I say I’m a clean lawyer, I’ll be a hypocrite, that’s all I can say.

And if other lawyers say they are clean, they will go to jail, they’ll go to hell.”

In 2014, Hong Kong-based Capital Profile issued a special report titled The Best of Hotman Paris, listing eight of his "most illustrious clients and memorable cases".

The report noted:

"No one embodies the hazards of investing in Indonesia better than Hotman Paris Hutapea, the flamboyant corporate lawyer at the center of the country’s most notorious bankruptcy cases. Loved by local tycoons, feared by foreign creditors and respected by lawyers who marvel at his legal sleight of hand even as they question his methods, Hotman has parlayed his courtroom success and colorful persona into national celebrity."

a Hotman responded by saying he considered the report a compliment and he was happy to be praised.