DEPARTMENT PROFILE

Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP

Corporate/M&A

3 ranked lawyers

Band 2

Malaysia

Asia-Pacific 2022 View ranking table

chambers review

department information

Ranked Lawyers

Chambers Review

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What the team is known for

Christopher & Lee Ong has a well-regarded team of corporate lawyers in Kuala Lumpur, advising clients on a broad range of transactional and regulatory issues in Malaysia. Acts for domestic and international clients on M&A, private equity deals and corporate restructuring, including cross-border transactions, for which it leverages its regional network. Especially active in the healthcare, manufacturing, technology and retail sectors. Maxis Broadband, Kenanga Investment Bank and Johnson Controls are examples of the team's clientele.

Work highlights

Christopher & Lee Ong advised Sun Energy Ventures on the disposal of its entire equity interest in project companies operating solar power plants with a 19 MW capacity.

Notable practitioners

Christopher Lee is a partner at Christopher & Lee Ong in Kuala Lumpur. He has particular expertise acting on acquisitions in the projects and infrastructure and healthcare spaces.

Yon See Ting is the managing partner at Christopher & Lee Ong in Kuala Lumpur. She has a robust practice advising conglomerates on joint ventures and M&A. An interviewee comments that "she is very sensible and a smooth operator. She is a pleasure to work with."

Kuok Yew Chen is a well-regarded partner at Christopher & Lee Ong in Malaysia, entering this year's rankings due to impressive recognition. A client finds him to be "so impressive" and someone who "really knows his stuff and explains things clearly. He comes across extremely well as a corporate lawyer."

Department Information

This content is provided by Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP.

Overview

Our M&A Team has significant experience in the retail sector, having advised on 4 supermarket/ hypermarket acquisitions/disposals and 8 F&B chain businesses just in the last 2 years. With this industry knowledge, the Team is able to guide purchasers through a regulatory framework which, for foreign purchasers, requires compliance not just with laws but with guidelines and discretionary foreign equity conditions.

The Team’s practice is also unique because more than 50% of its clients are non-Malaysian parties. Through the years, the Team has acquired experience and knowledge of the legal and cultural environments of its clients – principally Japan, the US, UK and Europe, and increasingly the PRC – and the expectations of its clients from those regions. As a result, the team is better able to adapt its advice and practices those clients’ needs. Apart from language differences, cultural differences play a part in determining the dynamics of a deal, and also differences in emphasis on issues such as what is perceived as important in a deal.