Public and private M&A

Tom advises clients on a broad spectrum of M&A transactions, including public takeover offers and private company asset or share deals, often with complex cross­border elements. Key transactions include:

Engie (formerly GDF Suez)

Advising on its acquisition of Keppel FMO in Singapore and Qatar, and various other corporate matters.

Triple P Capital

Advising Triple P Capital on its acquisition of Contemi Solutions and its controlling stake investment into The Praxis Company.

Ernst & Young

Advising Adelphi Digital Consulting Group, an award winning digital consultancy in Australia and Singapore, on its sale to Ernst & Young.

IntriCon Corporation

Advising IntriCon Corporation on its acquisition of Emerald Medical Services. IntriCon is a NASDAQ-listed US medical device business, and Emerald is a Singapore-based manufacturer of cost-effective complex catheters, with an international distribution network.

Duff & Phelps

Advising Duff & Phelps on its acquisition of RP Digital Secuirty, a Singapore-headquartered company specialising in computer forensic investigations, digital security and eDiscovery across Asia.

Duff & Phelps

Advising Duff & Phelps on its acquisition of Zolfo Cooper Asia, an independent provider of restructuring, financial and corporate advisory solutions.

Tech Mahindra

Advising Indian IT services firm Tech Mahindra Ltd. on its US$95 million acquisition of Born Group Pte. Ltd, a New York-based marketing and media solutions agency.

Axiata Group

Advising Axiata Group on the Myanmar aspects of the proposed US$13 billion merger of Axiata’s telecommunications tower business, edotco, and Telenor’s mobile network operations, which transaction was aborted.

Axiata

Advising Axiata, in the acquisition of an 80% stake in Mekong Tower Company in Laos.

Hawksford

Advising Hawksford on its acquisition of the People & Projects Ltd (P&P) in Singapore, Hong Kong and the PRC.

Campana Group

Advising Campana Group, a well­known regional broadband sub­sea capacity provider, on a US$80 million investment round led by Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

Credit Card Compare Australia

Advising Credit Card Compare Australia on its acquisition of 90% of Singapore­ based e­commerce and personal financial comparison company Finty Pte. Ltd.

General Mills

Advising General Mills on the restructuring of its Häagen­Dazs business in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Quantum Pacific Shipping

Advising Quantum Pacific Shipping on a share disposal to Norway’s Ocean Yield ASA to establish a joint venture for the construction and operation of six mega container vessels, with an aggregate value of US$1 billion.

Duff & Phelps

Advising Duff & Phelps, a global valuation and corporate finance adviser, on its acquisition of Quantera Global Asia Holding, an Asia­Pacific transfer pricing advisory firm affiliated with Quantera Global.

Escape Hunt plc

Advising the Escape Hunt Group, a Thailand­headquartered provider of live 'escape the room' gaming experiences, on its reverse takeover of Dorcaster plc, a related equity placing and the re­ admission of Dorcaster plc as Escape Hunt plc on AIM.

Myanmar Investments International Limited

Advising Myanmar Investments International Limited, a Myanmar­focused investment company quoted on the AIM market of London Stock Exchange plc and backed by Hong Kong and New York­based special situations fund LIM Advisors, on a series of investments alongside TPG Capital, one of the largest private equity houses in the world, in Apollo Towers Holdings Limited.

Digicel Group

Advising Digicel Group on regional aspects of its US$221 million disposal to Axiata of Digicel Myanmar Tower Company. (M&A Mid­Sized Deal of the Year 2016’ by Asian Legal Business and ‘M&A deal of the year: TMT’ by Asian Lawyer Emerging Markets Awards 2016)

McGraw Hill Financial, Inc.

Advising NYSE quoted McGraw Hill Financial, Inc. on its acquisition of the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC), a conference for leaders in the oil and gas industry in Asia, based in Singapore.

Corporation Service Company

Advising Corporation Service Company on its acquisition of Koehler Group, an international accounting and management consulting firm with operations in Asia and also on its acquisition of the IP Mirror group, a leading provider of corporate domain name registration and online brand protection services across Asia.

POSH

Advising a leading offshore marine services provider in Singapore, on its acquisition from Eide Marine of the semi­submersible, XANADU.

Zurich Insurance Group

Advising on its acquisition of a 100% foreign interest in Malaysian insurer MAA Holdings Berhad and various related companies.

BAA

Advising on the £16.4 billion hostile takeover by Grupo Ferrovial SA and a competing bid from a Goldman Sachs­led consortium.

British American Tobacco

Advising on its M&A in the UK, Scandinavia, Turkey, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar and the Philippines.

Diageo

Advising on the buy­out of its local partner in the Philippines.

An international investment bank

Advising on its role as independent financial adviser for the purposes of the Takeover Code in Singapore, in the context of Heineken's takeover of Fraser & Neave.

Sime Darby Plantation

Advising in Malaysia on various transactions, including its acquisition with SP Setia of Battersea Power Station.

Gazpromneft

Advising on its acquisition of Sibir Energy and related global settlement arrangements.

Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation

Advising on its £584 million takeover of Central African Mining & Exploration Company.

More: Public and private M&A

Private equity and venture capital

Tom has advised several international venture capital and private equity houses as well as management teams and corporates transacting with venture capital/private equity houses and their investee companies. Key transactions include:

LIM Advisors

Advising a Hong Kong­based hedge fund, on various matters including its minority co­investment with CVCI Private Equity and Thai Strategic Capital Management in Wuttisak Clinic Inter Group Company Limited, a leading skincare clinic chain operator in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Triple P Capital

Advising Triple P Capital on its acquisition of Contemi Solutions and its controlling stake investment into The Praxis Company.

Myanmar Investments International Limited

Advising Myanmar Investments International Limited, a Myanmar­focused investment company quoted on the AIM market of London Stock Exchange plc and backed by Hong Kong and New York­based special situations fund LIM Advisors, on a series of investments alongside TPG Capital, one of the largest private equity houses in the world, in Apollo Towers Holdings Limited.

Joint ventures

Tom has extensive experience in advising on joint ventures, whether it concerns their formation, termination, the exit or entry of a party or the transfer of stakes between the existing parties. Key transactions include:

Engie (formerly GDF Suez)

Advising on its complex district cooling joint venture arrangements in the Philippines.

IM Skaugen

Advising on its ship management joint venture arrangements with OSM Services, and aborted arrangements with another proposed ship management joint venture partner.

Assetz Group

Advising on its high­profile Bangalore based real estate joint venture with Avenue Venture Partners Private Equity.

Clermont Group (formerly The Chandler Corporation)

Advising on complex pharmaceutical and healthcare joint ventures in India, Bangladesh, United States, Pakistan, Kenya, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Data protection and information

AxiomSL

Advising AxiomSL, an international provider of regulatory reporting, risk, and data management solutions, on a range of data protection issues associated with its various services agreements.

AET Tankers

Advising AET Tankers, a global leader in petroleum logistics solutions on a range of data protection issues in the region.

Corporation Services Company

Advising US-based Corporation Services Company on its acquisition of IP Mirror group, a domain name registration business headquartered in Singapore with operations across, among others, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and the UK.

Corporation Services Company

Advising on global data transfer requirements in 13 jurisdictions, including Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia.

Various corporations including Mediacorp, Hawksford, Kuok Group, General Mills

Advising on data protection and data sharing/transfer.

Equity capital markets

Tom advises clients on all forms of equity capital markets transactions, having worked on a number of high­profile IPO and secondary issuances for issuer, NOMAD/Sponsor and underwriting banks. Key transactions include:

Dart Energy

Advising on its regional corporate restructuring and proposed IPO on the Main Board of the Singapore Stock Exchange.

Lonmin

Advising on its BEE transaction with Shanduka Resources and related £160 million placing of shares.

Tele Atlas N.V.

Advising on its Euronext Amsterdam IPO, raising in gross €134 million.

Shanks Group

Advising on its £71 million main market rights issue in the UK.

British American Tobacco

Advising on its dual listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.MITIE Group
Advising on its main market rights issue in the UK.

Churchill Mining

Advising on its US$23.2 million AIM placing.

San Leon Energy

Advising on its €60 million AIM placing.

Merrill Lynch International

Advising on Renewable Energy Generation Limited's £46 million AIM placing.

Escape Hunt plc

Advising the Escape Hunt Group, a Thailand­ headquartered provider of live 'escape the room' gaming experiences, on its reverse takeover of Dorcaster plc, a related equity placing and the re­admission of Dorcaster plc as Escape Hunt plc on AIM.

Consumer

Tom has acted for a wide variety of corporate finance, commercial and M&A transactions involving the consumer sector clients and has a specific focus on luxury goods and brands.  Key transactions include:

iFlix

Advising iFlix, a subscription video on demand service focused on emerging markets on various matters in Laos, Indonesia and Malaysia.

General Mills

Advising General Mills on the restructuring of its Häagen­Dazs business in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Advising on its Myanmar joint venture and commercial arrangements.

Stella International Holdings

Advising the manufacturer and designer for Jimmy Choo, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors and others, on their shoe manufacturing and distribution joint venture in the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar.

British American Tobacco

Advising on its M&A in the UK, Scandinavia, Turkey, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar and the Philippines.

LIM Advisors

Advising a Hong Kong­based hedge fund, on various matters including its minority co­investment with CVCI Private Equity and Thai Strategic Capital Management in Wuttisak Clinic Inter Group Company Limited, a leading skincare clinic chain operator in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Diageo

Advising on the buy­out of its local partner in the Philippines.

The Martin ­Brower Company

Advising on its strategic arrangements with various Singapore and Malaysian logistics suppliers in connection with its acquisition of the McDonald's account.

Tui Travel

Advising on the restructuring of its Asia Rooms business unit in Asia.

Luc Clément

Advising on the €40 million sale of CNC Collections to Supergroup (the owners of the Superdry clothing brand).

British American Tobacco

Advising on its dual listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

George Davies

Advising on the establishment of the FG4, GiVE and Per Una brands in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

An international investment bank

Advising on its role as independent financial adviser for the purposes of the Takeover Code in Singapore, in the context of Heineken's acquisition of Fraser & Neave.

More: Consumer

Energy and natural resources

Tom has extensive experience of M&A, fundraisings, joint ventures and other corporate transactions in the energy and energy services sector, including renewable energy. Key transactions include:

Engie (formerly GDF Suez)

Advising on its acquisition of Keppel FMO in Singapore and Qatar. Advising on its complex district cooling joint venture arrangements in the Philippines.

Orica

Advising on its market entry to Myanmar.

Mitsui Oil Exploration Co.

Advising on its market entry to Myanmar.

Dart Energy

Advising on its regional corporate restructuring and proposed IPO on the Main Board of the Singapore Stock Exchange.

Churchill Mining

Advising on its US$23.2 million AIM placing.

San Leon Energy

Advising on its €60 million AIM placing.

Merrill Lynch International

Advising on Renewable Energy Generation Limited's £46 million AIM placing.

Gazpromneft

Advising on its acquisition of Sibir Energy and related global settlement arrangements.

Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation

Advising on its £584 million takeover of Central African Mining & Exploration Company.

More: Energy and natural resources

Funds and financial services

Tom advises private equity firms, hedge funds and asset management businesses on their portfolio acquisitions and management arrangements. Key transactions include:

Triple P Capital

Advising Triple P Capital on its acquisition of Contemi Solutions, and its controlling stake investment into The Praxis Company.

Chubb Tempest Reinsurance Limited (Chubb)

Advising Chubb in a successful bid to the Myanmar Insurance Regulator to operate in its nascent life insurance sector.

Myanmar Investments International Limited

Advising Myanmar Investments International Limited, a Myanmar­focused investment company quoted on the AIM market of London Stock Exchange plc and backed by Hong Kong and New York­based special situations fund LIM Advisors, on a series of investments alongside TPG Capital, one of the largest private equity houses in the world, in Apollo Towers Holdings Limited.

LIM Advisors

Advising a Hong Kong­based hedge fund, on various matters including its minority co­investment with CVCI Private Equity and Thai Strategic Capital Management in Wuttisak Clinic Inter Group Company Limited, a leading skincare clinic chain operator in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Crestview, L.P and funds associated with Lord (Jacob) Rothschild

Advising on their 24.9% strategic investment into Martin Currie.

Sherborne Investors

Advising on their investments into F&C Asset Management, Spirent Communications and Elementis and all aspects of the ensuing stakeholder/management engagements.

Technology

Tom has significant experience advising technology, media and telecoms businesses across all aspects of their corporate, commercial and M&A activities and operations. Key transactions include:

iFlix

Advising iFlix, a subscription video on demand service focused on emerging markets on various matters in Laos, Indonesia and Malaysia.

AxiomSL

Advising AxiomSL, an international provider of regulatory reporting, risk, and data management solutions, on a range of data protection issues associated with its various services agreements.

Myanmar Investments International Limited

Advising Myanmar Investments International Limited, a Myanmar­focused investment company quoted on the AIM market of London Stock Exchange plc and backed by Hong Kong and New York­based special situations fund LIM Advisors, on a series of investments alongside TPG Capital, one of the largest private equity houses in the world, in Apollo Towers Holdings Limited.

Digicel Group

Advising Digicel Group on regional aspects of its US$221 million disposal to Axiata of Digicel Myanmar Tower Company. (M&A Mid­Sized Deal of the Year 2016’ by Asian Legal Business and ‘M&A deal of the year: TMT’ by Asian Lawyer Emerging Markets Awards 2016).

Corporation Service Company

Advising Corporation Service Company on its acquisition of Koehler Group, an international accounting and management consulting firm with operations in Asia and also on its acquisition of the IP Mirror group, a leading provider of corporate domain name registration and online brand protection services across Asia.

Electronic payment processor

Advising a sizeable electronic payment processor on a range of its commercial contracts linked to its mobile transaction platform, including mobile phone top­up and bill payments.

Axiata

Advising Axiata, in the acquisition of an 80% stake in Mekong Tower Company in Laos.

Campana Group

Advising on a convertible debt obligation programme, seed round and "A" round venture capital funding in connection with the MYTHIC sub­sea cable project between Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand.

Various digital marketing companies across Southeast Asia

Advising on their sales to the likes of WPP, Omnicom and Publicis.

Astro Overseas Limited

Advising in Malaysia on the sale of a stake in its Singapore­based joint venture A&E Networks.

Bharti Airtel

Advising on its US$10.9 billion acquisition of Zain's African mobile network.

More: Technology

India

Logos

Advising the LOGOS Group on the establishment of the LOGOS India Logistics Venture, a Singapore incorporated asset management platform, to fund investments in logistics real estate in India.

Tech Mahindra

Advising Indian IT services firm Tech Mahindra Ltd. on its US$95 million acquisition of Born Group Pte. Ltd, a New York-based marketing and media solutions agency.

Clermont Group (formerly The Chandler Corporation)

Advising on complex pharmaceutical and healthcare joint ventures in India, Bangladesh, United States, Pakistan, Kenya, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Myanmar

Chubb Tempest Reinsurance Limited (Chubb)

Advising Chubb in a successful bid to the Myanmar Insurance Regulator to operate in its nascent life insurance sector.

Global recruiter

Assisting a global recruitment player with regulatory advice and structuring.

Myanmar Investments International Limited

Advising Myanmar Investments International Limited, a Myanmar­focused investment company quoted on the AIM market of London Stock Exchange plc and backed by Hong Kong and New York­based special situations fund LIM Advisors, on a series of investments alongside TPG Capital, one of the largest private equity houses in the world, in Apollo Towers Holdings Limited.

Myanmar Investments International Limited

Advising Myanmar Investments International Limited on the disposal of its entire shareholding in Medicare International Health & Beauty (Medicare) to one of its joint venture partners for a cash consideration.

Ringier AG

Advising Ringier AG on the disposal of its and Information Matrix Company Limited’s interests in RIM Lifestyle Company Limited (RIM), to Myanmar ComBiz Holdings Limited, a member of the Myanmar ComBiz conglomerate.

ThyssenKrupp AG

Advising ThyssenKrupp AG on the strategic realignment of Myanmar group entities relating to its elevator business, in preparation for the global sale.

Fresenius Medical Care

Advising Fresenius Medical Care, the world’s leading provider of products and services for people with chronic kidney failure, on the expansion of its business into Myanmar.

Myanmar Pyi San Htar Group

Advising Myanmar Pyi San Htar Group, a Myanmar tower company, on its investment into National Tower Development Company Limited.

Electronic payment processor

Advising a sizeable electronic payment processor on a range of its commercial contracts linked to its mobile transaction platform, including mobile phone top­up and bill payments.

Digicel Group

Advising Digicel Group on regional aspects of its US$221 million disposal to Axiata of Digicel Myanmar Tower Company. (M&A Mid­Sized Deal of the Year 2016’ by Asian Legal Business and ‘M&A deal of the year: TMT’ by Asian Lawyer Emerging Markets Awards 2016)

Aggreko

Advising on certain commercial arrangements  connected to various temporary power projects in Myanmar.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Advising on the establishment of its franchise business in Myanmar.

Campana Group

Advising on all of the regulatory aspects and fundraising steps for Campana Group, a well­known regional broadband sub­sea capacity provider.

Orica

Advising ASX­listed Orica in finding a local partner and setting up distribution arrangements in Myanmar.

Norstar Shipping

Advised Norstar Shipping on its market entry into Myanmar and ongoing operations, including employment issues connected to its crewing business.

More: Myanmar

Indonesia

Finnfund

Advising Finnfund on its investment in the telecom tower sector in Indonesia.

Global recruiter

Assisting a global recruitment player with regulatory advice and structuring.

British American Tobacco

Advising on its acquisition of Bentoel in Indonesia.

Finch Capital

Advising Finch Capital in its investment in three leading Indonesian fintech companies.

Vickers Venture Partners

Advising a leading venture capital fund manager that manages the largest non government-owned venture capital fund in Southeast Asia, four investments, including its Series A investment in Indonesian cashback business Snapcart.

Wirecard

Advising Wirecard AG and its Indonesian subsidiary on the acquisition of Citibank’s merchant acquiring business in Indonesia.

Daewoo Shipbilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd

Advising Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd on the construction and sale of three DSME209 Class diesel electric submarines to the Indonesian Ministry of Defence.

Anhui Conch Cement Co., Ltd.

Advising Anhui Conch Cement Co., Ltd., the largest cement manufacturer on its acquisition of Conch Cement Indonesia and Conch South Kalimantan Cement.

PT Pertamina (Persero)

Advising as the lead creditor in the restructuring of US$1.5 billion of debt and equity of PT Trans-Pacific Petrochemical Indotama, an Indonesian company that owns a petrochemicals complex in East Java.

Tokopedia

Advising PT Tokopedia, an Indonesian e-commerce unicorn, on its acquisition of a 100% stake in Bridestory Pte. Ltd.

Swiss commodity trading house

Advising on an Indonesian gold financing with an underlying physical off-take agreement and a cash-settled commodity derivative.

Southeast Asia

Tom has acted on a range of complex cross­border (both in­bound and out­bound) M&A and capital markets transactions in South and Southeast Asia.

In recent years, Tom has worked on complex deals in every jurisdiction in ASEAN, with a specific expertise advising on transactions in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, in many of which he is recognised by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific as being a recommended lawyer and the head of our market-­leading jurisdiction teams.

International Finance Corporation

Advising in the sale of its stake in PT Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nasional to two buyers.

Myanmar Investments International Limited

Advising Myanmar Investments International Limited, a Myanmar­focused investment company quoted on the AIM market of London Stock Exchange plc and backed by Hong Kong and New York­based special situations fund LIM Advisors, on a series of investments alongside TPG Capital, one of the largest private equity houses in the world, in Apollo Towers Holdings Limited.

Mitsui Oil Exploration Co.

Advising on its market entry to Myanmar.

Africa

Tom has advised numerous European and Asian businesses on their investments into Africa, most recently into Kenya, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo and Botswana.  Tom has previously advised on some of the largest M&A transactions involving international investors in Africa. Key transactions include:

Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation

Advising on its £584 takeover of Central African Mining & Exploration Company.

Bharti Airtel

Advising on its US$10.9 billion acquisition of Zain's African mobile network.

Sumitomo

Advising on its acquisition of the SCOMI machine tools business.

Europe

Tom has extensive experience of acting on a range of corporate finance, M&A and commercial matters in the UK and Europe, having worked in London for more than ten years.  He has acted on a number of very large UK takeovers and private M&A and capital markets transactions for large UK companies, investments banks and funds.

Gazpromneft

Advising on its acquisition of Sibir Energy and related global settlement arrangements.

BAA

Advising on the £16.4 billion recommended takeover offer by a consortium led by Group Ferrovial and a competing bid from a Goldman Sachs­led consortium.

Warner Music

Advising on various issues including several abortive takeover bids with EMI and its proposed offer to acquire BMG music from the Bertelsmann Group.

Lonmin

Advising on its BEE transaction with Shanduka Resources and related £160 million placing of shares.

More: Europe