Expertise

Charles has rich experience representing listed or non-listed multi-national corporations, state-owned enterprises and privately owned companies, in their inbound and outbound investments, private and public mergers and acquisitions, and incorporated, equity or contractual joint ventures, and advised on various auction, structuring, tax, diligence, transition, integration, financing, regulatory, compliance, incentivisation, and governance issues in relation to such transactions, in the form of share purchases, asset purchases or a combination of both and with consideration in cash, shares, debts or any combination thereof.

Charles has also represented reputable private funds adopting different strategies, ranging from leveraged buyout, venture capital, growth capital, mezzanine financing, and distressed buyout, with their upstream fundraising (including both general partner and limited partner side representation and related regulatory and compliance advice) and downstream investments and acquisitions using different instruments, such as equity, debt and hybrid securities. He is also familiar with different forms of fund vehicles such as limited partnership and segregated portfolio company.

Over the years Charles has assisted clients across a variety of industries, including energy and renewable energy, around the globe, spanning Greater China, Southeast Asia, Australia, South Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe and Americas.

Charles' recent experience includes:

M&A and PE/VC

• Represented ProLogium, on (i) its financings from various reputable PE/VC investors, OEM manufacturers and material suppliers from Asia and Europe; (ii) its proposed joint ventures with OEM manufacturers and other strategic partners in Asia and Europe; (iii) its proposed greenfield investments and construction of the mega plants in Asia and Europe; (iv) its proposed de-SPAC transaction; (v) its key commercial contracts, including development agreements, license agreements, supply agreements and distribution agreements; (vi) its employment documents, including ESOP; and (vii) various corporate governance issues.
• Represented APAVE on its acquisition of a leading testing, inspection and verification service provider in Singapore, other countries in ASEAN, the Middle East, UK, US and Mainland China
• Represented SSI Holdings in its acquisition of the medical device business in Mainland China from another global healthcare group.
• Represented Inflexion Private Equity Partners in its acquisition of a leading health management and personal training service provider in Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE and UK.
• Represented Tickled Media Pte. Ltd., a media group headquartered in Singapore, in its acquisition of one of the largest social media platforms in Vietnam and its fundraising from the Korean owner of such social media platform
• Represented a Carlyle portfolio company on (i) its proposed investment into a health care group based in US and PRC; and (ii) its establishment of employee stock incentive scheme.
• Represented Yunfeng Capital in its acquisition of a provider of central lab diagnostic testing service based in US and PRC.
• Represented MJ Hudson on its proposed acquisition of a leading compliance service group in Singapore, Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Japan
• Represented Kernel Limited on its proposed disposal of its headhunting business in Singapore, Mainland China and Hong Kong through trade sale or IPO
• Represented Equistone Partners Europe Limited on its buyout of a global logistics company based in UK, Greater China and Australia.
• Represented IDG in its investment in a cross-border E-commerce company based in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and PRC, a smart phone manufacturer based in PRC, a leading cartoon video sharing company based in PRC, an internet-based meteorological service provider based in US and PRC, and an online futures trading company based in PRC, New Zealand and UK.

Fund formation and compliance

• Represented China Everbright Bank International on its investment into a limited partnership fund with a total commitment of hundreds of millions of USD and such Cayman fund's underlying pre-IPO investment in retail sector.
• Represented China Sichuan International Investment on (i) its formation of a private fund in the form of segregated portfolio company together with another asset manager; (ii) its investment into another private fund in the form of segregated portfolio company managed by another asset manager; and (iii) its cornerstone investment in a pre-IPO company in property management sector. 
• Represented China Orient Asset Management, as the sponsor, together with a sovereign wealth fund of fund, on their formation of a limited partnership fund with a total commitment of hundreds of millions of USD, and such fund's various equity and debt investments.