Jeremy Ong
Biography
Jeremy Ong is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Hong Kong office and he leads the REITs practice in Hong Kong. He has over 15 years of experience advising REITs on their formation and IPOs, acquisitions, disposals, equity/debt capital raising exercises and liability management exercises, and has advised on almost all of Hong Kong's largest REIT transactions.
Jeremy has been recognised by Legal 500 as a "Next Generation Partner" in two key areas for REITs (investment funds; real estate) where clients have described him as displaying “integrity, experience and an ability to think from the perspective of the client” and the REITs practice as “the best team that specialise in REITs in Hong Kong” and “advancing and outpacing their peers in REIT industry knowledge.” Chambers also describes Baker McKenzie as “a trusted adviser to REITs” which is “often instructed to assist clients with IPOs and capital raisings.”
Jeremy regularly engages in REIT advocacy in his dual roles as the Deputy Chair of APREA's Hong Kong Chapter and Regional Advocacy Committee, and as a member of the quasi-governmental FSDC working group on REITs, with Legal 500 also noting that the REITs practice has "built a strong relationship with the SFC and contributed to voicing out to authorities on behalf of industry operators."
Representative Legal Matters
- Advised Link REIT on its HKD 18.8 billion rights issue.
- Advised SF REIT on its global offering and listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, being the first logistics-focused REIT to be listed in Hong Kong.
- Advised China Merchants Commercial REIT on its global offering and listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
- Advised Link REIT on its various real estate acquisitions and disposals, including the first "qualified minority-owned property acquisition" by a H-REIT, as well as the first development project by a H-REIT ("The Quayside").
- Advised Yuexiu REIT on its various real estate acquisitions and disposals in China, including its RMB 7.8 billion acquisition of a Grade A office tower in Guangzhou ("Yuexiu Financial Tower").
- Advised Spring REIT on: (i) its real estate acquisitions in the UK and China, including its RMB 1.6 billion acquisition of a 68% interest in a Grade A shopping mall in Huizhou ("Huamao Place"); and (ii) the REIT manager's successful defence against the HKD 5.7 billion unsolicited takeover bid by private equity firm PAG Real Estate; and (iii) its off-market repurchase of units from PAG Real Estate.
- Advised Fortune REIT on its: (i) Hong Kong/Singapore dual listing and subsequent Singapore delisting; and (ii) real estate acquisitions including its HKD 5.84 billion acquisition of a Grade A shopping mall in Hong Kong ("Kingswood Ginza Shopping Mall").
- Advised Prosperity REIT on its real estate acquisitions and disposals, including its HKD 1.01 billion acquisition of a Grade A office building in Hong Kong ("Chong Yip Building").
- Advised Champion REIT on its real estate acquisitions in the UK and Hong Kong, including its HKD 12.8 billion acquisition of "Langham Place Mall and Office Tower", one of Hong Kong's tallest buildings.
- Advised Regal REIT on its real estate acquisitions in Hong Kong, including the acquisition of three "Regal iClub" hotels for a combined HKD 4.76 billion.
- Advised the trustee of New Century REIT on the IPO and listing of New Century REIT, secondary property acquisitions and disposals, and subsequent privatisation.
- Advised the trustee of Hui Xian REIT on the IPO and listing of Hui Xian REIT, and secondary property acquisitions.
- Advised Link REIT, Champion REIT, Regal REIT and Yuexiu REIT on the establishment and issuance of notes under their respective medium term note programmes and/or liability management exercises, and Spring REIT on its issuance of convertible bonds.
Professional Honors
- Next Generation Partner (Real Estate, Hong Kong) - Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2022-2024)
- Next Generation Partner (Investment Funds: Foreign Firms, China) - Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2020)
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Deputy Chair - Hong Kong Chapter of APREA
- Deputy Chair - Regional Advocacy Committee of APREA
- Member - The Law Institute of Victoria
- Member - Law Society of Hong Kong
Admissions
- Hong Kong (2021)
- Victoria~Australia (2006)
Education
- University of Melbourne (LL.B. Hons) (2004)
- University of Melbourne (Bachelor of Commerce) (2004)
Languages
- English
Previous Offices
- Melbourne