Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow, the member firm of Baker McKenzie in Singapore, has appointed Theodore Heng as Principal in its Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Practice Group based in Singapore.
Theodore joins the Firm from Herbert Smith Freehills in Singapore. He brings with him substantial international experience in a full spectrum of corporate and transactional matters across sectors including the financial services, healthcare, and energy industries, with a focus on cross-border private capital deals that are often technology-linked. He regularly acts for global financial sponsors, multinational corporates, and technology start-ups in the Asia-Pacific region.
Boo Bee Chun, head of the M&A Practice in Singapore, commented, “Theodore is a welcome addition to our M&A bench strength in Asia. Singapore’s growth as a regional investment hub is evident with the rising number of major private equity funds and family offices choosing it as a base to invest in the South-East Asia region. As transformative pressures from the global energy transition and disruptive technologies continue to reshape industries and economies, we expect to see continued healthy levels of private equity activities in the region as financial sponsors and their investee companies seek to strategically align themselves to meet the demands of this evolving landscape.”
Andre Gan, Partner at Wong & Partners, and Asia-Pacific member of Baker McKenzie’s global M&A steering committee, added, “We are excited to have Theodore join our expanding M&A practice. Adding a lawyer with Theodore’s reputation, caliber, and extensive experience in advising complex, multi-jurisdictional private equity deals will further strengthen our market-leading transactional practice as we look to serve our private equity clients in their investment needs in Asia.”
In joining the Firm, Theodore said, “I am delighted to join a dynamic, exceptional platform that delivers unique value to clients globally – through the combination of unrivalled international presence, deep local market knowledge as well as strong practice and sector expertise. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Singapore and around the network to support our financial sponsor and corporate clients wherever they need us.”
Theodore’s appointment comes shortly after the hiring of Lee Weiling and Simonette Santos as Local Principals in Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow’s Finance & Projects Practice Group in Singapore. Both Weiling and Simonette joined the Firm from Linklaters in Singapore and China respectively.
The recent lateral appointments are part of Baker McKenzie’s strategy to grow its transactional practice in key global money and business centres. The Firm recently onboarded Capital Markets & Finance partners Arturo Carrillo, Michael Fitzgerald, Joy Gallup, Pedro Reyes and Steven Sandretto in New York; M&A and Private Equity partners Paolo Ghiglione in Milan, Fernando Torrente in Madrid, and Michael Doumet in Paris; Finance & Projects partner Jon Ornolfsson in Tokyo; Banking & Finance partners Kevin Whittam in New York and Anthony Kay in London; and capital markets lawyers Chen Sheng in Hong Kong and Yang Yingfei in China with our Joint Operation platform partner, FenXun Partners.
A transactional powerhouse with more than 2,500 deal lawyers, Baker McKenzie’s private equity team delivers globally-integrated, end-to-end advice across the investment life cycle, from acquisition to exit, to help clients meet the fast-paced demands of private equity. The firm's seasoned lawyers provide seamless advice through local expertise, deep sector knowledge, commercial acumen and refined transactional techniques to help clients navigate deal complexities, capture business opportunities, and build portfolio value.