Ai Ai Wong | People | Baker McKenzie

Biography

Mrs. Wong Ai Ai's career with Baker McKenzie spans leading a range of landmark transactions for blue-chip clients, to global management and leadership roles at the highest levels of the Firm, including serving as a member of Global Executive Committee and chair of the Asia Pacific region.

During Mrs. Wong's leadership tenure, the Firm built out an aggressive transactional strategy that saw its transactional teams secure industry leading mandates, and win many accolades across the world, including in key centers such as London, New York, Paris, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong/China and Brazil. During the same time, Mrs. Wong was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Firm's Belt & Road Initiative, ESG/sustainability and financial institutions strategies.

As a transactional lawyer, Mrs. Wong is recognised as a leading individual and eminent practitioner for corporate/M&A matters by publications including Chambers Asia Pacific, Legal 500 Asia Pacific and IFLR1000.

Outside of Baker McKenzie, Mrs. Wong is a board member of Singapore Tourism Board and a strong advocate for, and a former chairman of, the Yellow Ribbon Fund, the first national charitable fund devoted entirely toward the development and implementation of rehabilitation and reintegration programs for ex-offenders and their families. Mrs. Wong is a Justice of the Peace.

She is also a founding steering committee member of Climate Governance Singapore Limited, a World Economic Forum-led initiative to educate non-executive directors on the opportunities and challenges for their companies arising from climate change and its consequences.

Practice Focus

As one of the leading corporate lawyers in Singapore, Mrs. Wong has advised on some of the most significant transactions in the region. She has been described by Chambers Asia Pacific as "a well-respected practitioner" who has "a solid track record and regularly works with blue-chip clients on M&A, private equity and restructuring" with client feedback that "the value she adds to a deal is irreplaceable."

Representative Legal Matters

Advised LGT Group Foundation (LGT) on its agreement to acquire ABN AMRO’s private banking business in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai with approximately USD20 billion assets under management. LGT is the leading international private banking and asset management group owned by the Princely House of Liechtenstein. The acquisition is part of LGT's growth strategy and further enhances its existing footprint in Asia and the Middle East.
Advised on the SGD2.7 billion (USD2.16 billion) offer for the food and beverage business of Fraser & Neave, Limited (F&N), a leading real estate and food and beverage conglomerate in Singapore and Malaysia, pursuant to the SGD13.1 billion (USD10.5 billion) bid by OUE Baytown Pte Ltd for F&N; and (ii) the sale of Kirin’s 14.76 percent stake in F&N to Thai-owned TCC Assets Limited for SGD2.03 billion (USD1.62 billion).
Advised Jaya Holdings Limited, a large builder and owner of offshore support vessels, and its subsidiaries on the restructuring of its indebtedness (up to SGD1 billion) to 13 banks and trade creditors. This was the largest restructuring in Singapore following the global financial crisis.
Advised Gaw Capital Partners on its SGD203 million acquisition of Singapore's Big Hotel. Gaw Capital Partners' affiliate GCP Hospitality will refurbish and rebrand the hotel under its Hotel G brand. This transaction is Gaw Capital Partners' first property investment into Singapore.
Advised Temasek Holdings on its USD300 million investment in exchangeable rights issued by a unit of PT Multipolar Tbk. The exchangeable rights grant Temasek the right to a 26.1 percent stake in PT Matahari Putra Prima Tbk and was part of an agreement with majority stakeholder PT Multipolar Tbk, which is controlled by Indonesian conglomerate Lippo Group.
Advised Al-Futtaim Group in respect of its acquisition of a strategic interest in RSH Limited. Also advised Al-Futtaim Group in connection with its voluntary general offer for Singapore-listed Robinson and Company Limited and subsequent privatization of the company at more than SGD600 million.
Advised LVMH Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton in the voluntary takeover offer and privatization of Heng Long International Ltd, a crocodilian skin tannery listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange.
Advised YTL Corporation Berhad in relation to its acquisition from Macquarie Bank Limited of approximately 26 percent of the units in Macquarie Prime Real Estate Investment Trust (MP-REIT), listed on the main board of the SGX-ST, and 50 percent of issued shares in a holding company which is the 100 percent shareholder of the manager and property manager of MP-REIT.
Advised on the sale of Park Hotel Clarke Quay to the Ascendas Hospitality Real Estate Investment Trust. Also advised with regard to a 10-year master lease agreement to lease the hotel to Park Hotel CQ Pte Ltd. This deal was recognized by Real Estate Investment World Asia 2013 Best Exit of the Year.

Professional Associations and Memberships

Singapore Academy of Law
New York State Bar Association
Law Society of Singapore
Gray's Inn, England - Barrister
Singapore Tyler Print Institute - Board Member
Singapore Tourism Board - Board Director

Admissions

Singapore (1989)
New York~United States (1988)
England & Wales~United Kingdom (1986)

Education

Harvard University Law School (LL.M.) (1987)
University of Kent (B.A. Law, First Class Honours) (1985)

Languages

Chinese
English