Mr Kyle Lee > WongPartnership LLP > Singapore, Singapore > Lawyer Profile
WongPartnership LLP Offices

12 MARINA BOULEVARD, LEVEL 28
MARINA BAY FINANCIAL CENTRE TOWER 3
SINGAPORE 018982
Singapore
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Mr Kyle Lee

Work Department
FinTech; Mergers & Acquisitions; Private Equity; WPGrow: Start-Up / Venture Capital
Position
Kyle Lee is the Co-Head of the WPGrow: Start-Up / Venture Capital Practice and a Partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions, and FinTech Practices.
Career
His main areas of practice encompass venture capital and start-up matters, local and international mergers and acquisitions, fintech, and general corporate and commercial transactions.
Work Highlights
Significant transactions that Kyle has been involved in include advising / acting for the following:
- Both investors and start-ups in venture capital investments across the spectrum of funding rounds including recent matters such as (a) acting for WaveMaker Partners as lead investor in the S$6 million Series A funding round of MFast, a financial services distribution network in Vietnam; (b) acting for Northstar Group in their US$30 million Pre-Series C investment into Una Brands, comprising of both equity and debt; and (c) acting for Biofourmis, a virtual care and digital medicine company in their US$300 million Series D investment round led by General Atlantic. The funding round increases Biofourmis’ valuation to US$1.3 billion, surpassing unicorn status.
- Award-winning public M&A transactions such as the S$13.8 billion contested cash offer for Fraser and Neave, Limited by TCC Assets Limited and Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, in what was then the largest M&A transaction in Singapore’s corporate history.
- Private M&A transactions such as the acquisition by CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust and CapitaLand Open End Real Estate Fund of a Grade-A office building at 79 Robinson Road for S$1.3 billion.
- Cross-border M&A transactions such as the acquisition by Macquarie’s Green Investment Group portfolio company, Blueleaf Energy of a majority stake in an Indian clean energy solutions provider, Vibrant Energy Holdings Pte. Ltd., from ATN International, Inc. The acquisition marks Blueleaf Energy’s entry into the Indian market, which is now the 3rd largest solar market in the world.
- FinTech providers such as banks, big data companies, ICO issuers, private share exchanges and FinTech start-ups on matters such as United Overseas Bank Limited’s strategic alliance with Grab Holdings Inc. to deliver financial services to Grab Holdings Inc’s ASEAN-wide user base.
- Private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds such as KKR & Co. as shareholder of PropertyGuru in the US$1.8 billion merger with Bridgetown 2 Holdings, a SPAC backed by Richard Li and Peter Thiel.
Publications & Legal Updates
- WLG Venture Capital Guide – Singapore Chapter
- Practical Law Private Equity and Venture Capital Global Guide – venture capital investment in Singapore
- VIMA Term Sheet – A road map for a start-up’s relationship with investors
- Getting the Deal Through – Private Equity, Transactions Singapore Chapter – 2016 -2018 editions
- ICOs and Blockchain – different this time?
Memberships
Kyle is a member of the core working group for the development of the Venture Capital Investment Model Agreements, an initiative spearheaded by the Singapore Academy of Law and the Singapore Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, to allow early stage financing deals to be consummated efficiently.
Apart from his practice, Kyle is also an adjunct instructor with the School of Law at the Singapore Management University.
Education
Admitted, Singapore; National University of Singapore (LL.B., Hons.)
Lawyer Rankings
Singapore > Corporate and M&A: local firms
(Next Generation Partners)The team at WongPartnership LLP goes ‘above and beyond’ for its roster of clients on big-ticket domestic and cross-border transactions across the Asia Pacific region, China and the Middle East, including M&A, joint ventures, disposals and private equity deals. Andrew Ang
showcases stellar expertise in M&A, corporate restructurings, joint ventures, privatisations and private equity investments, and jointly leads the team alongside Chan Sing Yee, who, alongside Quak Fi Ling, is praised as ‘service-oriented and solution-driven’. Mark Choy acts for acquirers and targets in cross-border M&A, while Audrey Chng handles both public and private transactions, and Anna Tan ‘always rises to the challenge’. Other key contacts in the group include chairman and managing Ng Wai King, Low Kah Keong, Kyle Lee and recently promoted partner Rachel Tan.
Singapore > Start-up and venture capital – Local firms
(Leading partners)WongPartnership LLP brings its background in representing private equity funds and other financial investors to the start-up and venture capital field. It also provides its large full-service approach to the sector with multiple departments contributing to the success of the practice. The team covers the full lifecycle of start-ups and growth companies from early-stage and seed funding to growth stage financings, pre-IPO fundings and trade sales. Despite the challenging climate, it has remained active in early-stage investments, bridging loans and private credit-type financings, along with the restructuring of investments and governance issues. The department remains primarily focused on investors, including private equity funds that have moved into the venture and growth stage investment spaces. The highly-rated Kyle Lee and Sin Wei Ong lead the team and remain noted for their experience in fintech. Jolynn Lim is another key contact.
Singapore > Fintech and financial services regulatory: local firms
Highlighted as ‘efficient and very knowledgeable’, the team at WongPartnership LLP is noted for its work on cutting-edge projects like blockchain-based stablecoins, digital banking platforms, and telemedicine. The practice is also highly regarded for its expertise in navigating payment services license applications for digital asset service providers. Elaine Chan and Joy Tan jointly lead the FSR practice at the firm, and are noted for their extensive regulatory experience advising a broad spectrum of financial institutions on a host of matters. Rosabel Ng
is noted for her specific focus on the regulation of derivatives and structured products, as well as regulatory compliance and advisory matters relating to primary financial market infrastructure providers, while Lam Chung Nian earns praise for his ‘very practical and sound advice to clients with a sensible analysis of the legal framework’. Other notable individuals include: Sin Wei Ong, who stands out for his corporate finance expertise; Kyle Lee, who specialises in venture capital and start-up matters; Tian Sion Yoong lauded for his ‘best in class working knowledge with leading global financial institutions’; Kylie Peh, noted for her work on both contentious and non-contentious matters; and Chan Jia Hui.
Lawyer Rankings
- Corporate and M&A: local firms Singapore
- Fintech and financial services regulatory: local firms Singapore
- Leading partners Singapore > Start-up and venture capital – Local firms
- Next Generation Partners Singapore > Corporate and M&A: local firms
- Start-up and venture capital – Local firms Singapore
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Antitrust and competition: local firms
- Banking and finance: local firms
- Capital markets: equity and debt: local firms
- Capital markets: structured finance, derivatives and securitisation: Local firms
- Construction: Local firms
- Corporate and M&A: local firms
- Dispute resolution
- Fintech and financial services regulatory: local firms
- International arbitration
- Labour and employment: local firms
- Private wealth and family law – local firms
- Projects and energy: local firms
- Real estate: local firms
- Restructuring and insolvency: local firms
- Start-up and venture capital – Local firms