Baker McKenzie draws on its global platform and full-service capabilities to advise private equity sponsors, pension and sovereign wealth funds and portfolio companies on multi-jurisdictional investments, divestments and other transactions across the PE life cycle. The team, which is noted for its ‘efficiency’ and ’professionalism’, is led by Derek Poon, valued for his ‘exceptional’ knowledge and commercial acumen in pan-Asian public and private M&A and private equity transactions. Robert Wright advises multinationals and financial sponsors on leveraged M&A, co-investments, exists, restructurings and portfolio company matters across the APAC region, while Xinxing Chen specialises in cross-border acquisitions for China-based GPs and clients.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Mentions
Profile
Work Department
Transactional - Private Equity
Position
Partner
Career
Derek Poon is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Hong Kong office and a member of the Firm's Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisitions practice groups. He is also the chair of Baker McKenzie's Asia Pacific Private Equity Group and a member of the Global Private Equity Steering Committee.
Derek has extensive experience representing private equity firms, investment banks and major corporations on a wide variety of corporate matters, including public and private mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures, real estate private equity and distressed M&A transactions. Earlier in his career, Derek spent time on client secondment with Bain Capital with the Asia Private Equity team.
Derek is highly recognized in M&A and Private Equity by various legal directories.
Qualified in the US, Hong Kong, UK and Australia, Derek has worked on several significant transactions in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Australia, ASEAN countries as well as on outbound deals into Europe and North America.
Languages
Cantonese; English; Mandarin
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The Baker McKenzie team has been consistently highly efficient and responsive, able to align different views and requests across different parties, and has the commercial sense to prioritise the most important terms/matters. ’
‘Derek Poon and Xinxing Chen are very hands-on in daily work and communications, highly creative and commercial in finding solutions.’
‘Responsive, professional, knowledgeable, strong culture of client service, full service firm.’
‘Derek Poon has been exceptional in his legal advice as well as going above and beyond in terms of client service and responsiveness.’
‘Baker has a deep bench of talent with strong geographical reach, which proves extremely helpful when looking at multi-geography deals. This stands them apart from their peers.’
‘Derek Poon not only has exceptional legal knowledge but also demonstrates strong commercial acumen, which is highly valuable. He is also always readily available and engaged and is one of my go-to lawyers.’
Key clients
- AGIC APG Aztiq Bain Capital BGO CBC Group CDPQ Celadon Partners CMC Capital Coatue Management Cognita CPPIB DigitalBridge EQT Private Equity Gaw Capital Global Infrastructure Partners HongShan Capital Group M3 Capital Partners My.Alpha Navis Capital New Frontier Nexus Point Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Asia PAG TA Associates Tencent Vitruvian Partners
Work highlights
Advising UBS AG as a joint financial advisor to DCP Capital in the acquisition of approximately 78.7% of Hong Kong-listed Chinese hypermart Sun Art Retail's issued share capital from Alibaba Group Holding Limited for USD 1.6 billion.
Advising HongShan Capital Group in its definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Marshall Group from Altor Fund VI, Telia Company, Time for Growth and Zenith VC.
Acted for members of a consortium of investors in the acquisition of a 47.3% stake in DayOne’s data centre business.