Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow has a leading presence in data centre developments across Southeast Asia and the broader Asia Pacific region, including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. The team also frequently works on the real estate aspects of renewable energy and energy transition projects in Singapore and beyond. Moreover, it is noted for advising multinationals on their regional real estate interests, including lease negotiations, the purchase and sale of real estate assets, and the establishment of new regional headquarters. Head of the corporate real estate practice Geraldine Ong has an impressive record in data centre projects, having focused on this sector for many years; she also represents numerous multinationals on the purchase and sale of real estate assets and 'does an outstanding job managing complex, high-risk and high-visibility projects'. En Lai Tan is another pivotal member of the team, also working on data centre projects, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and the sale and purchase of commercial, residential and industrial land and properties, along with joint ventures for property development in Singapore. Michelle Koh impresses at senior associate level.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The real estate team from Baker comprised of a relationship partner and the local in-country team. Teamwork is a central theme where the local team worked very closely with the relationship partner. The breath and experience of the entire team are very good, contributing to the successful execution of a handful of data centre transactions.’
‘Geraldine Ong as the relationship partner has been instrumental in steering the transactions to successful execution. She brought calm and fairness to the oftentimes challenging complex negotiations and is highly respected by the counterparties. Michelle Koh as the senior associate has been standout in her contributions to negotiations. She is very sharp and focused, steering discussions on point in many situations where complex details detract the attention from the objectives.'
‘The Baker APAC team is an outstanding team with full capability to support all issues on complex real estate and development projects. They have extensive experience with advising on both legal and market standards throughout the region and have been an invaluable resource for us to deliver on mission-critical projects throughout the region.’
‘Geraldine Ong is our go-to resource for all real estate projects throughout Asia. She is one of the best outside lawyers we work with globally. She has extensive experience handling and leading all types of real estate and finance projects. She does an outstanding job managing complex, high-risk and high-visibility projects and she also has an tremendous network of contacts and resources throughout Asia. I really could not recommend her more. ’
‘Quality of work, reputation, responsiveness.'
‘Geraldine Ong – very knowledgeable, responsive. Very experienced in real estate matters in Singapore and generally, knows when to push and when to let things go.’
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Michelle Koh
Practice head
Geraldine Ong
Other key lawyers
En Lai Tan; Michelle Koh