Philip is the Deputy Head of the Funds & Investment Management Practice. He regularly provides advice on the establishment and licensing obligations of the Singapore based fund managers as well as the formation of the Singapore and offshore funds with different investment strategies and investment focus in various geographical markets.
Philip has extensive experience in the formation and restructuring of a broad range of onshore and offshore investment funds including hedge funds, fund of funds, private equity funds and other pooled private investment vehicles (whether structured as master-feeders or standalone) and regularly advises fund managers and advisors on legal structure and other formation issues, marketing arrangements, general compliance matters and other related legal and regulatory matters (including seed capital arrangements and negotiations).
Apart from fund formation, Philip also frequently advises corporate and sovereign institutional investors investing into funds, particularly private equity funds. He also acts for various financial institutions and service providers to the wealth management and investment funds industries, such as fund administrators, investment fund distributors, trustees, custodians, and financial advisers.
Philip has been recognised as a ranked lawyer by Chambers Asia-Pacific since 2020, with clients describing him to be “quick in understanding and astute in framing the problem.” He has also been ranked as a Notable Practitioner by asialaw since 2023, Highly Regarded by IFLR1000 since 2023, and is lauded for being “responsive, professional, detailed” and possessing “strong legal knowledge in the field of investment management”. Philip has also been recognised as a Next Generation Lawyer by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific since 2021 and a recommended practitioner in Private Funds (Formation) by Who’s Who Legal – Southeast Asia.
EXPERIENCE
- Advised clients on and acted as lead counsel for the formation and registration of various onshore and offshore funds.
- Advised a US venture capital firm in obtaining a VCFM licence and acted as SG counsel on the launch of its impact fund dedicated to purify plastic pollutants.
- Acted as primary counsel for a large global Japanese financial institution in establishing a ASEAN focused private equity fund domiciled in Singapore.
- Acted as primary counsel for a large Japanese private equity firm in establishing a sector focused private equity fund.
- Acted as primary counsel for the establishment of a fund under the EDB Global Investor Programme scheme.
- Acted as primary counsel for the establishment of a hybrid fund (open-ended fund with private equity fund features) with a real estate focus.
- Advised a financial institution on several US$20 to US$25 million seed capital arrangements with various hedge funds and investment managers.
- Acted generally for Singapore sovereign wealth entities and a Dutch based international bank investing in a portfolio of private equity funds, with typical investment amounts of between US$25 million to US$75 million.
