Leon Yee

Chairman

  • Leon Yee
  • Phone: +65 6311 0057

    Leon Yee - LinkedIn Import to Address Book

  • Duane Morris & Selvam LLP
    16 Collyer Quay #17-00
    Singapore 049318
  • Duane Morris & Selvam LLP
    Room 303B, GuoHua Life Financial Tower
    No. 1501 Century Avenue
    Pudong District
    Shanghai, China
  • Duane Morris & Selvam (Myanmar) Limited
    Kantharyar Centre Office Tower, Unit no. #18-01
    No.11, Corner of Kan Yeik Thar Road & U Aung Myat Street, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township
    Yangon, Myanmar

Leon Yee is the Chairman of Duane Morris & Selvam. He serves as the Global Head of Corporate for Duane Morris & Selvam and leads the Banking & Finance, Fintech & Blockchain, and Energy Practice Groups. He is also Head of the Firm's China Practice Group. Mr. Yee has extensive corporate law expertise and regularly advises ultra-high net worth individuals, private equity funds, investment banks, listed and private companies on corporate finance, venture capital, capital markets, takeovers, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, corporate restructurings and joint ventures. He has also advised banks and project companies on complex financing transactions and has a particular focus on Korea, Indonesia and China related deals. He takes a keen personal interest in advising, coaching and mentoring the boards of start-up companies and being involved in the growing digital asset space from a regulatory and transactional perspective. 

Mr. Yee is consistently recognized as a highly regarded lawyer by the IFLR1000 and The Legal 500 Asia Pacific for Banking & Finance, Corporate and M&A and Projects & Energy. He was included in AsiaLaw in various categories such as Banking & Finance, Corporate and M&A and Corporate Governance. He was included in Asia's Brightest Young Legal Minds – Top 40 Under 40 – Asia Legal Business 2015.

He is an Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore and a Solicitor of England and Wales.

Mr. Yee currently serves as an Independent Director with the following SGX-listed companies: FJ Benjamin Holdings Ltd, Yangzijiang Financial Holding Ltd, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd, Oxpay Financial Limited and Oxley Holdings Limited. He was the former Chairman of a SGX-listed real estate developer and also a former Independent Director of a LSE-listed fashion company. He is also a Board member of the Gambling Regulatory Authority, a statutory board under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

He has deep industry knowledge in global fashion businesses, real estate development and the oil & gas sectors and also has extensive experience in corporate governance. He also works closely with venture firms and private equity firms on advising technology, life sciences and other growth enterprises worldwide.

Mr. Yee is a member of the Tan Kah Kee International Society and a Visiting Professor of Law at Jimei University, China, where he runs a series of Chinese seminars on the corporate law developments in Asia at the Jimei School of Business Administration. The School was jointly set up by the Xiamen People’s Government, Tan Kah Kee International Society and Jimei University in 1995.

He is also the Honorary Legal Adviser to the Char Yong (Dabu) Hakka Clan Association, which was founded in 1858.

Mr. Yee is the President of the St. Joseph's Institution Philanthropic Fund (Singapore), a registered IPC charity in Singapore, which carries out, facilitates and supports programmes and activities in support of the Lasallian mission of enabling youth in a Lasallian community to learn how to learn and to learn how to live.

Mr. Yee read Law at Christ's College, Cambridge University, which was founded in 1505, on a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust scholarship, where he graduated with Honours. Mr. Yee also founded and chaired the Cambridge University Asian Lawyers Association. He established the Christ’s College Cambridge-SJI Philanthropic Fund Scholarship, a scholarship fund for students from St. Joseph's Institution, Singapore, which was founded in 1852 and is the oldest Catholic school in Singapore, who had been admitted to Christ’s College, Cambridge University. He is also the Chair of the Scholarship Selection Committee. He is also the Chairman of Christ’s College, Cambridge Fund (Singapore) Limited, a Singapore charity, which seeks to encourage, promote and strengthen the relationship between Christ's College, Cambridge and Singapore.

To the extent that the representative matters listed above fall outside the context of “permitted areas of legal practice” within the meaning of Section 36A of the Legal Profession Act (Chap. 161), they have been conducted by the above named lawyer in his/her capacity as an Advocate & Solicitor of Selvam LLC, a Singapore law practice of the Joint Law Venture.

Representative Matters

    Banking and Finance

  • Represented a PRC bank on its US $97.5 million loan and proposed restructuring of financial indebtedness and liabilities of its wholly owned subsidiary with an established Singapore bank.

  • Advised one of Korea’s largest commercial bank in relation to structuring of a novation of US $100 million facility.

  • Advised Morgan Stanley as financial adviser to OUB on the competing $5 billion bids by UOB and DBS as part of the consolidation of the Singapore banking market.

  • Advised Asian Development Bank as senior lender in connection with the US$268 million equivalent Tala-Delhi Transmission project in India, the first private-public partnership in the transmission sector in India.

  • Advised Pan Asia Paper Co. Ltd. on its US$330 million joint venture relating to a greenfield newsprint mill in Hebei, PRC and advised Hebei PanAsia Long-Teng Paper Co. Ltd. on the subsequent US$215 million project financing – Project Finance Magazine’s Asia-Pacific Industrial Deal of the Year, 2003.

  • Advised a Japanese sponsor and supplier on its support, offtake and supply obligations owing to defaults of a chemicals company under project-financed bank facilities in Indonesia.

  • Advised Citicorp North America, Inc., in relation to the second lien syndicated financing facility to the Quintiles group of pharmaceutical companies.

  • Advised a trade creditor in relation to claims exceeding US$500 million against the Asia Pulp and Paper Group and the Asia Food and Properties Group.

  • Advised Creative Technology Ltd in relation to a S$150 million syndicated loan facility arranged by ABN-Amro Bank.

  • Advised RHB Bank in relation to the acquisition financing of an Indonesian Production Sharing Contract for US$150 million by a regional leading investment firm.

  • Advised a leading Japanese bank in relation to its US$100 million financing to a listed Singapore REIT.

  • Advised RHB Bank on numerous vessel financing transactions.

  • Advised a number of leading Korean banks on their regulatory issues.

    • Equity Capital

  • Advised Goodpack Limited in relation to its renounceable non-underwritten rights issue of up to 93,473518 warrants in the capital of the company.

  • Advised British and Malayan Trustees Ltd, as the trustee for Allco REIT in relation to the initial public offering on the SGX of 321,255,000 units in Allco REIT, sponsored by the Allco Finance Group Limited of Australia.

  • Advised Keppel Land Limited, as the sponsor for K-REIT Asia in the issue of up to S$440.1 million in K-REIT Asia units listed by way of an introduction on SGX.

  • Advised Swissco International Limited in relation to its initial public offering of 45,000,000 ordinary shares of S$0.08 each.

  • Advised Phillip Securities Pte Ltd as underwriter in relation to the renounceable rights issue of 112,525,470 new ordinary shares of S$0.10 each in the capital of Tiong Woon Corporation Holding Ltd.

  • Advised Vibropower Corporation Limited in relation to its bonus warrant issue of 29,047,557 bonus warrants on the basis of three (3) bonus warrants for every ten (10) existing ordinary shares held.

  • Advised Amtek Engineering Ltd on the private placement of 6,000,000 new ordinary shares at a price of $1.18 for each new share.

  • Advised the selling shareholders on the £125 million disposal of Prebon Group to Collins Stewart Tullett.

  • Advised ABN AMRO Rothschild (AAR) as Global Co-ordinator and AAR, Goldman Sachs and ING Bank as joint bookrunners on the US$3 billion IPO of leading Malaysian telecommunications company, Maxis Communications.

  • Advised DBS on the proposed secondary listing of Singapore Depository Receipts of Varun Shipping Co Ltd (a company listed on the Mumbai Stock Exchange) on the Singapore Stock Exchange.

  • Advised Kenetics Innovations on its listing on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

  • Advised Creative Technology on the voluntary delisting of its shares from the Nasdaq Global Market (Nasdaq).

  • Advised Otto Marine Limited on its S$95.0 million share placement.

  • Advised Otto Marine Limited on its S$119 million fully-underwritten renounceable rights issue.

  • Advised Otto Marine Limited on its IPO on the Singapore Stock Exchange which raised net proceeds of S$97.7 million.

  • Advised on the Singapore law aspects on a relisting of a China company on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange that delisted from NASDAQ.

  • Advised on the Singapore law aspects on a listing of a China company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

    • SGX Regulatory

  • Advised SEB Private Bank SA on regulatory issues concerning the setting up of its private banking business, internet banking, offering of investment funds over the Internet, anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing compliance.

  • Advised Powermatic Data Systems Ltd, a company listed on SGX-ST, in relation to the sale-and-leaseback of its property at 135 Joo Seng Road to MacarthurCook Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust.

  • Advised Hersing Corporation Ltd, a company listed on SGX-ST, in relation to its proposed joint venture with a global real estate investment fund for the divestment and expansion of its self-storage business.

  • Advised SMB United Limited, a company listed on SGX-ST, in relation to the implementation of its Performance Share Plan and Share Buy-back Mandate.

    • Debt Capital

  • Advised Nucleus Electronics Ltd in relation to the issue of up to S$12 million of unsecured non-interest bearing convertible notes due 2007 to Quantum Capital Asset Management Limited.

  • Represented DBS with respect to the initial listing of units issued by ABF Singapore Bond Index Fund on the Singapore Stock Exchange, which raised over S$456 million at the close of its initial public offer.

  • Advised Otto Marine in relation its establishment of a SGD 500 million (USD 364.6 million) multicurrency term note ("MTN") programme with arranger Standard Chartered Bank.

  • Advised Otto Marine on its amendment of certain financial covenants in connection with Series 2 of its MTN programme.

    • Private Equity

  • Advised Dymon Asia Private Equity in its S$15.0 million investment in Goodrich Global Holdings Pte Ltd, a Singaporean interior furnishings firm.

  • Advised Dymon Asia Private Equity in its S$15.0 million investment and approximately 30 percent ownership stake in HSL Constructor Pte Ltd., a leading Singapore marine civil engineering and construction firm.

  • Advised Dymon Asia Private Equity in its acquisition of a majority stake in Atlas Vending, which is now the largest independent vending machine owner and operator in the Asia Pacific region.

  • Advised a US$200 million Cayman Private Equity Fund on the disposal of its US$60 million interests in the Alibaba Group.

  • Advised on the formation of a US$150 million Cayman Private Equity Fund.

    • Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Advised U.S.-based private equity firm, Platinum Equity, to its US$306 million disposal of PCI Limited, an electronics manufacturing services provider based in Singapore.

  • Represented Best World International, a Singapore-based premium skincare product developer, in its £27.7 million investment to acquire a minority stake in Margaret Dabbs London, a British luxury brand.

  • Advised U.S.-based private equity firm, Platinum Equity, on its US $203 million acquisition of SGX-listed electronics manufacturer, PCI Limited.

  • Advised White Lodge Education Group Services Pte. Ltd. on its acquisition of certain shares and capital injection in the capital of Invictus International School Pte Ltd.

  • Advised Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd on its US $46 million acquisition of a tanker and ship management company.

  • Advising a private equity firm in its US$80 million acquisition of a premium design store.

  • Advised an offeror in relation to the acquisition of a Singapore listed retailer with regional offices with a market capitalisation of S$150 million.

  • Advised a leading regional investment firm on the acquisition of a majority interest in an Indonesian Production Sharing Contract from a listed oil and gas exploration company with a structure that includes sliding-scale future contingent payments based on certification of oil and gas reserves, a partial carry of exploration wells owned by the vendor and a cash payment upon declaration of the first new exploration discovery.

  • Advised a sovereign wealth fund to acquire a Korean construction company for 200 billion Korean won.

  • Advised Federal International in relation to its US$30 million disposal of a Floating Storage Offloading ("FSO") Vessel to a leading Indonesia investment group.

  • Advised Federal International on the charter contract awarded by CNOOC to supply a Floating Storage Offloading ("FSO") vessel for a period of five years and renewable for a further period of five years, for operation at the Widuri Terminal, Indonesia.

Professional Activities

  • Former member of the Singapore Law Society Committee for Mergers & Acquisitions and Insolvency, Corporate Commercial Matters and Listing Matters
  • Former Audit Committee Member of the Singapore Law Society (2021-2023)
  • Member of the Singapore Institute of Directors

Admissions

  • Singapore
  • England and Wales

Education

  • University of Cambridge, B.A. (Hons) Law
  • University of Cambridge, M.A.

Experience

  • Herbert Smith Freehills
  • Duane Morris & Selvam LLP/ Selvam LLC

Listed Directorships

Current

  • FJ Benjamin Holdings Limited – Non-Executive Director
  • Yangzijiang Financial Holding Ltd – Non-Executive Director
  • Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd – Non-Executive Director
  • OxPay Financial Limited – Non-Executive Director

Former

  • London-listed Laura Ashley Holdings PLC – Independent Director (2019-2020)
  • Singapore-listed Pacific Star Development Limited – Chairman (2017-2019)
  • Singapore-listed Federal International (2000) Limited - Lead Independent Director (2010-2021)
  • Singapore-listed LHN Logistics Limited – Lead Independent Director (2022-2023)

Honors and Awards

  • Listed by IFLR1000 as 2023 Highly Regarded Lawyer for Banking
  • Listed by IFLR1000 as 2022 Highly Regarded Lawyer for Banking 
  • Listed by IFLR1000 as 2021 Highly Regarded Lawyer for Banking 
  • Listed in the Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2022 for Banking and Finance - Local Firms, Corporate and M&A - Foreign Firms, Corporate and M&A - Local Firms and Projects and Energy - Local Firms
  • Listed by IFLR1000 as 2020 Highly Regarded Lawyer for Banking

  • Listed by IFLR1000 as 2019 Highly Regarded Lawyer for Banking

  • Listed as a Recommended Lawyer in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2018 in Singapore for Banking & Finance (Local Firms) Corporate and M&A (Local Firms) and Projects & Energy (Local Firms)

  • Listed by IFLR1000 as 2018 Highly Regarded Lawyer for Banking

  • "…Leon Yee has strong corporate experience." The Legal 500, 2013

  • "…Leon Yee demonstrates 'tireless effort'." The Legal 500, 2013

  • "…Banking & Finance Practice Head Leon Yee is recommended." The Legal 500, 2012

  • "…Leon Yee handles complex capital markets transactions." The Legal 500, 2012

  • "…Leon Yee's 'sharp business acumen and collaborative approach'..." The Legal 500, 2010/2011

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • Panel Speaker, “Getting from Announcement to Close”, SPAC Version 3.0 Southeast Asia Summit, hosted by AUM Media Inc., 7 March 2023
  • Chief Panelist, “How to Effectively Deal with Internal Investigations” Seminar, co-organized by Duane Morris & Selvam and EY, Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore, 26 May 2022
  • Chief Panelist, “Insights Into the Digital Ecosystems Ahead & the Structuring of Crypto-Funds” Webinar, co-organised by Duane Morris & Selvam and Harneys, Singapore, 12 May 2022
  • Chief Panelist, “Raising Venture Debt: Who, What, When, Why and How Much?” Hybrid event, co-organised by Duane Morris & Selvam and Genesis Alternative Ventures, Singapore Management University - The Greenhouse, Singapore, 31 March 2022
  • Chief Panelist, “Shareholders’ Agreement”. VIMA vs. the World Webinar Series, 15 February 2022
  • Chief Panelist, "Term Sheets and Subscription Agreements," VIMA vs. the World Webinar Series, 4 March 2021
  • Chief Panelist, "Convertible Seed Financing Instruments - SAFE, CARE and KISS," VIMA vs. the World Webinar Series, 1 December 2020
  • Speaker, “COVID-19 Issues in relation to Venture Capital and Private Equity Funds”, Webinar, Capria Network, 1 July 2020
  • Speaker, “Opportunities for Collaboration between Singapore and China Lawyers”, Chongqing Professional Services Forum, Chongqing, China, 5 December 2019

  • Speaker, “Latest Singapore Developments and Trends in ICOs”, Peking University Law School, Beijing, China, 2 November 2018

Fellowships & Academic Appointments

  • Fellow, Cambridge Commonwealth Trust
  • Visiting Professor of Law, Jimei University, China
  • President of the St. Joseph’s Institution Philanthropic Fund for the Lasallian Mission Ltd.
  • Chairman of the SJI Philanthropic Fund-Christ's College Cambridge Scholarship Selection Committee
  • Member of the Board of Governors, St. Joseph's Institution, Singapore 
  • Chairman of Christ's College, Cambridge Fund (Singapore) Limited

Government Appointments

  • Appointed as a Board Member by Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA), a statutory board under the Ministry of Home Affairs (2023).
  • Admitted to the panel of Singapore Advocates & Solicitors from which appointments to the Disciplinary Tribunal are made (February 2019).
  • Appointed by the Singapore Minister for Home Affairs as the Legal Advisor to the Board of Inquiry that was convened under the Civil Defence Act to inquire into the circumstances leading to the drowning incident of a serviceman (May 2018).

Selected Publications