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Bakers on Singapore IPO
BAKER & MCKENZIE has acted as US and Hong Kong counsel for ARA Asset Management Ltd (ARA) on its initial public offering of 279 million ordinary shares, including a placement to cornerstone…
Lawyers Weekly
BAKER & MCKENZIE has acted as US and Hong Kong counsel for ARA Asset Management Ltd (ARA) on its initial public offering of 279 million ordinary shares, including a placement to cornerstone investors. The shares were listed on Singapore Exchange Limited on 2 November last year.
The net proceeds from the offering will be used by ARA as seed capital for an Asian investment fund and other property funds, capital for ARA’s sponsorship in new real estate investment trusts by being a strategic investor, and for working capital and general corporate purposes.
The Baker & McKenzie team on this deal was led by Singapore-based US securities partner Ashok Lalwani and Hong Kong-based corporate partner Milton Cheng.
Commenting on the deal, Ashok Lalwani said: “We are pleased to have acted for ARA in this transaction. This deal required cross-border interfacing, which, with our international platform and strong Asia-Pacific presence, we were able to leverage to assist in ARA’s growth plans and attraction of quality international investors. It is also one of the first IPOs of an asset management group in this part of the world.”
“This deal marks a significant milestone in the ARA Asset Management Group’s development, and we are delighted to have been a part of its growth story through our successful past collaborations. We eagerly look forward to maintaining our strong relationship with the Cheung Kong Group and ARA, and to work with them on more exciting projects in the future,” added Milton Cheng, who is also the regional co-head of the firm’s real estate investment trusts practice in the Asia-Pacific.
Credit Suisse (Singapore) Ltd, DBS Bank Ltd. and CIMB-GK Securities Pte Ltd were underwriters for the offering.
