Derek Poon
Biography
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 recognized as a "Leading Individual" by Legal 500 Asia Pacific and as a "Up and Coming" lawyer by Chambers Greater China for Private Equity.
Practice Focus
Representative Legal Matters
- Advised EQT on its sale of Dataflow to Arcapita.
- Advising HSBC, as financial advisor to Vinda International Holdings Limited (HKSE: 3331) in connection with the USD 3.35 billion pre-conditional voluntary conditional cash offer by RGE.
- Advised M3IG in the sale of M3 Capital Partners to GLP Capital Partners.
- Advised Bain Capital, AllianzX, ADQ, Vitruvian Partners, DigitalBridge, GIP, Davidson Kempner, CMC Capital, Nexus Point, New Frontier, Coatue and its portfolio companies in various investments/proposed investments in Asia.
- Advised Prenetics on its USD 200 million joint venture with Dennis Lo named Insighta.
- Advised CMB International in connection with PAG's mandatory general offer of Shandong Fengxiang (HKSE: 9977).
- Advised Gaw Capital Partners and a consortium of institutional investors, including Schroder Pamfleet, on the HKD 9.845 billion acquisition of CityPlaza One office building from Swire Pacific and Swire Properties. This transaction was named “M&A Deal of the Year” in the ALB Hong Kong Law Awards 2021.
- Advised CDPQ as lead investor on the USD 147 million growth round in Druva, a global leader in cloud data protection.
- Advised Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited (HKSE: 1177) in various transactions including: (1) the USD 110 million acquisition of Softhale NV, a privately owned Belgian company focused on the development of products for the treatment of respiratory diseases; (2) investment alongside a consortium of investors into Treadwell Therapeutics; and (3) its strategic partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim.
- Advised UBS AG, as financial adviser to a consortium comprising Sequoia China and Ocean Link Partners, on the proposed privatization of Zhejiang New Century Hotel Management (HKSE:1158).
- Advised a member of an investor consortium on the proposed going private transaction of New Frontier Health (NYSE: NFH).
- Advised an investment fund on its participation in the USD 8.7 billion take-private of 58.com (NYSE: WUBA), China's largest online classifieds marketplace, by a consortium comprising among others, Warburg Pincus, General Atlantic and Ocean Link Partners.
Admissions
- England & Wales~United Kingdom
- Hong Kong~China
- New York~United States
- New South Wales~Australia
Education
- University of New South Wales (Bachelor of Laws)
- University of New South Wales (Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting))
- The College of Law (Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice)
- University of Hong Kong (P.C.LL.)
Languages
- Cantonese
- English
- Mandarin