Sey Ming’s main areas of practice are banking, project finance, securities regulations, debt capital markets and debt restructurings. He has advised clients in banking facilities, syndicated loans, project finance, trade facilities and debt issues including medium-term note programmes, perpetual securities, exchangeable and convertible bonds. His clients include major Singapore and foreign banks, financial institutions, Singapore government-linked companies and statutory boards, and international conglomerates.
Sey Ming has been recognised by Chambers Asia Pacific for Banking and Finance (Singapore) and Corporate and Finance (Indonesia Desk Abroad), where he is described as being “able to adopt a practical approach to resolve any impasse”. He has also been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2022 edition of Best Lawyers for Banking and Finance in Singapore and is ranked as a Highly Regarded lawyer for Banking and Capital Markets: Debt in IFLR1000 2022.
Sey Ming speaks English, Mandarin, Bahasa Indonesia and Chinese dialects fluently. He is also called to the Malaysian Bar and is a Solicitor of England and Wales. He is also an independent non-executive director of a company listed on the SGX-ST.
EXPERIENCE
Banking Transactions
Drafting, reviewing and advising lenders and government linked borrowers respectively in the grant of banking facilities (term loan, project loans, trade facilities, revolving credit facilities etc.) of quantum ranging from US$20 million to US$1 billion. His experience is as follows:
- Acted for one of Asia’s largest real estate groups in relation to the grant of a S$500 million sustainability linked term loan facility by United Overseas Bank Limited. This transaction is the largest bilateral sustainability linked loan in Singapore’s real estate sector to date.
- Acted for one of Asia’s largest real estate groups in relation to the grant of a S$150 million Singapore Overnight Rate Average (SORA) based loan, part of a S$300 million sustainability-linked loan by Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited, the first loan in Singapore.
- Acted for the Shanghai Branch of a Singapore bank in the grant of banking facilities up to US$20 million to a PRC company.
- Acted for the Beijing Branch of a Singapore bank in the grant of a project loan up to US$28 million to a PRC company to finance the construction of a residential project in Beijing.
- Acted for a Singapore lender in relation to the restructuring of banking facilities up to US$20 million granted to a PRC company.
- Acted for a Singapore government-linked borrower in relation to a syndicated loan of US$100 million to finance its purchase of mezzanine loans in the United States of America.
- Acted for a foreign bank in Singapore in its grant of pre-export financing term loan facility up to US$150 million to a major Korean conglomerate.
- Acted for Singapore lender and a subsidiary of a Singapore listed company in the financing and purchase of residential and service apartments in Shanghai.
- Acted for a Singapore borrower in relation to a term loan facility of S$120 million to finance its purchase of assets in Bintan, Indonesia.
- Acted for a Malaysian lender in relation to a term loan facility of up to S$800 million to finance the takeover of a public listed company in Singapore.
- Acted for a Malaysian lender in relation to a term loan facility of up to US$75 million to finance the takeover of a public listed company in Hong Kong.
- Acted for a Malaysian lender in relation to a term loan facility of up to US$275 million to finance the acquisition of a Singapore company which owns an edible oil and fats business and plantation assets in Indonesia.
- Acted for a Singapore borrower in relation to a term loan facility of up to US$1 billion to finance the acquisition of shares in an Indonesian company which has interests in timber and chemical plants.
- Acted for a Singapore borrower in relation to a term loan facility of up to US$118 million to finance the acquisition of shares in an Indonesian property developer.
- Acted for the Singapore branch of a Swiss bank in relation to a term loan facility of up to EUR 140 million with a greenshoe option of EUR 68 million granted to a group of companies with interests in pulp and paper.
- Acted for a Singapore borrower in relation to a term loan facility of up to S$30 million to finance the acquisition of a property in Singapore and the costs for alteration works.
- Acted for the Singapore branch of an Austrian bank in the grant of a term loan facility of up to US$106 million to a Singapore borrower for it to subscribe for shares in a plantation company listed in Indonesia.
- Acted for a Singapore borrower in relation to a standby bridging facility of up to S$2.5 billion in preparation for its bid for a power generator company in Singapore.
- Acted for the Singapore branch of an English bank in the restructuring of existing indebtedness of about S$14 million to a Singapore borrower.
Bond Transactions
- Acted in bond offerings (such as medium term note programmes, euro-convertible bonds) with sizes ranging from US$9 million to S$1 billion. His experience is as follows:
- Acted for the Dutch and Korean manager in respect of the listing of US$50 million floating rate notes issued by a United States company and guaranteed by a Korean company.
- Acted for a hotel chain listed in the United Kingdom in establishing a S$1 billion medium term note programme listed on the Singapore Exchange.
- Acted for a Singapore company in its subscription of US$25 million convertible bonds listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and issued by a Taiwan company.
- Acted for a major Singapore petrochemical company in its US$180 million convertible bonds listed on the Singapore Exchange.
- Acted for a Singapore issuer in its S$690 million convertible bonds listed on the Singapore Exchange.
- Acted for a Singapore issuer in its S$800 million medium term note programme listed on the Singapore Exchange.
IPOs, M&A and Others
- Acted for a Singapore company in relation to its group’s securitisation of US$150 million receivables.
- Acted for a Singapore company in its initial public offering in Singapore, with post listing market capitalisation of S$1.2 billion.
- Acted for a Korean conglomerate in its acquisition of a logistics business in Singapore for S$94 million.
- Acted for a Singapore listed company in a reverse takeover of an edible oil and fats business and plantation assets in Indonesia, with post listing market capitalisation of S$1.6 billion.
- Acted for a Chinese crane manufacturer based in Liaoning Province in its initial public offering in Singapore, with post listing market capitalisation of S$200 million.
- Acted for a China based water treatment and water solutions company in connection with the investment (through debt and equity) by a private equity fund of up to US$82 million.
- Acted for a Mauritius holding company with subsidiaries in China which collectively own about 16 hypermarkets, 100 supermarkets and 100 convenience stores in Hunan province, in its debt restructuring exercise.
- Acted for a Singapore holding company in the disposal of its medical manufacturing facility in Thailand to a German company for US$25 million.
MEMBERSHIPS / DIRECTORSHIPS
- Member, Law Society of England and Wales
- Director, Hong Leong Asia Ltd, listed on SGX-ST