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Ian is a Singapore-qualified lawyer who draws on his extensive experience accumulated within the fund management industry to advise on the establishment and structuring of private funds across the broad spectrum of various investment strategies, including but not limited to private equity, private credit, real estate and infrastructure. He has also advised institutional investors on their investments in such funds. At the same time, he provides guidance to external asset managers and multi-family offices on the required regulatory licences/issues in their conduct of financial activities in Singapore.
On the private wealth front, Ian has serviced high-net-worth individuals and families to cover the broad spectrum of their wealth management needs, such as the establishment of trusts, family offices and charters.
- Acted for a Singapore fund manager in the establishment of a €150 million Singapore umbrella variable capital company with an initial sub-fund to achieve high growth through a proven business model of holding a portfolio of diversified equity investments globally;
- Acted for a Singapore multi-family office on the establishment of a S$200 million Singapore umbrella variable capital company with an initial five (5) sub-funds for the purposes of making multi-asset allocations globally;
- Acted for a Singapore fund manager in the establishment of a US$1 billion Singapore umbrella variable capital company with an initial two (2) sub-funds for the purposes of providing guarantees and/or loans to borrowers in Asia;
- Acted for a Singapore fund manager in the establishment of a US$260 million master-feeder fund structure, comprising of two (2) Cayman Islands limited partnership funds feeding into a Singapore umbrella variable capital company with an initial two (2) sub-funds, in order to achieve long-term capital appreciation and to generate income by investing primarily in various instruments (including but not limited to securities, debt instruments, simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) notes and digital assets issued by unlisted companies), whether directly or indirectly through special purpose vehicles in the relevant jurisdictions or elsewhere;
- Acted for a Singapore fund manager in the establishment of a US$250 million Singapore umbrella variable capital company with an initial sub-fund for investing in early-stage private companies primarily in the post-seed, pre-Series A and Series A stages, with a focus on companies that develop platforms or services that enable and/or leverage upon blockchain technologies, whether directly and/or indirectly, across all sectors and globally with a focus on the US, Israel and Europe;
- Acted as local counsel for a Singapore fund manager in the establishment of a US$200 million Singapore umbrella variable capital company fund with an initial sub-fund to establish a large scale, long-term and value creation focused, actively managed investment platform which will deploy capital across the forest landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa (which for the avoidance of doubt shall include Sudan and South Sudan);
- Acted as Singapore counsel for a German development bank on its investment through a Singapore standalone variable capital company fund into an Indian fund structured as a trust with a fund size of up to US$200 million, which focuses on enterprises developing breakthrough technologies for the purposes of driving agricultural prosperity, transforming food systems, and promoting climate sustainability in India;
- Advised and acted for numerous fund management companies, independent asset managers and external asset managers to obtain the relevant Capital Markets Services licences (including Accredited/Institutional and Venture Capital Fund Management Companies) and exemptions (including Registered Fund Management Companies) as well as drafted and reviewed the relevant required documentation (including compliance manuals and investment management agreements); and
- Established numerous family trusts, single family offices, single family/investor funds, Sections 13O and 13U structures for purposes of captive investments, wealth planning and succession planning, on behalf of ultra-high net worth families/individuals from Europe, Greater China, North Asia, Indonesia and Singapore, by providing the legal advice and explanations (in Mandarin, where required) on the structure and setting up of the family office, investment vehicle and private trust/foundation, migration of personnel and investment teams, as well as working with the relevant local governmental authorities on the permanent residency status, employment passes and tax incentives.
IFLR1000
- Ranked Individual in Investment Funds (2024 – 2025)
Legal 500 Asia Pacific
- Recommended Individual in Investment Funds (2018, 2023 – 2025)