James CHOO is a Partner in the Equity Capital Markets and Indonesia Practices. His main practice areas are corporate finance, capital markets transactions and general corporate matters.

James is recognised as a notable practitioner for his expertise in Capital Markets: Equity by IFLR1000 – The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms

In The Legal 500: Asia Pacific – The Client's Guide to the Asia Pacific Legal Profession 2015, James is praised as a lawyer who "has the patience of a saint".

James graduated with Upper Second-Class Honours (2:1) in Law from University of Durham. He was awarded the 3 Verulam Buildings Commercial Law prize for being the top student in commercial law. James is admitted to the Singapore Bar and the New York State Bar.
 

Significant transactions that James has been involved in include advising / acting for the following:

  • Temasek in its investments in Indonesia in e-commerce firm, Sociolla, Healthtech firm, Halodoc, Indonesia's Bank, Artos and a joint venture with ST Telemedia and Triputra to build data centres.
  • EQT for its investment in Indesso, South East Asia's largest natural flavour & fragrance ingredients and foods & wellness solution provider.
  • KKR Asia Limited in connection with the investment by Demeter Indo Investment Pte. Ltd., an affiliate of KKR Asian Fund III, in its acquisition of an approximate 12.64% stake in PT Nippon Indosari Corpindo Tbk., Indonesia's leading mass market bread company.
  • The founders of PT Farjar Surya Wisesa Tbk, in the sale of their controlling stake in PT Fajar Surya Wisesa Tbk, for approximately US$665 million, to SCG Packaging Public Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Siam Cement Group.
  • The initial public offerings of companies listing on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange such as VTAC (the first SPAC on SGX as well as VTAC’s business combination with 17Live Inc., which is the first de-SPAC on SGX), EMAS Offshore Limited, CapitaMalls Asia Limited, IHH Healthcare Berhad and Sri Trang Agro-Industry Public Company Limited and other listings such as the secondary listing by NIO Inc.
  • Avago Technologies Limited in its secondary listing on the NASDAQ Global Select Market in connection with its initial public offering which raised gross proceeds of approximately US$648 million.

Related Practices

  • Equity Capital Markets
  • Indonesia
  • Singapore: An Introduction to Capital Markets: Domestic 2024
  • SGX and IDX – A Collaboration for Opportunities 2024
  • Implementation of MAS Due Diligence Requirements for Corporate Finance Advisers 2023
  • Secondary Listings on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) 2022
  • SGX announces Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) listing framework 2021
  • SGX Issues Consultation Paper on Special Purpose Acquisition Companies 2021
  • New Indonesian Merger Control Guidelines: Further Clarity on Notification Thresholds and Procedures 2020
  • Getting The Deal Through - Private M&A 2019 - 2021 - Singapore Chapter
  • Securities World, 4th Edition - Singapore Chapter

IFLR1000

  • Capital Markets: Equity - Notable Practitioner

The Legal 500

  • Capital Markets: Equity and Debt: Local Firm - Key Lawyer
  • Indonesia: Foreign Firms - Key Lawyer

James has been praised as a lawyer who "has the patience of a saint”.