Kyle LEE is the Co-Head of the WPGrow: Start-Up / Venture Capital Practice and a Partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions, and FinTech Practices.
His main areas of practice encompass venture capital and start-up matters, local and international mergers and acquisitions, fintech, and general corporate and commercial transactions.
Kyle is a member of the core working group for the development of the Venture Capital Investment Model Agreements, an initiative spearheaded by the Singapore Academy of Law and the Singapore Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, to allow early stage financing deals to be consummated efficiently.
Apart from his practice, Kyle is also an adjunct instructor with the School of Law at the Singapore Management University.
Kyle graduated on the Dean's List from the National University of Singapore and is admitted to the Singapore Bar. Prior to his university studies, Kyle relocated from Malaysia to Singapore after he was awarded the ASEAN Scholarship.
Significant transactions that Kyle has been involved in include advising / acting for the following:
- Both investors and start-ups in venture capital investments across the spectrum of funding rounds including recent matters such as (a) acting for WaveMaker Partners as lead investor in the S$6 million Series A funding round of MFast, a financial services distribution network in Vietnam; (b) acting for Northstar Group in their US$30 million Pre-Series C investment into Una Brands, comprising of both equity and debt; and (c) acting for Biofourmis, a virtual care and digital medicine company in their US$300 million Series D investment round led by General Atlantic. The funding round increases Biofourmis’ valuation to US$1.3 billion, surpassing unicorn status.
- Award-winning public M&A transactions such as the S$13.8 billion contested cash offer for Fraser and Neave, Limited by TCC Assets Limited and Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, in what was then the largest M&A transaction in Singapore's corporate history.
- Private M&A transactions such as the acquisition by CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust and CapitaLand Open End Real Estate Fund of a Grade-A office building at 79 Robinson Road for S$1.3 billion.
- Cross-border M&A transactions such as the acquisition by Macquarie’s Green Investment Group portfolio company, Blueleaf Energy of a majority stake in an Indian clean energy solutions provider, Vibrant Energy Holdings Pte. Ltd., from ATN International, Inc. The acquisition marks Blueleaf Energy’s entry into the Indian market, which is now the 3rd largest solar market in the world.
- FinTech providers such as banks, big data companies, ICO issuers, private share exchanges and FinTech start-ups on matters such as United Overseas Bank Limited's strategic alliance with Grab Holdings Inc. to deliver financial services to Grab Holdings Inc’s ASEAN-wide user base.
- Private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds such as KKR & Co. as shareholder of PropertyGuru in the US$1.8 billion merger with Bridgetown 2 Holdings, a SPAC backed by Richard Li and Peter Thiel.
Related Practices
- FinTech
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Private Equity
- WPGrow: Start-Up / Venture Capital
- WLG Venture Capital Guide – Singapore Chapter
- Practical Law Private Equity and Venture Capital Global Guide – venture capital investment in Singapore
- VIMA Term Sheet – A road map for a start-up’s relationship with investors
- Getting the Deal Through – Private Equity, Transactions Singapore Chapter - 2016 -2018 editions
- ICOs and Blockchain - different this time?
Kyle is recognised by Chambers Asia-Pacific – Asia-Pacific's Leading Lawyers for Business 2024 as a Band 1 lawyer for his expertise in the area of Startups & Emerging Companies and a Band 3 lawyer for his expertise in FinTech, with clients noting that he has "distinguished himself as the go-to partner for all things venture-related in Singapore. He brings an extremely thoughtful approach to transactions and blends that with acute commercial sensibilities."
In The Legal 500: Asia Pacific – The Client's Guide to the Asia Pacific Legal Profession 2024, Kyle is recommended as a Leading Individual for Start-up and Venture Capital as well as Next Generation Partner for Corporate and M&A, being seen as "highly attuned to shifts and nuances in venture capital transactions" and being "a lateral thinker who provides novel insights to complex problems".
He is acknowledged as Highly Regarded in the area of M&A / Technology and Telecommunications by IFLR1000 - The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms, 2023, being seen as a "rational counterpart who not only delivers effective legal outcomes but can also bring both sides of a negotiation closer during difficult discussions", recommended as a distinguished Asialaw Leading Lawyers 2023 edition practitioner for Corporate and M&A by and featured as a Rising Star in ALB's Rising Stars Singapore 2022.
Contact Details
- d+65 6517 8738
- f+65 6532 5711
- ekyle.lee@wongpartnership.com
Career & Qualifications
National University of Singapore (LL.B., Hons.)