WongPartnership LLP

Banking & Finance; Private Equity

Christy Lim is the Head of the Banking & Finance Practice.

A veteran in the Banking & Finance space (with in-depth specialisation across various areas of banking practice), Christy has over the years built a commendable portfolio of work, carving a niche for herself in several challenging markets, and is also consistently ranked as a leading lawyer in various legal directories. Her main practice areas are banking, finance, security arrangement and documentation, syndicated loans, club deals, cross-border and multi-currency transactions, transferable loans, loans with embedded debt-instrument conversion options with a strong focus on acquisition/leveraged financing involving takeover offers (both mandatory and voluntary), schemes of arrangement, delisting proposals/exit offers as well as mergers and acquisitions, debt restructuring, international and cross-border financing transactions involving Singapore law, banking, financial laws and regulations. She has been involved in some of the most intricate and complex headline acquisition financing deals spanning various jurisdictions, and is also very active in the green and sustainable financing space.

Work Highlights

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

A syndicate of lenders in a US$551 million financing granted to subsidiaries of ARA Asset Management Limited, for the acquisition of a portfolio of 38 hotels under the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House franchise across 21 states in the United States. This acquisition is a significant milestone in the global expansion and diversification plans of the ARA group and marks its maiden foray into the United States property market. ESR Funds Management (S) Limited (the manager of ESR-REIT) and two of the financial advisers to ESR Funds Management (S) Limited, RHB Securities Singapore Pte. Ltd. and United Overseas Bank Limited, in the merger with Viva Industrial Trust by way of a trust scheme of arrangement. The merger valued Viva Industrial Trust at S$936.7 million and created Singapore's fourth largest industrial REIT with approximately S$3 billion in assets. Perennial Shenton Property Pte. Ltd., as borrower, in the refinancing of the acquisition of, and the S$3 billion green loan syndicated financing of the project development at, 8 Shenton Way. Mandated lead arrangers are DBS, OCBC, UOB, Bangkok Bank, Maybank, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, China CITIC Bank and Hong Leong Finance Limited. DBS and OCBC are also the Green Loan Advisors. This financing is also the largest syndicated green loan financing in Singapore as at the date of closing of the transaction. Nesta Investment Holdings Limited in the grant of US$4 billion term loan and revolving facilities in relation to Nesta Investment Holdings Limited's acquisition of Global Logistic Properties Limited. This deal won "Deal of the Year" and "Best Leveraged Finance Deal" at the FinanceAsia Achievement Awards, 2017, "M&A Deal of the Year: South East Asia" at The Asian Lawyer's Asia Legal Awards 2018 and "M&A Deal of the Year (Premium)" at the ALB SE Asia Law Awards 2018. ESR LOGOS REIT in the JP¥ 7.1 billion syndicated financing relating to its acquisition of ESR Sakura Distribution Centre, located at Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. MUFG Bank, Ltd. and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Singapore Branch are the mandated lead arrangers, bookrunners and lenders to the financing. This marks the REIT’s first acquisition in Japan. DBS Bank Ltd., Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited, United Overseas Bank Limited and Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Limited as lenders and mandated lead arrangers in the S$535 million syndicated financing to Singtel’s data centre subsidiaries. DBS Bank Ltd., Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited, United Overseas Bank Limited and Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Limited are also the green loan coordinators for the financing.

Publications & Legal Updates: 

Chambers Global Practice Guide - Banking & Finance 2023 (Trends & Developments Section) - Singapore chapter and Chambers Global Practice Guide - Acquisition Finance 2023 (Trends & Developments Section) The Private Equity Review, Investing Singapore Chapter published by Law Business Research since the 2012 edition (1st to 7th editions) The European Lawyer's inaugural Private Equity reference book

English

Christy is an Executive Committee member and the Assistant Honorary Secretary of the Financial Women's Association Singapore, an organisation that drives professionalism in the financial sector. She is also a committee member of Star Shelter (registered as an IPC), which is a direct service of Singapore Council of Women’s Organisation (SCWO). Star Shelter is the only secular shelter for women in Singapore and provides safe space for women and children who are survivors of family violence. Christy is also a former Board member of SCWO. She is also an adjunct instructor at the School of Law at the Singapore Management University.

Admitted, 1997, Singapore Bar; National University of Singapore (LL.B., Hons.).