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Derrick Khoo

Partner

Biography

Derrick Khoo is a partner and key member of the firm’s regional corporate and commercial team.

He has amassed more than 16 years of cross-border transactional experience as a private-practice lawyer with top international firms whilst based in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Singapore, and Dubai. Prior to joining Tilleke & Gibbins, Derrick was general counsel for an international group with investments in real estate, telecommunications, F&B and other sectors, where he oversaw all legal and regulatory matters in Hong Kong, Singapore and Myanmar.

Derrick’s regional practice focuses on a range of areas including cross-border M&A, growth equity investments, real estate, foreign direct investments, JVs, and other corporate and commercial transactions. He has represented a diverse client base including sovereign wealth funds, private equity funds, investment banks, state-owned enterprises and Fortune 500 corporations.

Over the course of his career, Derrick has advised on numerous prolific M&A, private equity, and capital markets transactions, including high-value transactions that have garnered recognition by IFLR as Middle East M&A Deal of the Year (2010) and by Asian Legal Business as Equity Market Deal of the Year for Southeast Asia (2007). Derrick has been named a “Rising Star Partner” by IFLR 1000 (2022).

Derrick is fluent in Chinese (Mandarin) and is the co-head of Tilleke & Gibbins’ China desk, serving as a key liaison with the firm’s China-based clients. He is qualified as a Solicitor of the High Court of Hong Kong SAR, an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, and a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales.

Experience

  • Advised a U.S. private equity client in its competitive auction bid and US$700 million pre-IPO investment in a major PRC state-owned enterprise, which subsequently launched one of the largest IPOs on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
  • Advised a private investment firm on its US$370 million public takeover of a leading hotel and resort acquisition and development company listed on the NASDAQ Dubai (Winner of IFLR Middle East M&A Deal of the Year (2010)).
  • Advised on the S$192 million IPO of a pure-play Indonesian REIT on the Singapore Stock Exchange (Winner of Asian Legal Business (Southeast Asia) Equity Market Deal of the Year Award 2007).
  • Advised a major PRC state-owned enterprise (which is also a Fortune 500 company) in its €150 million acquisition of the industrial business of a renowned German conglomerate.
  • Actively advising on growth equity investments, involving structuring the acquisition of stakes in various portfolio companies in different industries at early-stage, Series A, B and C levels.
ABOUT Derrick

Industries

Consumer Products

Life Sciences

Technology

Practices

Capital Markets

Corporate/M&A

Property

Locations

Languages

    English

    Chinese (Mandarin)

Education

    LLB, National University of Singapore

Insights

March 14, 2023
Tilleke & Gibbins is proud to be one of the founding member firms for the newly launched Sino International Professional Advisory Council (SIPAC) platform. SIPAC is a global network of law firms that offer legal services tailored to the Chinese legal market. Legal advisors partnering with SIPAC provide Chinese companies with expert advice and guidance that enable them to conduct business in key jurisdictions around the world. SIPAC aims to create a platform that connects in-house counsel at Chinese companies with a wide range of legal services, to ensure that Chinese companies can conduct business overseas with maximum efficiency. By bringing together leading firms from different countries and industries, SIPAC offers a comprehensive solution for businesses seeking expert advice on doing business in different regions of the world. As a founding member firm of SIPAC, Tilleke & Gibbins brings a wealth of expertise and experience advising clients on complex legal matters across the region. The firm has been operating in Southeast Asia for over 130 years and has a team of over 220 lawyers, making it one of the largest in the region. With the launch of SIPAC, Tilleke & Gibbins and its fellow founding member firms are well-positioned to offer customized legal and regulatory recommendations that provide Chinese businesses with increased access to overseas markets.
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April 1, 2022
Thailand Legal Basics, a valuable primer for foreign investors, explores all aspects of living and doing business in Thailand. Written by specialists at Tilleke & Gibbins in Bangkok, it is the only comprehensive English-language guide to the Thai legal system with a focus on the concerns of foreign business and investment.
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December 3, 2021
Asia Business Law Journal (ABLJ) has published a story on Tilleke & Gibbins’ recent addition of Derrick Khoo to the Tilleke & Gibbins regional corporate and M&A team. As the article notes, Derrick came to Tilleke & Gibbins after several years as a general counsel handling a wide variety of international corporate legal matters. He is particularly experienced in cross-border transactions and M&A deals, growth equity investments, pre-IPO investments, corporate real estate, and other corporate and commercial legal matters. In the article, his arrival at Tilleke & Gibbins is welcomed by Kobkit Thienpreecha, partner and director of the firm’s corporate and commercial group, who explains that Derrick is joining the firm at the same time that Thailand has been taking steps to support regional financial integration and cross-border investment opportunities. With the addition of Derrick’s expertise in these areas, Tilleke & Gibbins is broadening its capability to facilitate a greater variety and volume of these activities, in keeping with an anticipated uptick in associated transactions. For more details on this development, please see the ABLJ website.
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October 14, 2021
As part of its membership in Lex Mundi, Tilleke & Gibbins has published an updated edition of its Guide to Doing Business in Thailand for 2021. This guide outlines all of the key factors for starting and operating a business in the Thai market. Issues covered include: Investment incentives Financial facilities Exchange controls Import and export regulations Structures for doing business Requirements for the Establishment of a Business Operation of the Business Cessation or Termination of the Business Labor legislation, relations, and supply Tax Immigration requirements This publication is part of Lex Mundi’s Guides to Doing Business series prepared by member firms in more than 100 jurisdictions worldwide. The guides serve as a useful resource when planning an international business strategy or researching a new market.
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Awards & Rankings

February 24, 2023
Tilleke & Gibbins has been named a finalist for two prestigious awards at the upcoming Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2023. The awards recognize and celebrate the achievements of firms, companies, and individuals who are driving the advancement of diversity and inclusion across the Asia Pacific region. Tilleke & Gibbins was shortlisted for the Diversity & Inclusion: Outstanding Firm award, which recognizes firms that have made exceptional strides in promoting diversity and inclusion across their organization. Additionally, Tilleke & Gibbins has been nominated for Thailand Firm of the Year, in recognition of the firm’s exceptional performance and outstanding achievements in providing legal services in Thailand. The Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2023will be held in person at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on May 4, 2023. For more information on the awards and the shortlisted nominees, please see the Chambers website.
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February 24, 2023
Tilleke & Gibbins has been named to the ALB Top 15 Innovative Law Firms list, an initiative from Asian Legal Business identifying the law firms in Asia that have incorporated new technologies and techniques to provide top legal and client services. Tilleke & Gibbins was recognized for its strength in emerging areas such as cannabis and digital assets—as well as recent landmark victories in court for the firm’s clients. Tilleke & Gibbins is dedicated to innovation in both client service and internal business operations, and is proud of its culture of innovation across all departments and offices throughout Southeast Asia. Asian Legal Business, owned by Thomson Reuters, is a leading source of information for businesses and professionals active in the region. To learn more about the ALB Top 15 Innovative Law Firms list, please see the January/February 2023 issue of Asian Legal Business magazine.
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February 23, 2023
Tilleke & Gibbins has been placed on the shortlist for 14 awards at The Legal 500’s Southeast Asia Awards 2023, including Southeast Asia Firm of the Year. The firm was honored to be nominated for the following awards, spanning regional, national, and individual categories: Regional Awards Southeast Asia Firm of the Year IP Firm of the Year Labor and Employment Firm of the Year Marketing Team of the Year National Awards Cambodia Firm of the Year Thailand Firm of the Year Individual Awards Alan Adcock, IP Lawyer of the Year Chusert Supasitthumrong, Labor and Employment Lawyer of the Year Linh Thi Mai Nguyen, IP Rising Star of the Year Loc Xuan Le, IP Lawyer of the Year Niti Muangkote, Banking and Finance Rising Star of the Year Nopparat Lalitkomon, TMT Rising Star of the Year Thomas J. Treutler, IP Lawyer of the Year Waewpen Piemwichai, TMT Rising Star of the Year This is the second edition of The Legal 500’s Southeast Asia Awards, following an inaugural virtual presentation in November 2021 in which Tilleke & Gibbins was named Laos Firm of the Year and Vietnam Firm of the Year. The winners this year will be announced at an in-person ceremony to be held on May 11, 2023, at the Pan Pacific Singapore.
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