Area of Expertise

 

Eric Lai is a corporate M&A lawyer with particular experience and interest in the technology, life sciences / healthcare and sustainability sectors. Eric advised clients on a range of corporate, commercial and regulatory matters including merger and acquisition, fundraising, joint venture, restructuring, financing, investment structuring, shareholder exit, real estate lease, employment, ESOP, security arrangements, regulatory licences, risks and compliance review. He has represented public, private and supranational entities, founders and stakeholders on wide-ranging matters, many of which often bear a cross border element.  Having trained in dispute resolution, he is also able to assess litigation risk and mitigation strategies.

 

Eric has written on director duties, ESG, telemedicine and employment law, and has spoken on regulatory, sustainability, healthcare and life sciences, anti-bribery, data privacy and computational linguistics issues.

 

He has sat on the Law Society of Singapore’s Corporate Practice Committee.

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Interests

 

When he is not advising his clients, Eric enjoys spending time in his kitchen experimenting with recipes, and improving his handicap in golf.

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Representative experience

 

Eric’s experience* includes advising:

 

Corporate / M&A / PE & VC

 

• the founder of an international software company on its sale to a US PE firm and pre-acquisition restructuring across Europe and Asia Pacific with a deal value of approximately US$100m

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• Temasek-backed India-headquartered edutech unicorn on its regional expansion, acquisition of a regulated Singapore entity, proposed investments, and fundraising

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• a pan-Asian car marketplace unicorn on its extended US$460m series C fundraising led by sovereign wealth funds, and comprising leading global investors including Temasek

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• a pan-Asian e-commerce cashback platform Shopback on its oversubscribed US$45m Series D and US$25m Series C fundraising rounds, acquisitions, ESOP, and other legal matters

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• Temasek-linked accelerator on ESOP matters following the establishment of a spin-off business to commercialise its proprietary aquaculture technology

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• Temasek-backed next-generation storage device manufacturer with its proprietary cybersecurity technology on its fundraising, ESOP implementation and shareholder exit

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• one of Southeast Asia’s largest convenience store chains on its acquisition of a supermarket chain in Singapore, and related regulatory and financing workstreams

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• a supranational European bank on its US$40m strategic acquisition of a food retailer in Uzbekistan

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• a Dubai-based unicorn EPMG on its acquisition of Thailand’s largest online marketplace

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• TotalEnergies on its joint venture agreement with ENEOS to develop onsite B2B solar distributed generation across Asia as Singapore counsel

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• the founders of a leading digital marketing technology group with presence in Asia Pacific, Europe and the US on its sale to a US PE firm

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• an India-based acquirer on its US$90m acquisition of a stake in a hydropower plant

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• a leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets on its acquisition of conference assets relating to the oil and gas sectors

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• a major Korean pharmaceutical company on its acquisition of a Swiss contract laboratory

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• a leading global provider of advanced analytics and contract research services on its acquisition of a global functional services provider with expertise in oncology and rare diseases

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• a Vietnam-based VC on its investments into one of Vietnam’s fastest-growing social commerce platforms, and a voice-chatting and streaming platform

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• a Vietnam-based social commence start-up on ESOP and corporate governance matters

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• two leading regulated driving schools in Singapore on the proposed divestment by an institutional shareholder and other corporate and regulatory matters

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• a Southeast Asia-focused PE firm on its acquisition of a leading logistics company

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• one of India’s leading game streaming platforms on its US$40m fundraising involving share issuance and convertible loan notes, and other corporate matters as Singapore counsel

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• the trustee and bond registrar in respect of the issuance of convertible bonds by a prominent SGX-listed education group

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• a leading Singapore AI-based stain-free digital pathology solutions provider on a convertible loan financing arrangements

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• one of the world's largest third party ship managers in their proposed acquisition of a Europe-listed shipping company

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• a global renewable energy player on its joint venture involving inter alia shareholder funding, debt conversion and investment option arrangements

 

Commercial / Regulatory / Employment

 

• a global mining conglomerate on a multi-jurisdictional digital signatures project

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• Microsoft Singapore on commercial and employment matters

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• a US-headquartered global IT company on data breach management

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• S&P on compliance of data privacy and protection related laws and practices in Singapore

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• a Brazil-based multinational petroleum company on data protection issues

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• an India-based B2B payment services provider on its Singapore expansion and MAS Standard Payment Institution Licence application

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• a regulated Singapore-based RMO digital assets exchange on MAS regulatory matters and its proposed collaboration with a listed company to expand its digital assets services offerings

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• a US-based global financial group on CMS licensing matters in connection with its Singapore expansion

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• a Dutch-based global omnichannel communications platform on employment matters

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• US and UK global corporations on lease negotiations with MBFC and Mapletree Anson

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• a US-based financial institution software application provider on cross border employment issues in respect of internal disciplinary investigations and employment law

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• a UK-listed agriculture group on its staff contracts review for benchmarking and gaps analysis

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• a UK-based property developer with Asia Pacific presence on data privacy and employment matters

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• a global management consultancy in the setting up of their presence in Singapore, localisation of commercial contracts, anti-bribery policies and employment advisory

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• a US global corporate investigation and risk consulting firm on regulatory matters arising from its rebranding exercise

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• a world leader in last-mile delivery of specialty gases and petrochemicals on ESOP matters

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• an AI-Powered restaurant technology solutions provider on its service agreement with a leading hotel group in Singapore

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• a French transnational company focused in water management and energy services on its tender awarded contract (through its Singapore subsidiary) with the Hong Kong authority

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• a Singapore-listed provider of consumer essentials on its distributorship with 3M

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• a global ship management group on the legal implications of its transfer of employment, pensions related matters, and agency arrangements

 

*includes matters handled prior to Collyer Law.

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