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  • Simon Milne

    苗世明
    Partner
    Hong Kong
    T: +852 3443 1023
    M: +852 6053 2303
 

 Professional Biography

 

  • Simon specialises in acting on a variety of Asian based mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, outsourcings and other corporate and commercial transactions, particularly in the financial institutions and information technology/communications industries. His focus is on private company mergers and acquisitions, private equity work, related IT and services contracts and debt and equity financings.

    Simon has gained extensive experience working as a negotiated mergers and acquisitions lawyer in South Africa, the United States of America (New York), the United Kingdom, Australia and Hong Kong and has qualified to practise in all those jurisdictions.

    Simon is regularly rated as a leading practitioner by market surveys. Recent editions of Chambers Global, Asia-Pacific Legal 500, PLC Which Lawyer? and IFLR 1000 have named Simon as a corporate/M&A leading lawyer.

    In addition, his strength and expertise in the communications and IT sectors stand out. In 2010 edition of PLC Which Lawyer? it highlights that Simon is "an M&A specialist with experience in handling transactions for clients in the media sector... ". It also mentions he is a "good all-round M&A and corporate expert with a focus on the communications and IT sector."
 

 Experience

 
  • 1981: Bachelor of Arts and Laws degrees (Summa Cum Laude), University of Natal
  • 1982: Admitted to practice, advocate of Supreme Court of South Africa and Lesotho
  • 1983: Masters of Laws degree, Cambridge University - studying on scholarship and graduating top of the class with the Chancellor’s Medal for English Law
  • 1984: Solicitor, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, New York (banking, underwriting and M&A experience)
  • 1988: Solicitor and Partner (1990), Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Sydney
  • 1991: Partner, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, London
  • 1994: Partner, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Brisbane - Partner in Charge & Board Member
  • 1996 - 1998: Partner, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Sydney
  • 1998 - 2001: Partner, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Melbourne - (Telstra Relationship Partner)
  • 2002 - 2007: Partner, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Sydney - (Westpac Relationship Partner then GE Relationship Partner)
  • 2007 - 2008: Registered Foreign Lawyer (NSW, Australia), Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Hong Kong and Partner, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Sydney
  • 2008 - 2012: Partner, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Hong Kong
  • 2012 - Present: Partner, King & Wood Mallesons, Hong Kong

  • Simon Milne has significant Asian corporate experience, particularly when it comes to representing clients in the financial and telecoms sector. He attracts glowing praise and is described by one client as "super client-friendly with the rare talent in a lawyer of being able to speak in a language that a business team can understand.” - Chambers Asia, 2012

    Leading lawyer, Corporate/M&A: Hong Kong-based (International Firms) - Chambers Global, 2011

    Leading lawyer, Corporate/M&A: Hong Kong law and China deals - Chambers Asia, 2010

    Leading lawyer, M&A - foreign firms - IFLR1000, 2010

    Leading lawyer, M&A (China) - IFLR1000, 2010

    Prominent practitioner - PLC Cross-border Media/Communications Handbook, 2009

    Named as External Counsel of the Year - Asian-Counsel, 2009

    "Good all-round M&A and corporate expert with a focus on the communications and IT sector."
    PLC Which lawyer? 2010

    "An M&A specialist, who has experience of handling transactions for clients in the media sector."
    PLC Which lawyer?, 2010

    "Mallesons Stephen Jaques offers 'very savvy advice' and is 'professional, knowledgeable, responsive and value for money.' Hayden Flinn and Simon Milne handle regional M&A, especially in Taiwan and China ..."
    Asia-Pacific Legal 500, 2009/2010

    "A great negotiator and a leader in client service."
    External Counsel of the Year 2009, Asian-Counsel
 

 Recent Matters

 
  • Indonesia
  • Divestiture by GE holding companies of shares in PT GE Finance Indonesia to PT Bank Permata and related contractual arrangements
  • Divestiture by GE Capital Corporation of shares in PT General Electric Services and PT Sedaya Pratama to PT Astra International
  • China
  • Credit Suisse Hong Kong - representation in relation to a partial assignment of Credit Suisse's shareholding in a PRC asset management company
  • Credit Suisse Hong Kong - advising on a PRC loan arrangement
  • Acting for Telstra in acquiring majority stakes in Chinese internet businesses, Norstar Media and Autohome/PcPop and related shareholder arrangements and offshore structuring
  • Acting for investor in Beijing based auto finance joint venture (non public)
  • Acting for Telstra in acquiring 67% of Chinese mobiles audio and visual content and servicing business, China M and SharpPoint, and related shareholder arrangements and offshore structuring
  • Taiwan
  • NT900 billion recapitalisation and work out of Cosmos Bank, common stock, preferred and mandatory convertibles for SAC PE and GE Taiwan and related debt equity swap (Asian Counsel Deal of the Year 2008)
  • Acquisition by GE of minority interest in Cosmos Bank, Taiwan, and related joint venture, support services and IT arrangements, together with the sale of GE, Taiwan's consumer finance business to Cosmos Bank
  • Thailand
  • Bluescope Steel Limited - representation in relation to preference share investment with Loxley Public Company
  • NPL portfolio joint venture in Thailand between Alphavest and R Group
  • Acquisition by GE for approximately A$800 million of minority interest in Bank of Ayudhya Public Company Limited, Thailand, and related shareholder arrangements
  • Sale by GE of GECAL to BAY
  • Sale of GE Money personal loans and credit card businesses to Bank of Ayudhya
  • Korea
  • Acquisition by GE for approximately A$800 million of 43% of Hyundai Card Co., Ltd., Korea, and related joint venture/shareholder arrangements
  • Smith and Nephew plc - acquisition of Korean business
  • Malaysia
  • Joint Venture between OSK Holdings Berhad and I.T.&e Limited for establishment of Pan Asian financial portals
  • Assisting insurance company with local investment structure
  • Philippines
  • Acquisition by GE of Keppel Bank, Philippines, and related purchase of mortgage receivables
  • India
  • Deutsche Bank in connection with CCD Investment in Ramprastha
  • Australia
  • Acting for Westpac Banking Corporation in relation to Australian aspects of spin off of New Zealand branch into separate subsidiary
  • Acting for IAG on a variety of joint venture, insurance manufacturing and technology contracts
  • Acquisition by GE of approximately $1.3 billion commercial loan portfolio from AMP
  • Advice to Morgan Stanley in relation to real estate backed securities funds management joint venture with Arcadia
  • Acquisition by GE of Wizard Home Loans (AFIG) for approximately $450 million
  • Acquisition by Ernst & Young Australia of Arthur Andersen Australia
  • Australian aspects of acquisition of Samuelson Group by Panavision plc; Australian aspects of acquisition of Chubb by Williams plc
  • Acquisition by Ogden Corporation (US) of 50% of International Facilities Corporation
  • Acquisition by Pentland Group Plc of Speedo companies and assets
  • Acting for Hachette Fillipacchi Presse in the purchase of balance of equity in Australian joint venture with ACP
  • Sale of Telstra PABX business by tender
  • Sale by NCS Pearson of its Australian market research and product development business to Ipsos S.A
  • Other joint ventures
  • Joint Venture between Plenary Group and Deutsche Bank for the establishment and funding of PPP projects
  • Stellar Call Centre joint venture between Telstra and Excell Group
  • Managed funds joint venture between Morgan Stanley and Arcadia Funds Management
  • Yorkshire Water PLC and Tubemakers of Australia Pty Limited for water management projects and BOT projects
  • Joint venture between APN and More Group plc
  • GD Net - joint venture between TNT and various Canadian and European Post Offices for package distribution network and related restructuring - acting for Canadian and European post offices
  • Various IT and communications joint ventures and alliances for Telstra including WorldPartners, IBM GSA and Advantra
  • Takeovers
  • “Investing in Success” Equities PLC of Panfida
  • TWT Limited of Australian Broadcasting Services Limited
  • First Pacific Company Limited of Imagineering Technology Limited
  • Outsourcings
  • Outsourcing by Cosmos Bank, Taiwan to GE of various IT processing functions
  • Lead partner on applications development and maintenance outsourcings by Telstra Corporation Limited to EDS, Deloittes Consulting and IBM Global Services Australia
  • Acting for Telstra in major telecommunications outsourcing by Woolworths and Qantas
  • Finance/General
  • Development of Co-branded Credit Card for Telstra Corporation (the Telstra Visa Card)
 

 Professional Memberships

 
  • The Law Society of Hong Kong
  • International Bar Association
  • Fellow, Australian Institute of Company Directors