James is a Senior Partner and is one of the 3 founding partners of the firm. James heads the Financial Services Practice Group and the Islamic Finance Group and has extensive experience in various forms of fundraising exercises ranging from equity issues, private debt securities (PDS) issues and borrowings. Equity issues include initial public offerings, rights issues, private placements and venture capital participation.
James also provides advice and prepares documentation for various PDS issues, including conventional and Islamic based PDS issues. His involvement in loan and securities documentation ranges from syndicated borrowings to cross border project financing. James was involved in a cross border offshore USD financing involving multi-jurisdictions and a multi currency syndicated loan facility in excess of RM1 billion.
James has also been involved in a number of corporate and debt restructuring exercises with issues of various securities and convertibles papers. James regularly provides advice on corporate laws and establishment, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and regulatory concerns including environmental laws in Malaysia. James also provides advice to local banks on the setting up of derivatives departments and derivatives related documentation. James has also been involved in a number of property development projects, acquisitions and disposals.
James is a regular speaker at public conferences and in-house bank seminars on topics ranging from laws relating to initial public offering, due diligence, securitisation, banking and property.
WORK DEPARTMENT
Financial Services, Conveyancing, Islamic Finance
RECOGNITION
James has been ranked by the independent UK-based publication, the “Asia-Pacific Legal 500” as a leading individual in the area of Capital Markets law of Malaysia. He was also nominated and named by Islamic Finance News (IFN) as a leading lawyer in the categories of Asset & Fund Management and Banking & Capital Markets in the IFN Leading Lawyers Poll for 2011 and 2012.
LANGUAGES
English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Member, Malaysian Bar
EDUCATION
Monash University, Australia (LLB, B.Ec (Accounting))
OTHER APPOINTMENTS
Notary Public;
Member, Disciplinary Committee Panel, Advocates & Solicitors Disciplinary Board (2003 to current);
Visiting Research Fellow, China Asean Legal Research Centre (2005 to current);
Member, Board of Governors, Sekolah Sri Bestari (2012 to current);
Member, Board of Governors, Sri Bestari International School (2019 to current).
BANKING AND FINANCE
Within: Banking and finance
James Wong and corporate and aircraft financing expert Kenny Poon head the practice at Jeff Leong, Poon & Wong, which counts AmBank (M), BNP Paribas Malaysia, CIMB Bank and Sabah Development Bank among its longstanding clients. Bangkok Bank is a new client. The practice has experience in syndicated loans, cross-border project finance, Islamic finance and debt restructuring.
CAPITAL MARKETS
Within: Capital markets
The practice at Jeff Leong, Poon & Wong is particularly strong in equity capital markets: Jeff Leong and Kenny Poon are deeply experienced in IPOs, rights issuances and listed-company work. James Wong is especially active on the debt side, though he also assisted Linocraft Printers with its restructuring and listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s Growth Enterprise Market. Poon advised bedroom furniture exporter LY on its IPO on the Singapore Exchange.
REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION
Within: Real estate and construction
Corporate, finance and capital markets boutique Jeff Leong, Poon & Wong has a strong line in real estate transactions. James Wong acted for Sime Darby Property on its RM428m sale of 805 acres of Glengowrie Estate land in Semenyih to I&P Group. He also advised IJM on its purchase of a TRX City subsidiary that is constructing a 27-storey building at the Tun Razak Exchange in Kuala Lumpur, which will house Prudential’s new Malaysian headquarters. Selangor Properties is another longstanding client.
