Kai Xiang is a Partner in CLO’s Corporate M&A practice, with a specialisation in handling M&A and regulatory matters.
Kai Xiang has acted on transactions within various sectors, including healthcare, retail, manufacturing, IT, energy as well as F&B. He regularly advises local and international organisations and private equity funds on both buy-side and sell-side, and has been involved in M&A projects in different jurisdictions.
Aside from M&A mandates, he has experience in setting up local private equity funds, and also assists companies in ensuring compliance with Malaysian regulatory guidelines, policies, by-laws, and requirements throughout their operations.
Prior to joining CLO, Kai Xiang was an in-house counsel in the insurance industry.
Notable cases & transactions
Mergers & Acquisitions
- Advised one of largest retail pharmacy chains in Malaysia with 180 stores locally on its proposed acquisition of a majority stake in the post-restructuring group of companies. This proposed acquisition will enable them to leverage on the pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities, further strengthening its commitment to making healthcare more affordable.
- Advised a private equity fund on its participation in the Series B funding round of one of the fastest-growing distributors in Malaysia with a Business to Business (B2B) wholesale platform serving over 3,000 SME’s and corporations in Malaysia.
- Assisted with the due diligence in an acquisition involving land envisioned to be developed into an international business hub.
- Assisted with the due diligence of local entities of a global leader in blasting services and commercial explosives.
- Advised a private equity fund on its acquisition of the Indonesian unit of a listed poultry company which produces frozen food.
- Assisted a private equity fund with its acquisition of a stake in the largest local pet food brand in Malaysia from the founding family and another private equity fund, together with its 7 Malaysian subsidiaries and 2 international subsidiaries.
- Assisted a private equity fund with its investment in a Switzerland-based holding company operating the first hard discounter in Southeast Asia.
- Advised a Malaysian-based private equity firm focused on growth capital investments in South and Southeast Asia, on multiple acquisitions for their food and beverage portfolio.
- Advised on the joint venture involving one of China’s largest lifestyle retailers.
- Assisted several pharmaceutical and healthcare companies on both buy-side and sell-side mandates involving retail pharmacy chains and pharmaceutical manufacturing group of companies.
- Acted for a private equity arm of a leading Singaporean investment firm on their disposal of an indirect stake in an integrated producer, distributor and brand owner of milk and yogurt products with dairy farms and milk processing plants in Malaysia and Australia.
- Advised a Singapore-based data center company on its bid to acquire a majority stake in one of the largest data center operators in Malaysia.
- Advised a financial services group on its bid to acquire a stake in a leading waste valorisation company in Malaysia.
- Advised a joint venture company comprising a Main Market Listed Company and a private family-owned vehicle, on its acquisition of 100% of the shares in a group of companies involved in oleochemicals, and the subsequent acquisition of minority interests within the group.
- Advised a Thai public listed company on its acquisition of a stake in a Malaysian plastic packaging manufacturer.
- Assisted with a Japanese conglomerate with its acquisition of a Singapore-based healthcare group with operations in Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.
- Assisted in the due diligence process acting for a buyer in connection with the acquisition of a company offering health services on digital platforms across more than one ASEAN jurisdiction.
- Assisted in the due diligence for a buyer with regards to a private equity fund’s acquisition of a minority stake of a Malaysian dollar-store concept retail outlet.
- Assisted in the due diligence for a telecommunications operator on its acquisition of the business and assets of IT solutions business.
- Assisted in the due diligence acting for the buyer in connection with the acquisition of a local motion picture and video production company.
- Assisted in the due diligence and the drafting of completion documents for the acquisition of a digital brand consultant.
- Advised a car sharing platform on their fundraising from foreign investors.
Corporate Commercial
- Assisted in advising foreign companies on legal and compliance issues, including applicable regulatory guidelines, policies, by-laws and legal requirements in various regulated and unregulated industries in Malaysia.
- Assisted with the drafting and reviewing of commercial agreements such as shareholders agreements and joint venture agreements.
- Assisted in advising a public listed corporation in relation to a potential conflict of interest in a proposed transaction.
- Assisted in advising a multinational technology company in relation to the handling and storage of lithium ion batteries for its data centre arm.
Trade & Regulatory
- Assisted in advising a digital wallet subsidiary of an American social media conglomerate on regulatory and licensing requirements in its efforts to set up a digital asset exchange.
- Assisted in advising a global technology company on the legal restrictions in relation to the use of a licensed facility in Malaysia from a customs and strategic goods perspective which enabled to strategically plan its product flow and supply chain management.
- Assisted in advising a German multinational company on the import and export licensing requirements for the food & beverage industry.
Ethics & Integrity
- Assisted in advising major developers, manufacturers and public bodies in the country in developing anti-bribery compliance framework and rolling out adequate control measures for compliance with the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission Act 2009.
- Assisted in advising MNCs with Malaysian subsidiaries in the aviation industry, manufacturing and construction industry in developing local anti-bribery compliance framework and synching the same with their global frameworks.
Telecommunications, Media & Technology
- Assisted in advising clients in negotiating the access agreements for high-speed broadband network services.
