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Withers tech in Asia
The technology and startup scene in Asia is growing rapidly, with an increasing amount of investments and a rising number of unicorns emerging. Having established deep roots in the technology and venture capital ecosystem in Asia, Withers Tech in Asia is well-placed to service the complex and ever-growing needs of the sector.
We are one of the few international law firms in Asia that provide a full range of advice to the technology and investment funds sector. Whether you are an entrepreneur, investor, venture capitalist, investment fund, or a high growth technology company, our specialist team has the experience working with all stakeholders in the tech ecosystem in Asia, and bring with them deep insights to help you achieve your commercial objectives.From investors, fund managers, family offices, tech companies to successful tech company founders, we have the depth and breadth of experience to journey with you in Asia's thriving and vibrant technology startup ecosystem.
The startup scene in Asia is growing rapidly, with an increasing number of unicorns emerging in the region. The startup ecosystem in the region is vibrant and vigorous, comprising amongst others, angel investors, entrepreneurs-turned-mentors, venture capitalists, investment funds, accelerators and incubators, backed by numerous government programmes eager to create a conducive environment for tech startups to flourish.
We have a long history of working with private investors, family offices, venture capitalists and successful tech founders. With our experience in funds and tax, we have particular strength in helping investors structure their investments to meet their investment objectives and have been engaged in deals involving some of the region’s most promising tech ventures, some of whom having achieved unicorn status. We work with clients not only during the investment phase, but are dedicated to the continued success of their ventures, working with the tech companies to protect and commercialize their cutting edge technologies (ranging from AI to blockchain), and advising them on their corporate and commercial matters, as well as in dispute resolution.
We have a full understanding of the tech startup ecosystem in Asia and have worked with all stakeholders in the ecosystem, across all stages of the life cycle of a tech company. We are committed to the technology sector and have a dedicated group of over 20 lawyers across the region with deep experience in the full range of legal areas, such as funds, tax, corporate and intellectual property, focused on serving the tech sector.
Growing and scaling the business of the tech venture is key in maximizing the potential of and protecting your investment. We can advise on: the appropriate corporate structure for institutional investors yet protecting founders’ interest; how to protect the intellectual property of your proprietary technology and brand; how to successfully negotiate corporate and commercial contracts entered into with third parties to best protect your interests implementing best-in-class data protection practices and policies; designing employment contracts and policies; exploring relevant issues and potential structures to use for scaling and expanding your business into other jurisdictions and how best to manage dispute resolution.
We have the depth and diversity of knowledge to advise on all areas of capital deployment, including private equity, venture capital and corporate and M&A transactions. We regularly assist tech company founders in structuring financing rounds to maximize the value of their venture, protect their commercial interest and importantly, to facilitate ease in executing future financing rounds. Regardless of your preferred exit strategies, we're able to help you seamlessly structure and execute successful exits for your investments. We also advise successful tech entrepreneurs on their personal matters including international tax planning, international trust structuring and tax planning/family office, structuring their next venture, or investments into other ventures, immigration, matrimonial advice, philanthropy, as well as trusts and succession planning.
We provide market-leading capabilities on the entire life cycle of a venture capital fund. In Asia, we host an integrated team of funds lawyers specialising in the legal, regulatory and international tax advisory aspects of fundraising, marketing, formation, management and investment.
With an unrivalled team of more than 150 corporate and personal tax lawyers, we are always ready to assist in domestic and international tax planning. Our advice is both reliable and solution-focused. We excel in solving cross-border and multi-jurisdictional issues, providing domestic and international businesses, both publicly or privately owned, tax efficient strategies.
Asia is a highly diverse region and the regulatory landscape can be complex to navigate. Whether you are a fund, investor or tech company specialising in fintech, medtech, insurtech, food tech, mediatech, etc, we have the necessary experience to help you traverse the regulatory, compliance and licencing landscape across the region and globally.
How we can help
Our highly skilled commercial litigators assist with complex, multi-jurisdictional cases of all kinds, whether acting for an investor, business or brand.
CorporateWe are the go-to law firm for private capital, working hard to help individuals, families, startups, household names and charities to grow their assets and protect their interests around the world.
Corporate structuring and planningWe help a range of organizations, from multinational companies to hedge funds to family offices, to find – or if necessary create – the corporate structures that work most effectively for them.
Data protection and cyber lawOrganizations of all sizes are facing greater public scrutiny around data, changing regulations and increasing threats. We can help you store, process and manage data in line with global rules.
Fees for bringing and defending claims for unfair and wrongful dismissal in the employment tribunal
Intellectual propertyOur lawyers have wide industry knowledge and experience, allowing them to advise on how to best protect mission-critical intellectual property and data.
International corporate taxWith sector knowledge in finance, technology, retail, real estate, hospitality, fashion and luxury brands, our lawyers can guide you to the most suitable global tax arrangements for your business.
Investment fundsWith a dedicated team working from global finance hubs, we offer a ‘one-stop shop’ to help fund managers, sponsors and investors to navigate any issues and ensure their continued success.
Our team has acted in the full range of transactions, getting the deal done quickly, within regulations and with minimal fuss.
TechnologyOur Withers tech venture capital and technology arm is passionate about technology and thrives on supporting firms of all sizes by taking a ‘more startup’ attitude to solving problems.
Venture CapitalOur global team of Withers tech venture capital advisors has the skills and in-depth knowledge of the market to help investors and emerging companies navigate every stage of fundraising.
Track record
Advising an international investment management firm
In its private investment in a PRC-based open-source, cloud-native, distributed SQL database provider.
A Chinese TMT founder
On the creation and funding of an offshore trust structure, transactions with a US trust structure, creation of a Hong Kong charity, and advised on setting up a US charitable foundation.
A Fintech company
On the Singapore taxation of income to be derived through high frequency proprietary trading activities.
A foreign listed communications and information technology company
On privacy and data issues concerning processing and international transfer of personal data concerning data subjects in Singapore.
A Hong Kong based technology company
On its development and licensing partnership between a Silicon Valley based semiconductor company and its strategic partner in Zhuhai, China.
A Japanese mobile communication company
On the sale of US$30 million of common stock to U.S. and Japanese strategic and financial investors.
A Singapore fintech company providing digital payment solutions
On licensing matters in relation to the Payment Services Act, and assisting them with their licence applications for a payment services licence.
A Singapore insurance company
On its software development project incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the program. Special considerations including legal compliance with the Monetary Authority of Singapore's Guidelines on Outsourcing we considered.
Advised a major London-headquartered communication conglomerate
On its acquisition of a majority stake in a Hong Kong-based digital consultancy company.
An Asian fintech billionaire
On relation to his relocation to the UK prior to a significant liquidity event. This involved complex pre-immigration UK tax planning, including the disposal and restructuring of several significant assets before becoming resident, the reorganization of multiple bank accounts with multiple banks to provide for tax efficient remittances to the UK, and the creation of a trust for his wife and children.
An investment holding company
Focusing on promising consumer-sector businesses in Asia in respect of their acquisition of a master licence for the Indian sub-continent from an Indonesian group in respect of their patented technology in the field of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
Assisted the liquidators of a Singapore technology company
On the sales of proprietary AI software.
Giorgio Armani
In its China e-Commerce system setup service contract in China.
Grab, in its pilot project, GrabCycle
A marketplace app unifying four different mobility partners into a single app. We assisted the client in setting the template for its partnership agreement with other mobility partners. This matter was of particular significance as it marks Grab's efforts to offer a suite of multi-modal transport offerings and to test new mobility and payment concepts.
Grab, in relation to the launch of Grab Ventures Ignite (GVI)
The Vietnamese extension of its flagship accelerator programme, Grab Ventures, dedicated to Vietnamese early-stage startups and aimed at encouraging technology entrepreneurship and supporting the growth of Vietnam’s startup ecosystem.
Percipient Partners
A data technology and analytics company based in Singapore, on their software licence agreements, service level agreements, value added reseller agreements, and collaborations with third parties (such as financial institutions) in the Asia-Pacific region.
Softbank Robotics
On its potential commercialisation initially in Hong Kong and then potentially throughout Asia.
SugarCRM
A software company based in California, US, on the acquisition of email integration technology and associated customer contracts from a Singapore start-up, Collabspot, and also worked on the contracts for the transaction.
Tencent Cloud
A leading cloud service provider, on product compliance matters, including: Certification requirements in Singapore for new cloud short message service, including telecommunications licensing requirements; material regulatory and legal risks in offering the service in Singapore, including requirements to allow local government or state access to communications or data.
The Sufferfest
Headquartered in Singapore, in its acquisition by Wahoo Fitness, a US-based leader in connected fitness devices.
Acted for a leading Singapore tech start-up company which provides online payment security systems
We helped them in in a US$50 million fund raising exercise by an institutional investor which also invested in Alibaba.
Advising an international investment management firm
In its private investment in a PRC-based open-source, cloud-native, distributed SQL database provider.
A Chinese TMT founder
On the creation and funding of an offshore trust structure, transactions with a US trust structure, creation of a Hong Kong charity, and advised on setting up a US charitable foundation.
A Fintech company
On the Singapore taxation of income to be derived through high frequency proprietary trading activities.
A foreign listed communications and information technology company
On privacy and data issues concerning processing and international transfer of personal data concerning data subjects in Singapore.
A Hong Kong based technology company
On its development and licensing partnership between a Silicon Valley based semiconductor company and its strategic partner in Zhuhai, China.
A Japanese mobile communication company
On the sale of US$30 million of common stock to U.S. and Japanese strategic and financial investors.
A Singapore fintech company providing digital payment solutions
On licensing matters in relation to the Payment Services Act, and assisting them with their licence applications for a payment services licence.
A Singapore insurance company
On its software development project incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the program. Special considerations including legal compliance with the Monetary Authority of Singapore's Guidelines on Outsourcing we considered.
Advised a major London-headquartered communication conglomerate
On its acquisition of a majority stake in a Hong Kong-based digital consultancy company.
An Asian fintech billionaire
On relation to his relocation to the UK prior to a significant liquidity event. This involved complex pre-immigration UK tax planning, including the disposal and restructuring of several significant assets before becoming resident, the reorganization of multiple bank accounts with multiple banks to provide for tax efficient remittances to the UK, and the creation of a trust for his wife and children.
An investment holding company
Focusing on promising consumer-sector businesses in Asia in respect of their acquisition of a master licence for the Indian sub-continent from an Indonesian group in respect of their patented technology in the field of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
Assisted the liquidators of a Singapore technology company
On the sales of proprietary AI software.
Giorgio Armani
In its China e-Commerce system setup service contract in China.
Grab, in its pilot project, GrabCycle
A marketplace app unifying four different mobility partners into a single app. We assisted the client in setting the template for its partnership agreement with other mobility partners. This matter was of particular significance as it marks Grab's efforts to offer a suite of multi-modal transport offerings and to test new mobility and payment concepts.
Grab, in relation to the launch of Grab Ventures Ignite (GVI)
The Vietnamese extension of its flagship accelerator programme, Grab Ventures, dedicated to Vietnamese early-stage startups and aimed at encouraging technology entrepreneurship and supporting the growth of Vietnam’s startup ecosystem.
Percipient Partners
A data technology and analytics company based in Singapore, on their software licence agreements, service level agreements, value added reseller agreements, and collaborations with third parties (such as financial institutions) in the Asia-Pacific region.
Softbank Robotics
On its potential commercialisation initially in Hong Kong and then potentially throughout Asia.
SugarCRM
A software company based in California, US, on the acquisition of email integration technology and associated customer contracts from a Singapore start-up, Collabspot, and also worked on the contracts for the transaction.
Tencent Cloud
A leading cloud service provider, on product compliance matters, including: Certification requirements in Singapore for new cloud short message service, including telecommunications licensing requirements; material regulatory and legal risks in offering the service in Singapore, including requirements to allow local government or state access to communications or data.
The Sufferfest
Headquartered in Singapore, in its acquisition by Wahoo Fitness, a US-based leader in connected fitness devices.
Acted for a leading Singapore tech start-up company which provides online payment security systems
We helped them in in a US$50 million fund raising exercise by an institutional investor which also invested in Alibaba.
Advised a major London-headquartered communication conglomerate
On its acquisition of a majority stake in a Hong Kong-based digital consultancy company.
An Asian fintech billionaire
On relation to his relocation to the UK prior to a significant liquidity event. This involved complex pre-immigration UK tax planning, including the disposal and restructuring of several significant assets before becoming resident, the reorganization of multiple bank accounts with multiple banks to provide for tax efficient remittances to the UK, and the creation of a trust for his wife and children.
A Chinese TMT founder
On the creation and funding of an offshore trust structure, transactions with a US trust structure, creation of a Hong Kong charity, and advised on setting up a US charitable foundation.
SugarCRM
A software company based in California, US, on the acquisition of email integration technology and associated customer contracts from a Singapore start-up, Collabspot, and also worked on the contracts for the transaction.
The Sufferfest
Headquartered in Singapore, in its acquisition by Wahoo Fitness, a US-based leader in connected fitness devices.
Our team
Joel Shen
Partner | Singapore
Kazumitsu Goto
Partner | Tokyo
Jonathan Kok
Partner | Singapore
Michael Chik
Partner | Hong Kong
Shaun Leong
Partner | Singapore
Daniel Yong
Partner | Singapore
Mabel Lui
Head of Greater China Commercial | Hong Kong
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