Mei is a partner in the Finance Group and head of our Singapore Office.
Mei specialises in cross-border asset, project and structured finance transactions in the maritime & logistics and energy sectors. Her experience in the energy sector covers conventional power, offshore oil & gas and mining & commodities.
She advises financial institutions, export credit agencies, lessors, lessees, owners and operators and also assists clients in the maritime and offshore sectors on the establishment, expansion and restructuring of their businesses across the Asia Pacific region.
Mei is widely recognised as one of Asia’s top shipping finance experts, having been named one of Lloyd’s List Top 10 maritime lawyers in 2017, as well as receiving their Asia Pacific “Individual Lawyer of the Year” award the same year. She was also named “Best in shipping” at the Euromoney Asia Women in Business Law Awards in both 2016 and 2019.
Leading legal directories Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Chambers Asia Pacific and Chambers Global are equally effusive in their recognition of Mei. In 2019, Legal 500 noted she is “a great lawyer, a great managing partner and an amazing role model for women”. Chambers meanwhile described her as “probably the most knowledgeable lawyer of the Korean market” and that “her expertise in bankruptcy matters is a special asset”.
- Advising 27 international and local banks on the merger of Hapag-Lloyd and United Arab Shipping Company creating one of the five largest container shipping lines in the world. The merger was named the M&A Deal of the Year in 2016 by Marine Money.
- Advising India’s Reliance Industries on a US$573m loan facility to fund the construction of six very large ethane carrier vessels (VLECs). This transaction was named Overall ECA Finance Deal of the Year in 2017 as well as Marine Money’s “ECA-East” Deal of the Year in 2016.
- Advising the Lenders on the high profile project financing of six Korea Gas Corporation newbuild LNG carriers, operated by SK Shipping, Korea Line Corporation and Hyundai LNG, with a combined value of over US$1.2bn.
- Advising different lending groups in relation to the insolvency of Hanjin Shipping which was then South Korea’s largest container line and in relation to the enforcement in relation to seven vessels.
- Advising the lenders on a secured loan to an affiliate of Buss Capital for the acquisition of marine containers being acquired from the insolvency administrator acting for insolvent fund Magellan Maritime Services GmbH.
Education
- 2004 · Admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales
- 1995 · Admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya
- 1995 · Admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore
- 1991 · Called to the Bar of England and Wales
- 1989 · Bachelor of Laws, University of Nottingham