Ian C. Ho

Co-Head of the Firm’s Asia Offices, Ian Ho advises public and private corporations, private equity firms and other clients on complex cross-border M&A transactions in the U.S. and throughout the Asia-Pacific Region, including Greater China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia (including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), Bangladesh, India, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand. 

Since relocating to Asia from our New York office in 2007, Ian’s diverse practice encompasses acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures, and minority and strategic investments across a broad range of industries, including consumer, education, healthcare/pharma, industrials, infrastructure (including renewables), real estate, technology and fintech.

Selected transactions include representations of:

• Blackstone in numerous transactions, including its:
  • acquisition of International Gemological Institute;
  • $450 million sale of its stake in IBS Software;
  • control acquisition of and related tender offer for R Systems International;
  • acquisition of ASK Investment Managers;
  • control acquisition of and related tender offer for Mphasis (up to $2.8 billion);
  • acquisition of Essel Propack; and
  • acquisition of Ayumi Pharmaceuticals

• KKR in its $2.0 billion acquisition of Mitsubishi Corp.-UBS Realty in Japan;

• KKR funds in numerous transactions, including their:
  
  • acquisition of Ness Technologies from The Rohatyn Group
  • various investments in Japan, such as their tender offer to acquire Hitachi Transport System in Japan; acquisition with Rakuten of Seiyu from Walmart, valuing Seiyu at $1.6 billion; and $600 million sale of AlphaTheta (f/k/a Pioneer DJ)
  • various investments in India, such as their $625 million control acquisition of Vini Cosmetics; acquisition of a controlling stake in J.B. Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.; $750 million investment in Reliance Retail Ventures; $1.5 billion investment in Jio Platforms; investment in Radiant Life Care and subsequent control acquisition of Max Healthcare and related $1.0 billion merger with Radiant; acquisition of a 60% stake in Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited, valuing Ramky at $925 million; $1.26 billion sale of Gland Pharma (and their initial investment in Gland Pharma); creation of the $300 million Emerald Media platform and related investment in CA Media, a fund sponsored by The Chernin Group; and leveraged buyout of Alliance Tires
  • $2.2 billion acquisition of certain international operations from Campbell’s Soup Company
  • $1.6 billion take private of LCY Chemical Corp., a company listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange
  • various investments in Korea, including their $1.0 billion sale of KCF Technologies; and joint venture with LS Group to acquire the business of LS Automotive in Korea, valued at $924 million
  • investments in Vietnam, including in Masan Consumer, Masan Nutri-Science and Vingroup affiliates
  • investment in Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings in the Philippines
  • take privates of MMI ($664 million), Unisteel ($576 million) and Goodpack (S$1.4 billion) and investment in V3 Group in Singapore
  • investments in Indonesia, including PT Nippon Indosari and PT Japfa Comfeed
  • investment in Weststar Aviation in Malaysia
  • $29 billion acquisition of First Data Corp.
  • various real estate investments throughout Asia
• KKR Infrastructure in numerous transactions, including its:
  • investments in IndiGrid and Virescent Renewable Energy Trust, and the acquisition of Virescent Renewable Energy Trust by IndiGrid
  • $400 million investment in Serentica Renewables, a decarbonization platform
  • $450 million investment in Hero Future Energies
  • $2.0 billion investment in SK E&S in Korea
  • acquisition of ESG Co., Ltd. in Korea.
  • A$5.2 billion acquisition (with OTPP and PSP) of Spark Infrastructure in Australia;
  • investments in First Gen Corp in the Philippines
  • investment in Pinnacle Towers in the Philippines, and Pinnacle’s investment in AB HighTech in Bangladesh
  • acquisition of seven highways assets from Global Infrastructure Partners and the establishment of Highways Infrastructure Trust in India
  • acquisition of five solar energy assets from Shapoorji Pallonji Infrastructure Capital in India; and
  • acquisition of Central Tank Terminal in Japan
• SoftBank in its $11.5 billion joint tender offer with NAVER of LINE Corporation’s common shares and LINE’s related $30 billion business integration of Z Holdings (Yahoo Japan)
• Calsonic Kansei in the acquisition from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. of its automotive components business Magneti Marelli S.p.A., valued at $7.1 billion
• Alibaba Group Holding in its $5.7 billion going-private transaction involving Youku Tudou, $1.6 billion going-private transaction involving AutoNavi Holdings and investments in Tokopedia in Indonesia (and subsequent $22 billion merger between Gojek and Tokopedia)
• Ant Group in multiple strategic transactions in the fintech and e-commerce sectors, including in Hong Kong (Alipay HK), India (Paytm), Thailand (Ascend Money), Korea (KakaoPay), Indonesia (Emtek), the Philippines (Mynt), Malaysia (Touch ‘n Go), Bangladesh (bKash) and Pakistan (Telenor Microfinance Bank)
• KKR and Affinity Equity Partners in their $5.8 billion sale of Oriental Brewery in Korea to Anheuser-Busch InBev, and their earlier $1.8 billion acquisition of Oriental Brewery
• Athenex in multiple transactions, including a PIPE financing involving Perceptive Advisors and related joint venture with Xiangxue Pharmaceuticals
• Lexington Partners as lead investor in the acquisition of $1.2 billion of Asia-based portfolio interests from Warburg Pincus
• Fountainvest and Crestview in connection with the $920 million merger of their portfolio company, Key Safety Systems, with Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corporation
• Cosmos Bank in its US$760 million sale to China Development Financial Holding in Taiwan
• Vingroup in connection with a minority investment by Warburg Pincus in Vincom Retail in Vietnam, valuing Vincom at $1.1 billion
• PAG Asia Capital in connection with its $443 million going–private transaction involving Funtalk China Holdings Limited
• Blum Capital Partners in its investment in PAG in connection with a tender offer to acquire Secured Capital Japan Ltd. in Japan
• Silver Lake Partners in its investments in Spreadtrum Communications
• Goldman Sachs Principal Investments Area in the sale of its stake in C&M Co., Ltd. in Korea
• S.A.C. Private Capital Group in the $1.3 billion recapitalization of Cosmos Bank in Taiwan
• Primus Pacific Partners in its sale of its investment in New China Life Insurance Co.
• The Travelers Companies in its reacquisition of the "umbrella" trademark from Citigroup

Ian was recently recognized by Asia Legal Awards as “Private Equity Lawyer of the Year” in 2022, Asian Legal Business as among “Asia’s Top 15 M&A Lawyers” in each of 2021, 2022 and 2023, and Asian Legal Business as among the “Dealmakers of Asia” in 2020 and 2021.

He received his B.Comm. (Accounting) in 1996 from the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Commerce and his J.D., magna cum laude, in 2005 from Fordham University of School of Law where he was Order of the Coif and a member of the Fordham Law Review.