Biography
Esther Chik is a partner in the Finance & Projects Practice Group of Wong & Partners. She has been practicing law for more than 20 years. Prior to joining the Firm in 2010, she practiced in a number of law firms, had served as a foreign counsel in a Singaporean law firm and was also seconded to Baker McKenzie's Hong Kong office. Esther is ranked as a Leading Individual for Banking & Finance by Legal 500 Asia Pacific since 2018.
Practice Focus
Esther has represented financial institutions and corporate borrowers in various conventional and Islamic banking and finance transactions, both domestic and cross-border. She has also been involved in debt capital markets transactions in conventional and Islamic structures, and provided a wide range of legal support in project financing and acquisition finance.
Representative Legal Matters
- Advised Sime Darby Plantation Berhad in connection with the refinancing of its credit facilities worth approximately MYR3.9 billion on marginally improved terms. The MYR3.9 billion financing facilities consist of foreign currency term loans of USD830 million and a Malaysian Ringgit term loan of MYR500 million. In line with the Sime Darby Group’s aspiration to refinance its existing facilities with Islamic financing, approximately 81% of the facilities were secured via Shariah compliant instruments in this recent refinancing exercise.
- Represented the Malaysian arm of a Chinese bank in connection with the credit facilities granted to a subsidiary of a leading glass manufacturer in China, to part finance the construction costs for the quartz sand production base in Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia
- Advised Sime Darby Berhad in relation to a proposed subordinated Sukuk programme of up to MYR3 billion in nominal value under the Shariah principles of Wakalah. It was the largest non-bank perpetual sukuk issuance in the world.
- Advised Maybank Investment Bank Berhad in relation to the unrated sukuk programme of up to MYR750 million in nominal value under the Shariah principles of Murabahah. The deal was established and undertaken by the property development arm of one of Malaysia's biggest conglomerates.
- Represented China Development Bank in connection with banking facilities granted to a financial institution in Malaysia ("Borrower"), the proceeds of which were to finance the Borrower's working capital requirements. The financing transaction Is structured as an interbank borrowing and lending between two financial institutions, adding complexity and a significant cross-border element to the transaction.
- Represented a logistics joint venture company ("Customer") in connection with the Islamic banking facilities granted by Maybank Islamic Berhad to the Customer to part finance the acquisition cost of the project land for the construction of a build-to-lease logistic facility on a 28.2 acres land located within Bandar Bukit Raja, Klang, Selangor.
- Represented a local Islamic bank in connection with the Islamic bilateral banking facilities ("Facilities") granted to a solar EPC contractor. The proceeds of the Facilities were utilised by the EPC contractor to finance the construction and development of a 100MWac large scale solar photovoltaic plant in Peninsular Malaysia.
Professional Associations and Memberships
Malaysian Bar
Admissions
Malaysia (2002)
Education
Staffordshire University (LL.B. (Hons)) (2000)
Languages
Chinese
English
Malay
Previous Offices
Hong Kong