Biography
Ai Leen is a partner in the Real Estate Practice Group of Wong & Partners. She has over 20 years' post-admission experience in the real estate industry. She is recognised by both Chambers Asia Pacific and Legal 500 Asia Pacific as a Band 1 and Tier 1 practitioner for her capability in the Real Estate practice.
Practice Focus
Ai Leen has significant experience representing local and multinational property developers, investors and REITs on transactions including sale and purchase as well as tenancies and lease transactions of both landed and strata titled properties. Her experience spans across all types of property asset classes including residential, industrial, commercial and office units, buildings, factories and machineries/assets, data centers, vacant land and Malay Reserve Lands.
Ai Leen's practice also includes advising clients on various types of real estate financing, ranging from project financing to end financing, where she has represented both borrowers and lenders.
Representative Legal Matters
- Acted for the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) of Malaysia in its investment into a logistics hub located in Klang, Malaysia. EPF entered into a shareholder’s agreement with Ally Logistic Property Co Ltd., where it will invest in up to a 70% stake in the joint venture company, ALP BR (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. The hub will be equipped with the first Automated Storage and Retrieval System in the country, providing increased efficiency and flexibility for tenants.
- Advised and acted for a subsidiary of an American giant technology corporation in relation to its multiple lease arrangement(s) and multiple acquisition(s) in Johor and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The firm assisted the client in advising on and negotiating on several streams of data center related work, from acquisition, development and construction of the data centers, permitting, utility services and advisory services for land related issues pertaining to colocation agreements throughout Malaysia.
- Advised and assisted Princeton Digital Group in its acquisition of 31 acres of industrial land at the Sedenak Tech Park in the state of Johor from JLand Group, Johor Corporation’s real estate and infrastructure arm, to build a 150 MW hyperscale campus. With an investment of MYR2 billion, the first phase of 60 MW is planned to be ready for commencement of operations by the second quarter of 2024. This transaction marks its expansion of data centre services into the Malaysian market by acquiring the land for the purpose of setting up its data centre in Malaysia.
- Advised and assisted LPB Development Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagenda Properties Bhd (Lagenda), in its joint venture agreement with BDB Land Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bina Darulaman Bhd (BDB) to establish a joint venture company (JVCo) and subsequently, the development rights agreement from BDB to the JVCO. This joint venture marks Lagenda's first collaboration with BDB, in respect of an affordable housing development project on five parcels of land at Bandar Amanjaya, Kedah.
- Advised and assisted Mattel (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, in its built to let transaction of a new manufacturing plant on an industrial land located at Seberang Perai Tengah. This build to let transaction is part of its expansion plan and targeted strategic investment to increase manufacturing capacity, improve productivity of its plant in Malaysia by 20% and leverage technological capabilities.
- Advised and assisted Tropicana Inspirasi Indah Sdn Bhd and Tropicana Inspirasi Impian Sdn Bhd, wholly-owned subsidiaries of Tropicana Corporation Bhd (TCB), with the acquisition of 308 acres of freehold lands in Bentong, Pahang for a total consideration of MYR 402,494,400. The Firm assisted TCB with legal due diligence as well as advising on and negotiating the sale and purchase agreements entered into with Emerald Hectares Sdn Bhd and Satria Sewira Sdn Bhd, which are wholly owned subsidiaries of YTL Land and Development Berhad.
- Advised and assisted Sime Darby Property (MVV Central) Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sime Darby Property Berhad (SDP), in its MYR 280 million acquisition of a parcel of land measuring approximately 760.12 acres in Mukim of Labu, District of Seremban, Negeri Sembilan by entering into a sale and purchase agreement with Kumpulan Sime Darby Berhad.
Professional Honors
- Band 1 for Real Estate, Chambers Asia Pacfic (2021)
- Leading Individual for Real Estate, Legal 500 - Asia Pacific (2020)
- Distinguished Practitioner for Real Estate by Asialaw Profiles and Leading Lawyers 2021 Edition
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Malaysian Bar
- Bar of England and Wales
- Middle Temple
Admissions
Malaysia (1998)
England and Wales (1988)
Education
University of Birmingham (LLB (Hons))
Languages
English
Bahasa Malaysia
Chinese