OW YONG Thian Soo

Languages: English & Mandarin

Brief Profile

Ow Yong is a Senior Partner and the Head of our Real Estate & Property Department.

Ow Yong was an articled clerk under Mdm Kwa Geok Choo, one of the founders of Lee & Lee.  He was admitted to the Singapore Bar in 1982.  In early 1984, he was made a Partner and in 1985, he became a Senior Partner.

Ow Yong’s practice covers virtually the entire spectrum of real estate and financing transactions relating to commercial, industrial and residential properties, having represented and advised clients both large and small, including public listed and private corporations, banks, societies, charities and high net-worth individuals, in acquisition, disposal, leasing and development of vacant land, residential, industrial and commercial properties and hotels.

In particular, Ow Yong has acted for logistics service providers, automotive industry players and real estate investment trusts in the sale, purchase, mortgage and leasing of commercial and industrial properties administered by governmental authorities such as the Housing and Development Board and JTC Corporation.

He has also acted for both major financial institutions and borrowers (including various public listed companies) in numerous high-value loan transactions, including financing of purchases of large commercial buildings, construction loans to housing developers, and syndicated loan arrangements involving multiple banks.

In addition, Ow Yong has represented various governmental agencies and statutory boards in real estate work, and acted in many tenders and auction sales on behalf of governmental agencies, including sales directed by the Courts.

Ow Yong also specialises in the “en bloc” or “collective” sale and purchase of properties. He has acted for owners and property developers in many en bloc sale and purchase transactions, including the following significant deals:-

  1. Acting for Morganite Pte Ltd, a joint venture between CapitaLand Residential Limited (35%), Hotel Properties Limited (22.5%), Morgan Stanley Capital (Real Estate) Pte Ltd (22.5%) and Wachovia Development Company (20%), in the purchase of the development known as “Farrer Court” at a record price of S$1.3388 billion;
  2. Acting for the purchaser of the development known as “Rio Casa”, which was purchased for S$575 million;
  3. Acting for the purchaser of the development known as “Serangoon Ville”, which was purchased for S$499 million;
  4. Acting for the owners in the collective sale of the development known as “Leedon Heights” which was sold for S$835 million;
  5. Acting for the owners in the collective sale of the development known as “The Grangeford”, which was sold for S$625 million;
  6. Acting for the owners in the collective sale of the development known as “UIC Building”, which was sold for S$600 million;
  7. Acting for the owners in the collective sale of the development known as “Florence Regency”, which was sold for S$629 million;
  8. Acting for the owners in the collective sale of the development known as “Pearlbank Apartments”, which was sold for S$728 million;
  9. Acting for the owners in the collective sale of the development known as “Tulip Garden”, which was sold for S$907 million.