People
James Mythen
Biography
James is an experienced corporate partner with over two decades of advising on high-profile M&A, Private Equity and Infrastructure transactions throughout Southeast Asia, with a particular emphasis on transactions involving Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
He regularly advises an array of Corporates, PE Houses, Sovereign Funds and Financial Institutions on public and private acquisitions, strategic portfolio investments and exits and complex joint ventures.
James possesses deep experience in highly regulated industries, with a core focus on infrastructure (primarily spanning digital, social and transportation assets), telecommunications, banking, insurance and life sciences.
James is particularly valued by clients for his extensive regional cross-border knowledge and experience, having lived and worked in London, Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore. James leads A&O Shearman’s Malaysia, Brunei and Myanmar Foreign Desks and is ranked in all of the major directories as an outstanding lawyer.
Practice areas
- Payments and fintech
- Insurance
- Private equity
- Emerging growth
- Corporate and M&A
- M and A JVs and corporate reorganizations
- Real estate
Sectors
- Banks
- Life sciences and healthcare
- Food and cosmetics
- Energy
- Power
- Infrastructure and transport
- Private capital
- Insurance
Selected experience
- Telenor on the USD15 billion merger of Celcom and Digi, one of Malaysia’s largest ever M&A deal creating the largest telecoms business in the country.
- EQT and Temasek on the sale of O2 Power to JSW Neo Energy for USD 1.5 billion.
- Telenor on the USD8.6 billion merger of Thailand’s Total Access Communication Public Company Limited and True Corporation Public Company Limited to create a leading telecoms operator in Thailand.
- Macquarie Capital on its acquisition of a majority stake in Excel Telesonic India Private Limited (CloudExtel), a leading Indian digital infrastructure operator.
- EQT Partners on its acquisition of a significant minority interest in EC-Council, the global leader in cybersecurity training and certification.
- IHH Healthcare on its USD900 million acquisition of Island Hospital, Penang.
- A leading Asian sovereign wealth fund and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) on their USD1 billion acquisition of a 35% interest in toll-road operator PT Jasa Marga Transjawa Tol (JTT) which operates a network of 13 toll roads across the island of Java, Indonesia.
- Investcorp on its acquisition of a 51% stake in PT Multitrend Indo (MTI) from PT Kanmo Retailindo (KRI).
- Actis Capital on the divestment by way of auction of private-education company Singapore Intercultural School Group of Schools (SIS) to Adivira.
- Allianz on its pre-conditional offer for a 51% stake in leading Singapore insurer, Income Insurance Limited for approximately SGD2.2 billion.
Education
- Postgraduate Diploma in law and Diploma in Legal Practice, BPP Law School, London, 2004
- MPhil (Historical Studies) - Distinction, Cambridge University, 2001
- BA (History) - First Class Honors, London School of Economics, 2000
Admissions
- Admitted as solicitor, Hong Kong, 2012
- Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2006