Articles by Allen Lee
Strategic glad-handing
I recall conversations with a number of Asian GPs on how to invest in family-owned businesses that account for such large number of potential acquisition targets for private equity funds in the region. The formula seemed pretty straightforward. It begins...
And the winners are…
Congratulations to the winners of the 2012 AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Capital Awards China. For a second year in a row, AVCJ has sought to recognize excellence in private equity and venture capital in China in its annual private equity and venture...
Partners Group invests in Thai wind energy project
Partners Group continues its foray into direct investment with an investment into Wind Energy, a Thai company that provides utility-scale wind farms. Other investors in the project are corporates including Chubu Electric Power Company, Ratchaburi Electric...
Carlyle, Apollo miss out as Brambles cancels $2b asset sale
ASX-listed Brambles has announced that it has canceled it plans to raise cash by selling Recall, its information management business. The 10-month process was called to a halt because of low offers from potential buyers, which included a number of private...
Orrick adds two partners to M&A and PE practice
Is the Chinese economy headed for a slowdown or will there be a quick recovery for the world’s second largest economy? Whatever the outcome, it seems like it is business as usual at legal adviser Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, which recently hired two...
Asian PE infrastructure evolves with the industry
Everything always seems clearer and easier to understand with the benefit of hindsight. While it seems pretty apparent now that Asian private equity would emerge as a leading asset class for investors around the world, it was actually quite difficult...
Please vote in the AVCJ China Awards
As the Chinese private equity industry continues to mature, the market has becoming increasingly crowded. The need to distinguish the excellent from the simply good has become more difficult, especially for new LPs and potential portfolio companies, both...
Creating cross border opportunities
Venture capital and private equity has always played an important role in the transfer of technology, talent and brands names from developed Western markets into Asia. This is perhaps best illustrated by the spate of “me-too” companies that mimicked the...
Looking forward, looking back
The first quarter of 2012 will soon be over. The Asian private equity industry seems to be humming along at a steady pace, although there hasn’t been anything particularly dramatic so far. Deal-making has been efficient and routine rather than startling,...
Recognizing excellence – The 2012 AVCJ China Awards
Recent reports suggest the Chinese economy is slowing down and the potential consequences are the subject to feverish speculation among investors around the world who 10 years might not have thought twice about the issue. Is the mainland economy set for...
Same fundamentals, better investment story
Indonesia has emerged as a priority destination for private equity managers in recent years. It is not difficult to understand the attraction. The country with a population of 250 million was unscathed by the recent financial crisis and boasts rising...
Big payouts detract from the real issues
The Last couple of months have been interesting times for private equity but perhaps largely for the wrong reasons. As all of you know, Mitt Romney’s bid for the Republican presidential candidacy has spurred criticism from rival politicians keen to attack...
Slow progress for foreign RMB funds
Renminbi-denominated private equity funds have been one of the most important trends in the last few years. The market has grown tremendously with more than US$24 billion being raised in 2011 alone. Most of this capital has gone to local firms, especially...
The growing importance of investor relations
As Asian private equity continues to evolve into a true asset class, the role of investor relations and fundraising professionals has become increasingly important. Over the years, I’ve watched as private equity firms place ever more emphasis on the role,...
Sharing ideas in India
I was in India last week for our local event, the final one of the year, which successfully took place in Mumbai. As usual, key executives of the local private equity industry got their chance to share their views on the market with their peers from other...
When private equity gets political
Those of you who are familiar with Hong Kong will know that the Special Administrative Region of China will be holding its elections for a new chief executive – the highest local government post – next year. While a number of individuals have expressed...
Established Indian GPs shine in fundraising
It's not secret that many private equity firms are gearing up for a major fundraising spree in Asia. From the global firms like KKR, Bain and TPG to the Asia-based regional funds and focused, country-specific funds, private equity vehicles are in the...
AVCJ Forum Keynotes: Asia becomes even more important
As most of you know, our annual AVCJ Asian Private Equity & Venture Forum took place successfully in Hong Kong last week. The sold-out crowd was treated to, amongst other things, insights from some of the most successful dealmakers in the world and plenty...
Congratulations to our award winners
On behalf of my colleagues at the Asian Venture Capital Journal, I will like to congratulate the winners of our 2011 AVCJ Asian Private Equity and Venture Capital Awards.
Asia fundraising – more than just a renminbi story
The last few years have not been good for most Asian private equity fundraisers. The global financial crisis made the usual institutional investors shied away from the asset class, forcing funds already in the market to scale back their targets slightly....
Last chance to vote in the AVCJ Awards
We are now in the final stretch of our 2011 AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Capital Awards. These awards were launched 11 years ago with the specific aim of recognizing and rewarding excellence in the pan-Asia Pacific private equity and venture capital...
Corporate Japan looks for growth overseas
Japanese companies need to take on the world. Local private equity professionals at the 2011 AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum Japan conference in Tokyo, which I am chairing, see globalization as the major current theme for corporate Japan. Indeed,...
Launching the AVCJ PE Week website…
Optimism is once again in the air as the markets continue to recover and the private equity world gets ready to converge in Asia for the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum. Now in its 24th year, the conference has become an ecosystem in itself and will...
Countdown to the AVCJ Forum
In just over a month, we will be holding our 24th Annual AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum in Hong Kong. As in the past, AVCJ’s annual event has attracted the biggest and most influential names in the private equity industry including such leaders as...