Thomas Kim focuses his practice on advising private equity, venture capital and other alternative fund managers on the structuring, establishment and marketing of investment funds. He has significant experience advising sovereign wealth funds, multilateral development banks and other institutional investors on their private fund investments. Thomas also regularly counsels clients on secondary transactions, mergers and acquisitions of fund management businesses, co-investments and carried interest structuring. He is experienced in the raising of closed-ended funds focusing on impact and sustainable investments, and regularly advises asset managers on compliance with European ESG-related regulatory matters.

Thomas was recently recognized as a Rising Star in the 2023 edition of The Legal 500 Asia Pacific for his work in “Singapore: Investment Funds: Foreign Firms”, noting that he was the ‘lynchpin in getting the deal across the line’ and is an excellent lawyer who is ‘able to manage transactions seamlessly while addressing many complex matters’. Clients see him as ‘a skilled funds practitioner’ who ‘provides sharp analysis’, and commend him for his 'cool demeanour' and ‘exceptional professionalism and tenacity’. He is valued by his clients for his ‘proactive and driven’ approach, and for his ‘genuine interest in obtaining the best result for his client’.

Prior to joining Dechert, Thomas was based in the London office of another US law firm, during which he completed a secondment in the corporate legal department of a large institutional asset manager and compliance department of a hedge fund. In his previous career, Thomas was an officer in the Singapore Navy, where he served in Iraq during its post-war reconstruction, and provided legal counsel to the naval counter-piracy task force off the coast of Somalia.

    • Capital Square Partners on the formation of a c. US$700 million fund involving the acquisition of certain portfolio assets from earlier vintage funds managed by Capital Square Partners and Basil Technology Partners. The transaction is believed to have established one of the largest technology services dedicated funds in Asia and received widespread media publicity in the financial press and trade publications.
    • Dymon Asia Private Equity (Singapore) on the final close of its third flagship private equity fund - Dymon Asia Private Equity (S.E. Asia) Fund III, L.P. The oversubscribed Fund closed at its hard cap of US$650 million on 21 September 2022, exceeding its initial target of US$550 million.
    • Bank of Singapore in connection with the sale of its platform fund management business to Institutional CapitalNetwork, Inc. The fund platform consists of multiple funds, involving a total asset transfer of over US$2 billion.
    • Several sovereign wealth funds and multilateral development banks in connection with their investments in  private equity, private credit, real estate and infrastructure funds and related co-investments and joint ventures.
    • Colony Capital on the acquisition and restructuring of Abraaj Group's private equity platform in Latin America.
    • A global asset manager on the corporate and regulatory aspects of the group's EMEA restructuring as part of its Brexit contingency plans.
    • Various fund managers on the application of the AIFMD and local private placement regimes to their marketing plans.

    Includes matters handled at Dechert or prior to joining the firm. 

    • Fundraising Process from a Manager's and Investor's Perspective - Day 1 (Private Equity and Venture Capital Legal Forum) of Metamorphosis, Unlocking Digital Transformation through Innovation and Law held in Manila, Philippines (November 10, 2022)