Mylene Chua

BACKGROUND

2017
Thailand Arbitration Centre (THAC) in co-operation with Standards and Competencies in Mediation Advocacy (SCMA) – Mediation Training Course on the practice, use and applications of mediation

2017
Singapore Academy of Law – INSEAD Law Firm Leadership Programme (SILLP)

2016
Singapore Mediation Centre – Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Modules 1&2)

2001
Rolls of Solicitors (England and Wales)

1987-1988 
The University of Hull, Master of Laws (International Law)

1987
Admitted – Advocate & Solicitor, The Supreme Court of Singapore

1982-1986 
The National University of Singapore, Bachelor of Laws

EXPERIENCE

2018
Mylene was appointed as a Mediator with Thailand Arbitration Center (THAC).

2017
Mylene became a Partner and Managing Director of OTP Law Corporation.

2015-2017
Mylene practices at OTP Law Corporation where she oversees a corporate and commercial portfolio.

2006-2014
Mylene’s time and interest were engaged, in a private capacity, in the sourcing, networking, structuring and developing of private initiatives having a regional emphasis and an international reach.

Her work was for companies and private individuals, managing the transactional work whether through joint ventures or tender consortiums, and in industries ranging from energy, especially in the environmental waste-to-power sector, FMCGs, oil and gas upstream work, real estate acquisitions, to infrastructure and property development, commodities.

With an eye constantly on shaping opportunities into value propositions, her work included deal origination, proposal papers, executive summaries and presentation to Boards, due diligence, corporate strategy and structuring, project financing, negotiations.

She developed/operated/managed interests and businesses from resulting projects with participation from committed multi-party alliances; she also procured financing/funding interest from banks, private equity and venture capital firms for large-scale projects.

2004-2006
In this time, Mylene set up and ran her law firm Mylene Chua & Associates (Advocate & Solicitor, Proprietor)

This was a corporate and commercial practice set up and committed to deal-origination and providing whole business solutions to clients.

Mylene is never far from working with consultancies with niche strengths, synergizing and structuring regional commercial and funding propositions within a legal framework in the areas of regional infrastructure construction, oil/gas exploration/production, urban planning projects.

2000-2004
Mylene was Vice-President (Legal) at a listed Temasek-linked engineering technology company with core business areas in Aerospace, Electronics, Marine and Land Systems and was involved in work with strong established commercial counterparties, as well as in matters relating to government contracts and contractors.

Her experience included:

Mergers And Acquisitions: She negotiated and completed the acquisition of investments in technology companies and conducted and co-ordinated due diligence work especially in the area of intellectual property rights across varying jurisdictions. A matter for some pride was her work, within a diverse project team, in the negotiation and acquisition of several shipyards in the United States.

US-specific Experience: Her work required working familiarity then with Hart-Scott-Rudino filings (US anti-trust filings), CFIUS clearance (US national security clearance), special security agreements (SSAs), technical assistance agreements (TAAs), US export control regulations.

Material Projects: Mylene negotiated and concluded vessel construction contracts for 3 platform service vessels (PSVs) with the world’s largest operator of such vessels, and also finalized the Conditions of Contract for regional project tenders.

Contracts: Her everyday work involved negotiations, drafting and overseeing the implementation of Master Agreements relating to Research and Development, Procurement, Production/ Construction/ Manufacturing/ Technology Licensing/ supply and distribution; and MOUs/JVs and collaborative strategic alliances, both locally and internationally.

Litigation Management: As in-house counsel, she managed material litigation matters, including also, arbitration and mediation within both government and industry.

Compliance and Policy/Administration:

Her work involved:

  • ensuring compliance with all relevant ministerial and governmental/ regulatory directives and trade laws for their effective translation into operating strategies/procedures
  • conceptualizing, implementing and co-ordinating a corporate and legal risk compliance system, including e-commerce requirements, structured along internal group risk profiles and disseminating it across business units
  • monitoring and managing the control and reporting lines of the compliance framework for operational impact and refining responsibility and accountability procedures
  • preparing and conducting a legal education/training program (with seminars/workshops, and examinations comprising multiple choice and structured essay components) for the operations and commercial departments with this forming part of their Key Performance Index. From this, a group-wide knowledge management system/database was established
  • working with our Risk Review Committee (which sets and assesses the risk threshold of each material contract entered into by each business unit)
  • working with our Tender Committee (which assesses and rationalizes material tender projects for extraordinary commercial concerns)
  • serving on the Legal Committee (which conceptualizes and implements policy-driven checklists/guidelines for use across all 4 business units)
  • serving on the Intellectual Property Task Force (which seeks to conceptualize, implement, and spearhead the IP movement within the Group and harnessing innovation arising therefrom)

1996-2000
Before serving in-house, Mylene was a lawyer at a medium-sized corporate finance law firm of about 12 lawyers, and assisted in

  • an acquisition in the hotel industry
  • restructuring of the regional manufacturing operations of an international company
  • BOT projects (water-treatment plant) for a Malaysian infrastructure developer with preparation of concession and construction agreements, O&M contracts and project financing
  • packaging of the rights issue as well as recapitalization exercise for a major securities house with preparation of shareholders’ agreements
  • arranging and documenting a US-Dollar syndicated loan facility for a major local property developer
  • documentation of bond funds for Managers as well as Trustees from inception to launch
  • documentation of a global custody agreement for a Swiss private bank
  • documentation for aircraft leasing and financing
  • negotiating and drafting commercial agreements – supply/ distribution/ licensing and franchising agreements

1993-1996
Mylene was the Senior Legal Counsel at a listed US-led international constructor engaged actively in the building of primary infrastructure (oil platforms and pipelines, toll-roads, power-plants) mainly in Asia, the Middle-East, Africa and South America.

Mylene’s portfolio was demanding; but here she found her project legs, with wide and varied exposure to work that required the marrying of a strong independent streak with a good natural sense for working together with industry and government.

Material Projects:

  • Negotiated with representatives of a foreign government on a pipeline construction project under the auspices of The World Bank including drafting of the Implementation and Concession Contracts
  • Co-ordinated and completed the documentation for a foreign toll-road project in English and Mandarin, including that relating to land-use rights; negotiated with officials of municipal government, and representatives of state ministries of foreign trade and economic co-operation, and exchange control
  • Researched, interpreted and assessed elements of different legal systems and investment laws for the purposes of the Company’s BOT and EPC projects wherever sited
  • Involved in and co-ordinated the preparation of expert feasibility reports, economic and environmental analyses, investment audits and impact studies for the Company’s construction and engineering projects
  • Conducted on-going due diligence work in respect of the takeover of suitable vehicles for entry to emerging markets where such projects are to be undertaken
  • Assisted in packaging projects with an appropriate rate of return for viable financing in international capital markets and in the arranging of syndicated loans

Mylene also assisted in Corporate Secretarial and Administrative/Co-ordination work which included:

  • Convening the AGMs and EGMs, Board and Audit meetings, preparation of minutes of meetings, annual reports, circulars, Board resolutions and other supporting documents eg press releases and announcements
  • Ensuring the Company’s and Directors’ compliance with regulations of The Stock Exchange of Singapore, The Monetary Authority of Singapore, The Companies Act and foreign requirements, legal or otherwise, where the Company conducts or intends to set up operations
  • Liaising extensively with foreign government representatives and trade/industry advisories and corporate agents in respect of potential projects or alliance opportunities

1990-1992
Mylene started out with a general practice law firm of about 20 lawyers engaged in civil and commercial litigation, conveyancing, and criminal work.