Gigi Cheah

I'm a technology, telecoms, media and data privacy lawyer, with extensive experience in the legal, regulatory and commercial issues relating to IT procurement, technology licensing, transfer and distribution, large-scale multi-jurisdictional outsourcing arrangements, joint ventures and strategic alliances, data privacy, social media, IoT, ecommerce businesses, fintech and mobile payments.

My career started in Australia but I have been based in Hong Kong and Singapore for over 25 years, successfully building and leading Asia technology practices in two previous international law firms, with a stint as Asia Legal Director for 3Com providing me with an in-house perspective. In recent years, I have transitioned from partnership to a role as consultant, focusing on providing strategic insight and adding value to Asia regional technology projects.

I am admitted as a barrister and solicitor in Australia and as a solicitor in Hong Kong.

I am fluent in English and aspirational in Greek and Cantonese.

• Advised Ooredoo (formerly Qatar Telecom) in the green-fields deployment of a multi billion dollar mobile telecoms network in Myanmar (Burma). The project is one of the leading telecoms projects in the world.
• Advised Morgan Stanley on a wide range of technology procurement matters for Morgan Stanley's entire Asia operations including, Japan, India, Singapore and China.
• Advised Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) in a collaboration with SingTel for the provision of a mobile payment platform and for the distribution of banking products in Singapore through SingTel's network including key commercial aspects such as revenue sharing, intellectual property rights ownership and exclusivity, sharing of customer data and privacy.
• Assisted global technology companies such as Google, Twitter and DropBox on various technology and data privacy issues relevant to the expansion of their businesses in Asia.
• Advised American Express and American Express Travel on various data privacy, technology and payments issues including data centre establishment in China, privacy and security and complex China regulatory issues pertaining to the launch of card and payment programs in China.
• Negotiated a Collaboration Agreement between Aircel (Maxis), Malaysia and ICICI Bank, India for the development of an mWallet and mobile payments platform in India.
• Represented DBS Bank in respect of its US$775 million 10-year IT outsourcing project with IBM.
• Represented Malayan Banking Berhad in respect of its US$345 million 10-year IT outsourcing project with CSC.
• Represented a Chinese semi-governmental body in relation to their establishment of an international theme park in China.
• Represented GE Capital in the establishment of their outsourced IT infrastructure and call centre operations in China.
• Provided Asia-wide regulatory advice to a global search engine company on telecommunications-related services and products including VoIP and IMS.
• Counsel for large scale technology projects including implementation of ticketing; logistics and revenue IT platforms with various IT vendors.
• Advised an international capacity provider in Hong Kong on regulatory regime and regulatory issues throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
• Provided a consolidated global regulatory review to a major telecommunications service provider, focusing on jurisdictions in Asia.
• Provided advice on telecommunications access and interconnection regimes in various Asia Pacific jurisdictions to incumbent and new entrant telecommunications carriers and on the impact of new multimedia laws.
• Advised a South East Asian incumbent operator on the terms of its investment in mobile payment services in other Asian jurisdictions.
• Advised potential market entrants and existing investors in China on telecommunications regulations applicable to foreign investors, including the regulatory requirements for the landing of international cable.