Tom Jokelson

Tom Jokelson is a Partner at A&O Shearman in Singapore, focusing on Mergers and Acquisitions. He focuses on M&A, joint ventures and strategic investments across Southeast Asia.

He has advised on numerous major growth capital and private equity transactions for investors such as leading banks, sponsors and sovereign funds, and for issuing companies. Tom regularly advises emerging enterprises, corporates and sponsor clients across the full range of corporate and M&A activities.

He advises across a variety of sectors with a particular focus on tech, digital infrastructure and financial services, and has extensive cross-border experience, having worked in London and Singapore. He has a particular focus on transactions involving Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines as part of his broader ASEAN practice.

Tom is particularly recognised for his expertise in advising emerging companies and start-ups of varying sizes and stages of development on capital raises and growth transactions. His practice covers the entire life cycle, from seed through to major acquisitions and disposals, and he has a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by fast-growth founder-led businesses and their investors.

His representative matters include advising Tokopedia on its transformational combination with Gojek, bringing together two of Southeast Asia’s most valuable conglomerates with a combined valuation of US$18 billion and creating the largest technology company in Indonesia; advising EdgeConneX on the acquisition of a data centre business in Indonesia (PT Graha Teknologi Nusantara); advising General Atlantic on its Series D investment into Biofourmis; advising Thanachart Bank Public Company Limited on the sale of 50.1% of Thanachart Fund Management to Eastspring Investments for a consideration value of THB 4.2 billion; advising General Atlantic on its Series C fundraising investment into Kumu; advising Halodoc on its Series B and Series C fundraisings; advising the fintech investment and ventures division of a British multinational banking and financial services company on the establishment of a joint venture with Assembly Payments; advising Neuron Mobility on its Series B fundraising; advising Go-Ventures on various venture capital investments into Southeast Asian start-ups; advising TNG Digital on various transactions; advising Keppel Infrastructure Holdings on the acquisition of a 20% stake in the MET Group; advising Jollibee on its investment into International Coffee & Tea, LLC; advising Monde Nissin on the investment by a leading Asian sovereign wealth fund into a minority stake; and advising Una-Brands on its acquisition of Ergotune and Ergobrand.

His expertise covers corporate and M&A, private equity, technology, financial services advisory and regulatory, emerging growth, and M&A, JVs and corporate reorganisations, with industries spanning technology, private capital, private equity and semiconductors.

He has been recognised by Chambers Asia Pacific (2024) for Startups and Emerging Companies – Singapore, which noted that “Tom is indispensable when it comes to delivering success. His knowledge and strong client service are highly valued,” and as a “Next Generation Partner” by Asia Pacific Legal 500 (2024) for Corporate and M&A (Singapore – Foreign Firms). He is a co-author of the Legal 500 Singapore: Venture Capital comparative guide and of “Fundraising 101: Governance rights – What does a founder need to know?”

He holds an LLB in Law from Durham University (2009) and was admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales in 2013.