Baker McKenzie and Quisumbing Torres have advised ARCH Capital on acquiring Digital Halo’s seed asset in the Philippines, as part of a broader strategic partnership with global private markets investor Partners Group.
Baker McKenzie principal Theodore Heng told Asia Business Law Journal that “with continued geopolitical uncertainties and overcapacity considerations, investors are becoming more cautious and selective in 2025”.
However, the firm continues to see strong interest and activities in joint ventures, financial sponsor platform commitments and strategic investments from technology giants.
Charles Veloso, partner at Quisumbing Torres, said the stricter data sovereignty and security laws “have pushed companies to invest in data centres and other infrastructure in low-cost and high-growth markets in the Asean region, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines”.
Partners Group and ARCH Capital are expected to commit around USD400 million to scale Digital Halo into a next-generation regional platform, with plans to have more than 500MW of data centre capacity across key markets in Asia.
Singapore-based principal Heng led the Baker McKenzie team. Quisumbing Torres, a Baker McKenzie member firm, provided Philippine legal support with partner Veloso and associate Miguel Sanchez handling local matters.
Digital Halo’s initial seed assets include facilities in Manila, the Philippines, and Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The joint investment with Partners Group reflects ARCH Capital’s broader strategy to capitalise on long-term structural demand for digital infrastructure across the region.
