Expertise

Specialist Knowledge, Applied to the Transaction in Hand

Amkost focuses on four industries and six areas of advice. This page explains where they meet and lists the regulatory points our clients most often face in each.

Sectors: Where We Advise

Real Estate

We act for investors and developers on commercial and residential property in the UK and Southeast Asia. In cross-border deals, the ownership structure often affects the return as much as the purchase price.

Typical situations:

An Asian family investment vehicle buying a London office or residential building
A developer testing whether a mixed-use scheme is viable before buying the site
A landlord preparing a portfolio for sale
An overseas company restructuring how it holds UK assets

Regulatory note:

Overseas entities that buy, sell or transfer UK land must register with Companies House and name their beneficial owners.

Fintech & Alternative Investment

This sector covers two groups of clients: founders launching regulated financial products, and investors putting capital into assets outside public markets.

Typical situations:

A payments or cryptoasset start-up preparing to apply for authorisation in the UK or Singapore
An investor comparing digital asset platforms and fund structures
A manager setting up an investment fund in Singapore

Regulatory notes:

Cryptoasset businesses must register with the FCA under the Money Laundering Regulations before offering certain services in the UK.

Singapore's Variable Capital Company structure lets one fund entity hold several sub-funds, each with its own assets and liabilities.

Shipping & Maritime

For shipowners and operators, where the company is incorporated and which flag it flies decide both its tax treatment and its access to finance. We advise on both choices, and on the purchase of the vessels themselves.

Typical situations:

A European owner setting up a Singapore company to register ships under the Singapore flag
An operator buying second-hand tonnage who needs legal checks and a pre-purchase inspection

Regulatory notes:

Singapore-incorporated companies can register ships under the Singapore flag, whether they are locally or foreign-owned.

Approved international shipping enterprises can receive a tax exemption on qualifying shipping income for a renewable 10-year period.

Industrial Products & Energy

Manufacturers and energy companies moving goods or capital between Europe and Asia must deal with trade and investment-screening rules that can change the economics of a deal. We map those rules early, before they start to affect the price or the timetable.

Typical situations:

A UK manufacturer sourcing components from Singapore under preferential tariff terms
An Asian investor buying a stake in a UK energy business
An exporter of steel or aluminium goods preparing for UK carbon border charges

Regulatory notes:

Acquisitions in 17 sensitive areas of the UK economy, including energy, require mandatory notification to the government.

The UK carbon border adjustment mechanism applies to specified goods imported from 1 January 2027.

Services: How We Advise

Business & Legal Advisory

The structure a business chooses at the start sets its tax position and its liability for years afterwards. We advise on how a company should be owned and run in each market it enters, and we stay involved as its contracts and licences change.

What We Cover

Entity and ownership: choosing between a local subsidiary and a branch, and deciding where a holding company should sit
Governance: appointing directors and officers, including Singapore's rule that every company must have at least one director who is ordinarily resident there
Commercial agreements: drafting and negotiating shareholder agreements and joint venture terms
Regulatory licensing: identifying which licences the business needs and when to apply for each
Counsel management: instructing qualified local lawyers for formal opinions, with Amkost as the client's single point of contact

What You Receive

Structuring memorandum: a written recommendation on entity type and ownership, with the tax and liability reasoning behind it
Licensing roadmap: every registration the business needs, with the responsible authority and a target filing date for each
Negotiated agreements: final versions of the founding documents, ready to sign

Import & Export

The cost of moving goods depends on tariff classification and origin as much as on freight. We plan the trade route before the first shipment, so duties and permit requirements are known in advance.

What We Cover

Tariff classification: confirming the commodity code for each product, which sets the duty rate on arrival
Rules of origin: testing whether goods qualify for preferential rates under the UK-Singapore Free Trade Agreement or other trade agreements
Permits and export controls: Singapore requires a customs permit through TradeNet before goods arrive or leave. In the UK, items with both civilian and military uses may need a licence from the Export Control Joint Unit.
Incoterms and logistics: agreeing who carries cost and risk at each stage of the journey, then appointing freight and customs partners

What You Receive

Trade route assessment: the landed cost of each product, showing the duty payable and whether preferential origin applies
Compliance checklist: the permits and declarations each shipment needs, in the order they must be obtained
Logistics partner shortlist: vetted freight forwarders and customs brokers for each leg of the route

Market Entry

Whether a market entry succeeds or stalls often comes down to the order in which decisions are made. We put those decisions in sequence, starting with whether the market justifies a local presence at all.

What We Cover

Market sizing: testing demand and pricing against established local competitors
Entry model: comparing a wholly owned entity with a joint venture or distribution agreement
Incorporation and banking: registering the company and opening its corporate bank accounts
People and premises: work passes for relocating staff, along with office or operational space
Local partners: introductions to distributors and professional advisers in the target market

What You Receive

Entry strategy report: the market case and the recommended entry model, with the costs and risks of each option
Operating entity: a registered company with its bank accounts open and statutory officers appointed
Partner meetings: introductions to pre-screened local partners, arranged and attended with you
12-month launch plan: a month-by-month schedule of milestones, each with a named owner

Due Diligence & Feasibility

These are two related services. Feasibility asks whether a project should go ahead. Due diligence establishes exactly what a buyer or investor is acquiring. Both give the client evidence to negotiate with.

What We Cover

Commercial due diligence: testing the target's revenue forecasts against market evidence
Financial and legal due diligence: examining the accounts and material contracts for hidden liabilities
Technical due diligence: physical inspections of the underlying assets, carried out by surveyors and engineers we instruct
Feasibility modelling: projecting returns under a range of scenarios, including a downside case

What You Receive

Feasibility study: a go or no-go recommendation, supported by a financial model the client keeps
Due diligence report: findings for each workstream, ranked by their effect on price and deal terms
Red-flag summary: a short paper on the issues that could stop the deal or change its price, written for use in negotiation

Mergers & Acquisitions

In any transaction, buyers and sellers each need an adviser who runs the process and protects their position in negotiation. Amkost represents one side of each deal and manages it on that client's behalf.

What We Cover

Search and approach: identifying targets or buyers that fit the strategy, and making the first approach discreetly
Valuation: independent support to set price expectations before talks begin
Negotiation: agreeing heads of terms, then negotiating the sale and purchase agreement with counsel
Regulatory approvals: identifying merger control or investment-screening filings and managing them through to approval
Integration: planning the first 100 days after completion

What You Receive

Candidate longlist: screened targets or buyers, with the strategic case for each
Valuation paper: a supported price range to negotiate from
Transaction documents: heads of terms through to the signed sale and purchase agreement
Integration plan: priorities and responsibilities for the period after completion

Start-Up Planning & Exit Strategy

Early decisions on share structure and investor terms affect how much a founder keeps at exit. We plan both ends together, so the company raises money in a way that suits its eventual sale.

What We Cover

Business plan and model: prepared to the standard professional investors expect
Investor readiness: preparing the cap table and data room for investor scrutiny
Tax-advantaged funding: applying to HMRC for SEIS or EIS advance assurance, which many UK investors look for before committing
Exit planning: comparing a trade sale with a secondary sale, and preparing the business for a buyer's due diligence

What You Receive

Investor-readiness assessment: a report on what investors will check, with the gaps to close before fundraising
Funding pack: a business plan and financial model, organised in a data room
Exit options paper: likely buyers for each route, with the after-tax outcome for founders

WHERE WE COMBINE

Sectors Against Services

Sector & Service Grid
	Real Estate	Fintech & Alt. Investment	Shipping & Maritime	Industrial & Energy
Business & Legal Advisory	●	●	●	●
Import & Export			●	●
Market Entry	●	●	●	●
Due Diligence & Feasibility	●	●	●	●
Mergers & Acquisitions	●	●	●	●
Start-Up Planning & Exit		●	●	●

Tell Us Where Your Project Stands

Tell us your sector and the stage you've reached. We'll suggest which services fit, with a scope and fee for you to approve.

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