Nishimura & Asahi > Nagoya, Japan > Firm Profile

Nishimura & Asahi > The Legal 500 Rankings

Japan > Antitrust and competition: Independent local firms Tier 1

Nishimura & Asahi's market-leading competition and antitrust team is particularly experienced in acting in major domestic merger cases, in addition to managing negotiations with the Japan Fair Trade Commission. Practice head Kozo Kawai bolsters the team with his longstanding experience and strong skills in international trade matters. Other key team members include Madoka Shimada, who is proficient in advising on bid-rigging, leniency applications, and handling large deals in the IT industry. Kojiro Fujii is the name to note for private monopolisations, and cases involving unfair trade practices or abuse of superior bargaining positions. Junko Wakabayashi , Nobuhiro Tanaka, and Kazumaro Kobayashi are other key contacts within the practice.

Japan > Banking and finance: Independent local firms Tier 1

Nishimura & Asahi‘s banking and finance department is well-placed to advise clients on complex cross-border and domestic transactions, as well as asset finance matters, corporate and syndicated loans, and acquisition financings. Of counsel Katsu Sengoku heads up the team and specialises in ship and aircraft finance, and possesses additional expertise in structured finance work. Other names to note within the team include Adrian Joyce for energy and infrastructure matters, Takashi Saito for subscription finance and syndicated lending issues, and Hideo Horikoshi for his advice to financial sponsors, corporate borrowers, and international financial institutions. Alexander Woody joined the team from White & Case LLP - White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) in June 2022.

Japan > Capital markets: Independent local firms Tier 1

Nishimura & Asahi‘s team handles the full gamut of capital markets issues, with a particular emphasis on J-REITs, hybrid securities, and domestic debt and equity transactions. Practice head Kohei Koikawa is noted for his broad expertise in convertible bonds, IPOs, and follow-on offerings. Other names to note within the practice include Masashi Ueda, who is an expert in domestic and international offerings of common shares, Kentaro Sugimoto, who primarily handles Euro bond offerings, and Naoya Ariyoshi, whose main area of focus is securitisations.

Japan > Corporate and M&A: Independent local firms Tier 1

The corporate department at Nishimura & Asahi is jointly led by Yoshinobu Fujimoto, who is known for his work on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and Asa Shinkawa, who is the name to note for private equity matters. Other work the practice undertakes includes joint ventures, strategic planning, closing procedures, and business integrations. Hiroshi Uchima is adept at advising on large and complex transactions, while Yuji Shiga is particularly experienced in risk management and international transactions. Masaki Hosaka, Yo Ota and Yuki Oi are other key members of the team, with specialisms including advice within the industrial and financial sectors as well as proficiency in matters involving international private equity houses.

Japan > Dispute resolution: Independent local firms Tier 1

Nishimura & Asahi‘s Japanese dispute resolution practice works in conjunction with the firm’s Singapore, Vietnam, and Bangkok offices to provide clients with cross-border disputes pertaining to tax, product liability, trade secrets, and construction. Head of the practice Hiroyuki Tezuka specialises in international arbitration, and is the Vice President of the Japan Association of Arbitrators. For disputes in the pharmaceutical and automotive sectors, Akihiro Hironaka is a key contact, while Lars Markert is adept at assisting clients with disputes involving German and European law. Yutaro Kawabata is proficient in disputes arising from the termination of contracts, and Chié Nakahara is a key figure for high-stakes and high-value international litigation.

Japan > Intellectual property: Independent local firms Tier 1

Nishimura & Asahi takes an interdisciplinary approach to provide insight and strategic advice on a range of IP matters from new forms of financial transactions to disputes involving multiple territories. Besides its extensive experience in the entertainment industry, the firm is developing a growing body of expertise in cutting edge technologies such as driverless cars and artificial intelligence. The team is co-led by Yoshiyuki Miyashita, a noted expert in IP transactions and dispute resolutions and Hitomi Iwase, who heads the trade mark division and advises across a wide range of sectors. Satoshi Niki leads on business transactions arising from the acquisition of technology and intellectual property rights, and Makiko Takabe bolsters the practice with her esteemed record of litigation and judicial experience. Also of note is Makoto Shiotani, who acts on behalf of national and multinational companies on IP portfolios and strategies. Finally, Gai Matsushita covers a wide range of IP infringement litigation and non-contentious matters, whilst Yoko Kasai specialises in licensing and patent litigation.

Japan > Investment funds: Independent local firms Tier 1

Nishimura & Asahi focuses on domestic funds with overseas investments but has the capacity to assist clients with a range of investment fund matters. Makoto Igarashi and Kei Ito are the pair leading the team; Igarashi has a long history of representing investment managers in connection with fundraising and investment issues. As well as displaying a knowledge of a range of investment funds including investment trusts, the team also assists with traditional asset management activities. Tsuyoshi Ito, Yoshiharu Kawamata and Kohei Ishida are key names in the group; Kawamata is frequently called upon for matters relating to private equity issues, mezzanine financings and infrastructure funds, and Ishida has a strong track record advising on investment fundraising.

Japan > Labour and employment: Independent local firms Tier 1

The employment group at Nishimura & Asahi leverages the firm's wider expertise to work in a cross-disciplinary manner, and is particularly noted for its litigation experience, where it is active in cases including Court of Appeal claims. The full-service offering also includes advising clients on new developments in Japanese employment law, transactional issues and compliance work. Yuri Sugano and Jiro Abe are the duo leading the team; Sugano primarily focuses on layoffs arising from insolvencies and restructurings, while Abe has a strong track record of assisting clients with matters running the gamut of labour and employment law, including trade union negotiations.

Japan > Private wealth: Independent local firms Tier 1

Nishimura & Asahi fields a comprehensive private wealth practice that caters to a range of clients, from private business owners to shareholders of listed companies to international private investors. The team advises on business succession planning and inheritance matters, including trust funds, tax and estate planning, and counts SMEs as its key clients. Practice co-head Yoshinobu Fujimoto has extensive experience in international taxation and multi-jurisdictional private wealth matters. Counsel Kohei Matano advises on M&A and the division of property. The group also handles family disputes, and practice co-head Masaru Shibahara boasts a dispute practice that spans both claims and litigation in and out of court.

Japan > Projects and energy: Independent local firms Tier 1

Nishimura & Asahi draws on its strong international offering to advise on energy and infrastructure projects in Japan, Asia and beyond. Led by Tomohiro Sato, the team advises across the energy and natural resources sector, handling project financing, development and procurement. It is also active in the offshore wind sector, advising foreign and domestic lenders and sponsors on major offshore wind projects. Within the team, Teruyuki Yamamoto is an expert in PPP and PFI projects; Kohei Ishida handles solar and wind power projects; Hiroyasu Konno focuses on oil and LNG transactions; and Sadayuki Matsudaira focuses on the energy sector, including electricity, gas and heat-supply businesses. Maya Ito counts Japanese megabanks, international banks and trading houses among her clients. Adrian Joyce’s expertise spans the LNG, offshore wind and shipping sectors and Nathan Schmidt advises on solar PV projects, as well as both onshore and offshore wind projects. Alexander Woody advises on international energy and natural resources project investments, development and financing. Nagahide Sato retired in March 2023.

Japan > Real estate and construction: Independent local firms Tier 1

Nishimura & Asahi’s broad practice, led by Yoshihiko Kawakami, spans both financing and development matters within the sector. In addition to sale and purchase, and leasing and management issues, the team advises on large-scale developments. The group notably advises a varied client base of Japanese mega banks, financial institutions and both domestic and foreign investment banks. Hiroshi Niinomi regularly assists builders, developers and lenders with their real estate transactions, while Yoshiaki Ikeda advises both private REITs and J-REITs on Japanese real estate transactions. Norio Maeda is known for assisting foreign investors entering the Japanese real estate market, and Takuya Shimizu works with international financial institutions and funds. The real estate group works closely with the firm’s Singapore-based construction team, led by Shintaro Uno and supported by Natalie Yap, which handles construction disputes and represents Japanese construction companies across Southeast Asia.

Japan > Restructuring and insolvency: Independent local firms Tier 1

Displaying deep bench strength in handling cross-border mandates, the team at Nishimura & Asahi handles multi-jurisdictional workouts and international restructuring matters, which are particular areas of focus for Yuri Sugano. Beyond traditional insolvency proceedings and significant bankruptcy cases within Japan, practice head Kenichi Minami is noted for his deep knowledge of in out-of-court workouts and turnarounds. Kentaro Yokoyama also has extensive experience in handling both in-and out-of-court reorganisations. The group is known for representing a variety of debtors, also counting major banks, financial institutions and creditors among its clients. The team draws on the varied expertise of its members to further strengthen its offering; Hajime Ueno is an expert in structured finance; Daisuke Koriya displays vast knowledge of accounting and tax issues; and Yonson Minami advises on M&A aspects of restructurings.

Japan > Risk management and investigations: Independent local firms Tier 1

The team at Nishimura & Asahi fields a diverse array of legal professionals, including former prosecutors, high-tech crime specialists, government officials, private attorneys, and international legal experts, and delivers comprehensive advice that spans the full spectrum of domestic and cross-border crisis management. The department excels in handling corporate crisis scenarios involving fraud and white-collar crime elements, and instances of misconduct. Leading the practice is Hiroshi Kimeda, whose extensive experience spans corporate scandals involving window-dressing, financial statement misrepresentation, antitrust violations, bribery, and regulatory breaches. Other members of the team include Kei Umebayashi, who is highly skilled in criminal investigations; Kaku Hirao, who handles misconduct issues, regulatory infractions, and emergency response matters; and Tomoyuki Numata, who specialises in issues related to international cartels, unilateral anticompetitive practices, and merger filings.

Japan > Tax: Independent local firms Tier 1

The tax practice at Nishimura & Asahi is especially recommended for its experience in handling tax controversies before Japanese courts, as well as other forms of tax-related disputes, for which Akihiro Hironaka is a recommended individual. The team is led by the experienced Yo Ota, who regularly covers matters involving M&A, cross-border transactions, and corporate governance issues. For high-profile tax litigation, Tsuyoshi Ito is the recommended name, while Mayuko Nakamura regularly advises on the tax aspects of international transactions.

Japan > TMT: Independent local firms Tier 1

Spearheaded by partners Asa Shinkawa and Yoshinobu Fujimoto, Nishimura & Asahi houses an excellent team of TMT experts. The firm handles a wide variety of matters for fintech and automotive industry clients, and has experience advising on a range of matters from litigation and joint ventures, to data protection, privacy, and regulatory concerns. Takahiko Date is recommended for his deep expertise in handling M&A and corporate restructuring transactions, while Kojiro Fujii has in-depth knowledge of the public policies and regulations governing the TMT sector. Other key members of the team include Hiroshi Uchima and Gai Matsushita.

Japan > Fintech - Independent local firms Tier 2

Many of Nishimura & Asahi‘s fintech lawyers have experience working for financial institutions or regulatory authorities and bring that experience to bear while advising on fintech issues ranging from crowdfunding, to transactions using applications, to payment services work. Licensing, approvals, and registrations are additional areas of expertise. Practice chair Naoya Ariyoshi is frequently instructed by banks, securities clients and fintech businesses on work including crypto-asset transactions and social trading issues. Susumu Tanizawa is well versed in domestic and international financial regulations. Other key names include structured finance specialist Akihiro Shiba and Toshiyuki Yamamoto, who is well placed to advise on digital securities in the real estate space.

Japan > Shipping: Independent local firms Tier 2

Nishimura & Asahi‘s asset finance team is headed by of counsel Katsu Sengoku and offers clients assistance with cross-border asset finance transactions, ship sales and purchases, ship leasings, and advice on Japanese Operating Lease Transactions with Call Options (JOLCOs). Kosuke Shibukawa is the name to note for finance and investment issues, while Adrian Joyce is the team’s key contact for complex cross-border work and the financing of maritime projects.