The Legal 500

Back to Legal500 home

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)

ARK HILLS SENGOKUYAMA MORI TOWER, 28TH FLOOR, 1-9-10 ROPPONGI, MINATO-KU, TOKYO 106-0032, JAPAN
Zurich, Washington DC, Warsaw, Vienna, Valencia, Toronto and 73 more

Japan : Antitrust and competition law

Within Independent local firms Antitrust and competition law: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) advised a major Japanese retail conglomerate on all issues arising from a dawn raid conducted by the JFTC in November 2010. The firm is also representing several executives of a client that has been subject to an ongoing investigation by the US Department of Justice into suspected cartels in the audio, navigation, and other car parts sectors. Akira Inoue and Fumio Koma are recommended.

Japan : Banking and finance

Within Independent local firms Banking and finance: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is praised for its ‘high-profile lawyers, quality of service and global network’. The firm has expertise in domestic and cross-border acquisition finance, project finance (including for PFI/PPPs), structured finance and real estate finance transactions. The firm advised the mandated lead arrangers and lenders (led by Mizuho Corporate Bank) on the debt financing of Bain Capital’s acquisition of Skylark from Nomura Principal Finance, YK NPF Harmony and Chuo Mitsui Private Equity Fund 1. It also assisted the arrangers and lenders (led by SMBC) on the debt financing of a Japanese consortium’s $680m cross-border acquisition of ARCO Aluminum from BP Company North America. Practice head Naoaki Eguchi and Gavin Raftery are recommended.

Japan : Capital markets

Within Independent local firms Capital markets: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, tier 4

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) fields a bengoshi capital markets team with a top reputation in the samurai bonds sector. Although the team is relatively compact, ‘each lawyer is very focused and provides professional service in a timely manner’. The firm advised KDDI Corporation on its ¥200bn zero coupon convertible bonds issuance; ANZ on its samurai bond issuance and offering; and is acting for Barclays Capital Japan, Nomura and Nikko on ING Bank’s listing of yen-denominated notes on the AIM Pro-Bond market. Ken Takahashi, Hiroyoshi Kuromaru and of counsel Kunio Aoki are recommended.

Japan : Construction, projects and energy

Within International firms and joint ventures, Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)’s projects team provides ‘prompt and practical advice together with constructive solutions’. It is also ‘able to anticipate legal issues arising from overseas projects’. The firm advised Tokyo Gas Co on purchasing an equity interest in BG Group’s Queensland Curtis LNG project as well as its 1.2m metric tons per year offtake agreement. It also advised Eurus on its acquisition of the Hallet 5 wind farm from AGL Energy, and Taganito HPAL Nickel Corporation on the financing and security for its nickel/cobalt mixed sulfide project. Anne Hung and of counsel Paul Davis co-head the energy, mining and infrastructure group. Ean MacPherson was promoted to partner and Hideo Norikoshi was recruited from Linklaters. Ian Gordon joined King & Wood Mallesons in Perth.

Japan : Corporate and M&A

Within Independent local firms Corporate and M&A: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is a first tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is advising Meiji Yasuda Life on its co-acquisition (with Talanx) of TUiR Warta; Hitachi on buying eBworx Berhad; and Tokio Marine Capital on its sale of Showa Yakuhin to Unison Capital. The team also represented Dentsu in its £3.2bn public takeover of Aegis. Group head Hiroshi Kondo has ‘outstanding negotiation skills’. Shinichiro Abe leads the firm’s superb insolvency practice, which provides mainly domestic law advice, and is advising a major European bank on creditor issues pertaining to an insolvent Japanese shipping company. Jiro Toyokawa and Hideo Norikoshi joined from Linklaters.

Japan : Dispute resolution

Within Independent local firms Dispute resolution: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) provides ‘top-notch advice with a great mix of legal, business and practical guidance’. Areas of focus are international arbitration, tax litigation and compliance and regulatory investigations. The firm is representing an Australian pharmaceuticals company in an ICC arbitration concerning a claim by a Japanese general incorporated foundation; and advising a Japanese transportation machinery company in an alleged violation of the Japanese and US international trade laws regarding economic sanctions against Iran. Haig Oghigian ‘explains complex issues in a clear and concise way’, and has ‘in-depth knowledge of the Japanese legal system in arbitration’. Yoshiaki Muto, Yaeko Hodaka, Kengo Nishigaki and Akira Inoue are also recommended.

Japan : Intellectual property

Within International firms and joint ventures, Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is a third tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) handles the Japanese trade mark portfolio of Abbott Laboratories, and recently advised a Japanese electronics giant in an anti-counterfeiting action in Egypt. However, the group suffered a blow when Yasunori Hashiguchi left to found his own firm, Hisata & Hashiguchi. Head of IP Ken Nakayama specialises in patents and trade marks, and is recommended along with Daisuke Tatsuno, who focuses on IT, telecoms and broadcasting matters. Kei Matsumoto was promoted to partner.

Japan : Labour and employment

Within Independent local firms Labour and employment law: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)’s Yasuhiro Fujii and Kana Itabashi are experienced employment practitioners. The firm is advising a leading American insurance company on the day-to-day management of employees in Japan, in particular on the issue of hiring and firing senior management members and other employees. It also advised a global logistics company on the transfer of employees in relation to its potential acquisition of an international express and mail delivery service company.

Japan : Real estate

Within International firms and joint ventures, Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is a third tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) has a strong real estate finance practice that includes advising on J-REITs. The firm represented Prospect Reit Investment Corporation on its recent merger with Japan Rental Housing Investments, a publicly traded J-REIT affiliated with the US-based Oaktree Capital. It also advised APG Asset Management Asia on its co-investment with LaSalle Investment Management and Mitsubishi Estate in the development of a modern logistics facility to be located in Sagamihara, Japan. Real estate group co-heads Seishi Ikeda and Alexander Jampel have many years’ experience, and counsel Haruhiko Ogasawara is also recommended.

Japan : Structured finance/securitisation

Within Independent local firms Securitisation: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is able to advise foreign companies on their Japanese subsidiaries’ structured finance and securitisation deals in Japan and foreign capital markets. The firm is advising on the structuring of, and first issuance under, Volkswagen Financial Services’ new securitisation programme called Driver Japan. The team also advised a US-based asset manager on its ¥5bn acquisition of residential buildings in Tokyo through a TMK structure. Bengoshi partners Naoaki Eguchi and Ken Takahashi and dual-qualified partners Akiko Hosokawa and Seishi Ikeda are highly recommended.

Japan : Tax

Within International firms and joint ventures, Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is a first tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) excels at advising multinationals on tax and transfer pricing issues in Japan. Edwin Whatley heads the tax group, while zeirishi (tax attorney) Ken Okawara leads the transfer pricing team. The group fields a mix of bengoshi, zeirishi, US-qualified tax lawyers, economists, financial analysts and practising accountants, with Shinichi Kobayashi, zeirishi Ryutaro Oka and Hideyuki Yamamoto being recommended. The firm is advising a major US-based IT company on the restructuring of its Japanese operations, including issues such as intangible migration, tax planning, transfer pricing (including pursuing a bilateral advance pricing arrangment (APA)), and Japanese consumption tax and customs. The team is also advising a major industrial corporation on regulatory issues concerning the interpretation of US/Japan and Japan/Luxembourg tax treaties under Japanese law to obtain capital gains exemption for the client as part of the divestiture of its Japanese operations.

Further information on Baker & McKenzie

Please choose from this list to view details of what we say about Baker & McKenzie in other jurisdictions.

United Arab Emirates

Offices in Abu Dhabi

Argentina

Offices in Buenos Aires

Australia

Offices in Sydney and Melbourne

Austria

Offices in Vienna

Azerbaijan

Offices in Baku

Belgium

Offices in Brussels, Antwerp, and Brussels

Bahrain

Offices in Manama

Brazil

Offices in Brasilia, Porto Alegre, Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro

China

Offices in Beijing and Shanghai

Chile

Offices in Santiago and Santiago

Colombia

Offices in Bogota and Bogota

Czech Republic

Offices in Prague

Germany

Offices in Berlin, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, and Munich

Egypt

Offices in Cairo

Spain

Offices in Madrid and Barcelona

France

Offices in Paris

Hong Kong

Offices in Hong Kong

Hungary

Offices in Budapest

Indonesia

Offices in Jakarta

India

Italy

Offices in Rome, Milan, and Bologna

Japan

Offices in Tokyo

Kazakhstan

Offices in Almaty

London

Offices in London EC4V and London EC4V

Luxembourg

Offices in Luxembourg

Mexico

Offices in Juarez, Cancun, Tijuana, Monterrey, Mexico City, and Guadalajara

Malaysia

Offices in Kuala Lumpur

Netherlands

Offices in Amsterdam

Philippines

Offices in Makati

Poland

Offices in Warsaw

Qatar

Offices in Doha

Russia

Offices in Moscow and St Petersburg

South Africa

Offices in Johannesburg

Sweden

Offices in Stockholm

Singapore

Offices in Singapore

South Korea

Saudi Arabia

Offices in Riyadh

Switzerland

Offices in Zurich and Geneva

Taiwan

Offices in Taipei

Thailand

Offices in Bangkok

Turkey

Offices in Istanbul and Istanbul

Ukraine

Offices in Kiev

United States

Offices in Washington DC, Palo Alto, New York, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, and Houston

Venezuela

Offices in Valencia and Caracas

Vietnam

Offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Search News and Articles

Legal Developments by:
Baker & McKenzie

  • The New Turkish Code of Obligations: Important Changes for Leases of Residential & Business Premises

    For decades, the primary Turkish laws governing leases of residential and business premises have been the Law on Leasing Real Property dated May 27, 1955 (the “Lease Law”) and the Turkish Code of Obligations No. 818 dated April 22, 1926 (the “Obligations Code”). Both of these laws, however, will be repealed and replaced with the new Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098 dated January 11, 2011 (the “New Obligations Code”), which will enter into force on July 7, 2012.
    - Esin Attorney Partnership

Legal Developments in Japan

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to
© 2013 www.legal500.com