The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance - International firms and joint ventures, tier 4

‘Exceptionally well-resourced and consistent’, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy’s practice encompasses structured, acquisition and, in particular, project finance expertise. Mark Plenderleith and Gary Wigmore add ‘significant value to every transaction’, and recently advised a group of commercial banks as lenders in the financing of the Tanjung Jati B expansion project.

Within Banking and finance - International firms and joint ventures, tier 4

‘Very client-focused’, Morrison & Foerster Ito & Mitomi’s Dale Caldwell has had a strong year representing a variety of sponsors and banks, including a series of mandates for Mizuho Bank, for example working on a $200m syndicated financing for a manufacturing facility in Mexico. Theodore Seltzer has particular expertise in real estate finance, while new arrival, from Linklaters, Tony Grundy is ‘top of the class in structured finance’.

Within Capital markets - International firms and joint ventures, Morrison & Foerster LLP is a second tier firm,

Morrison & Foerster Ito & Mitomi’s capital markets practice is an area of growth for the firm, and the recruitment of ‘one of the best and brightest lawyers’, Tony Grundy from Linklaters is a major fillip. Practice head Fuyuo Mitomi is ‘wise’ and ‘highly respected’ and in 2008 led the group’s representation of Chuo Mitsui Trust’s ¥103.5bn global offering. Clients say the practice is ‘equipped to deliver a world-class standard of work’, while Andrew Winden is ‘simply brilliant’.

Within Corporate and M&A - International firms and joint ventures, Morrison & Foerster LLP is a first tier firm,

Morrison & Foerster Ito & Mitomi combines a substantial complement of bengoshi with a team of leading international lawyers to form a ‘tight-knit, responsive, efficient’ corporate practice headed by ‘the most accomplished M&A lawyer available’, Ken Siegel. Although the group frequently represents foreign companies on inbound work, its track record of acting for Japanese corporates, such as Fujitsu, Hitachi, TDK and Toshiba, is its most prominent feature. The industry focus and transactional expertise has seen the team continue to be a strong choice for outbound deals, where, for example, it advised Ricoh on its $2.4bn acquisition of US-based IKON Office Solutions. Gary Smith has acted on a significant raft of these cross-border acquisitions.

Within Dispute resolution - International firms and joint ventures, Morrison & Foerster LLP is a first tier firm,

Morrison & Foerster Ito & Mitomi has unmatched depth in its dispute resolution practice because of the cumulative experience of its nine partners and its collection of IP litigation specialists. The team balances a swathe of work for US corporates with a particularly strong showing advising Japanese clients, such as Nikon, Fujitsu, Hitachi and Yamaha, on litigation in the US. The ‘reliable’ and ‘pragmatic’ Mark Danis advised Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment in a trade secret case in California, a matter that stands out from a plethora of work for Asian technology companies facing litigation in the US marketplace. Department chair Max Olson is highly respected for his patent litigation expertise, while Craig Celniker is ‘simply outstanding as a litigator’. Peter Stern excels at IP-related litigation, while the team has also brought over from the San Francisco office partner Jack Londen, who combines patent and commercial litigation expertise.

Within Intellectual property - International firms and joint ventures, Morrison & Foerster LLP is a first tier firm,

Morrison & Foerster Ito & Mitomi is unrivalled in the market for the depth of its IP practice, an attribute further augmented by the arrival of patent litigation expert Jack Londen and tech-orientated bengoshi Yukihiro Terazawa. On the transactional side, the team draws on the experience of ‘excellent’ practice head Matthew Berger, who recently advised Seiko Epson on its multibillion-dollar wireless chip venture with Infineon. The firm’s US West Coast origins give it an advantage on technology-related IP issues and this is reflected in the make up of a client base that includes the likes of Sharp, TDK, Fujitsu, Nikon and Hitachi. The IP contentious practice includes the ‘brilliant legal mind’ of Peter Stern, Max Olson, who recently led a major patent litigation for Fujitsu, and ‘superb negotiator’ and practice co-head Craig Celniker.

Within Projects and energy - International firms and joint ventures, Morrison & Foerster LLP is a second tier firm,

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy had an exceptional flow of major project financing mandates in 2008/09. One particular highlight was the Tanjung Jati B expansion project, in which the group advised senior lenders, including JBIC, on the $2.5bn financing of a project for the expansion of two power plants in Indonesia. Gary Wigmore heads an Asia projects practice and is ‘truly in touch with clients and the difficulties they face in the market’. Meanwhile, the ‘highly recommended’ Mark Plenderleith heads the Tokyo acquisition and project finance team, and has useful relationships with major Japanese lenders.

Within Projects and energy - International firms and joint ventures, Morrison & Foerster LLP is a second tier firm,

Dale Caldwell at Morrison & Foerster Ito & Mitomi has a practice that covers advice to lenders and borrowers in large-scale project financing and ‘strikes a useful balance between on-the-ground experience and legal prudence’. The projects team had several large developer mandates in 2008, one standout being the work with Woodside Petroleum in the $1.5bn financing for the Pluto LNG project in Australia.

Within Real estate and construction - International firms and joint ventures, Morrison & Foerster LLP is a first tier firm,

Morrison & Foerster Ito & Mitomi has Japan’s largest real estate group and is comprised of a valuable mix of bengoshi and ‘foreign lawyers that are simply the most constructive, fast-thinking people in the business’. Theodore Seltzer is ‘the best bar none’, say clients, and Keisuke Mochizuki is recognised for his ‘brilliant analytical mind’. In 2008, the pair represented bondholders in the workout of an office portfolio, part of a wave of transactions of this nature. Conversant in all stages of the real estate life cycle, the team also includes the talents of Asia real estate practice head Eric Piesner and the ‘knowledgeable’ Andrew Morrison, who was involved on many prominent deals in 2008.