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White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association)

KANDABASHI PARK BUILDING, 19-1, KANDA-NISHIKICHO 1-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 101-0054
Washington DC, Warsaw, Tokyo, Stockholm, Singapore, Shanghai , and 30 more

What we say about the firm's legal practice in Japan

Banking and finance

Within Banking and finance - International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP is a second tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) has 13 partners ‘highly experienced in commercial and legal matters’, and draws upon an expansive international network. Project finance and asset finance have been at the fore of the group’s activity in 2008/09 and the recent appointment to the JBIC panel, as well as links to Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, Sumitomo Mitsui and Shinsei Bank, have given the team an edge in the market. Robert Grondine has a valuable mix of international and domestic clients and ‘is one of the most reliable people in Tokyo’, while Christopher Wells has a reputable regulatory practice.

Within Banking and finance - International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP is a second tier firm,

Projects work continues to be Ashurst’s core strength but the increased focus of its four finance partners on asset finance and export credit finance has aided the group’s development. Shoji Ushijima is very active for key client JBIC, while managing partner John McClenahan has ‘genuine legal acumen and a commendable approach’. Matthias Schemuth has also had a strong year, notably acting for JBIC on the $300m oil and gas financing for Mitsui.

Capital markets

Within Capital markets - International firms and joint ventures, tier 4

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) has capital markets specialists in the form of Christopher Wells and Koichiro Ohashi. Although it has tended to have more of a regulatory focus, the group has been active in debt and equity offerings, with a notable strength in real estate securitisations.

Corporate and M&A

Within Corporate and M&A - International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP is a second tier firm,

Robert Grondine is the most widely recognised name in White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association)’s corporate practice, being ‘among only a handful of truly supreme foreign lawyers in Tokyo’. However, the depth of the bengoshi practice, described as ‘very competent, efficient and organised’, and the recent arrival of senior counsel Arthur Mitchell and Mark Goodrich, have given the team a competitive breadth of capabilities. Recent highlights include advising Beckman Coulter in connection with a $800m strategic divestment by Olympus. Brian Strawn is also recommended.

Dispute resolution

Within Dispute resolution - International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP is a second tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) has an exceptionally broad spread of litigation and arbitration capabilities, and is able to provide a wealth of local and international law specialists. ‘Pre-eminent attorney’ and practice head Robert Grondine ‘focuses very intently on what’s best for his client and gives total dedication’, while David Case is renowned for his strong IP and product liability expertise. The appointment of Joy Fuyuno from Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker has further boosted the antitrust element of the practice, with the presence of ‘impressive trial lawyer’ Yuji Ogiwara remaining key to a large and wide-reaching bengoshi practice.

Intellectual property

Within Intellectual property - International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP is a third tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) has ‘first-rate understanding of the IP issues we face in Japan’, say clients. Yuji Ogiwara heads a strong bengoshi team and is highly regarded for prosecuting copyright infringement matters. On the foreign-law side, David Case had a strong year for both contentious and transactional matters, including defending Panasonic on patent infringement claims brought by TPL.

Japan overview

Projects and energy

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

Genuine international scope and a wealth of ‘extremely trustworthy and knowledgeable advisors’ has seen the White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) projects practice pick up choice mandates in 2008/09, particularly in the energy space. Group head Hendrik Gordenker is well known for his ‘excellence in all matters LNG-related’, and in 2008 he represented key client JBIC as lender’s counsel on the $20bn financing of the Sakhalin 2 LNG project in Russia. Robert Grondine is recommended for his ‘market-leading finance practice’, while Toshio Dokei had a strong year advising on a selection of leading power projects.

Real estate and construction

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

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association)’s five-partner practice was strengthened in 2009 with the return of Hirotaka Higashioka from Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker. ‘Accurate, timely and always able to accommodate to a client’s needs‘, the practice advised WIB Real Estate on its first real estate transaction in Japan, financing the acquisition of office buildings in Tokyo and Osaka. The ‘highly rated’ Gerald Fujii led on this deal and also worked alongside the ‘outstanding’ Tetsuya Morimoto on special purpose company AYK’s issuance of senior bonds to finance the acquisition of a hotel.

Structured finance/securitisation

Within Structured finance/securitisation - International firms and joint ventures, tier 5

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association)’s structured finance capabilities are closely tied to its real estate prowess. In 2008, the team represented an investment fund sponsored by Secured Capital Japan in its issuance of $80m senior bonds.

Tax

Within Tax - International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP is a first tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association)’s 13-lawyer tax group is the largest in Tokyo, and provides an unsurpassed breadth of local and foreign law tax advice. In 2008, Gary Thomas, the only US tax attorney registered as a zeirishi, had a strong year acting on tax controversy matters. On the planning side, Eric Roose and Linda Ng represented Brand Group in tax matters connected with its formation of a joint venture with Novel Fashion. Other clients include BNP Paribas, CapitaLand and Citibank. Akira Akamatsu ‘has incredibly deep understanding of how the law affects business’, while recently promoted cross-border tax specialist Michael Shikuma is also recommended.

What we say worldwide

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Legal Developments worldwide

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

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