The Legal 500

Within International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is a second tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association)’s strong antitrust practice represents clients in unfair trade practice cases before the JFTC (including abuse of superior bargaining position and resale price maintenance claims) and advises on multijurisdictional cartel matters. Toshio Dokei is an experienced competition lawyer. Brian Strawn is also recommended.

Within International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is a first tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) ‘focuses on results’ and shows ‘excellent recognition of clients’ objectives’. It advised Crédit Agricole CIB and ING Bank on a ¥17bn export-credit-backed financing provided to eAccess; and represented Aviation Capital Group in a ¥6.8bn syndicated loan arranged by BNP Paribas (Tokyo branch). Other clients include the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Mizuho Securities and Mizuho Corporate Bank, Secured Capital, Shinsei Trust Bank, SMBC and UBS. Simon Collins and Toshio Dokei lead the banking and finance practice, with Christopher Wells and Koichiro Ohashi heading the firm’s acclaimed financial services regulatory and compliance group. Sadly, Robert Grondine passed away in 2011.

Within Independent local firms Capital markets: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is a second tier firm,

In 2012, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) welcomed a team from Allen & Overy Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo Horitsu Jimusho, including the highly respected Norifusa Hashimoto and counsel Seiji Matsuzoe. The firm acted for UBS (Tokyo branch) as lender and originator, and SMBC Nikko Securities as the financial adviser, in a ¥14bn financing by way of a CMBS issue for an SPC which owns a luxury hotel near Tokyo Disneyland. The team also advised Société Générale (Tokyo branch) on notes issued by Claris IV. Koichiro Ohashi, Christopher Wells and Thomas LaMacchia are recommended.

Within International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is a first tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) ‘routinely ends up on the shortlist of go-to law firms’. Hendrik Gordenker’s team recently advised on three long-term LNG sale and purchase agreements that allow the seller broad discretion to select LNG from a portfolio of sources. It also represented JBIC on its investment in the Japan-China Energy Efficiency and Environment Fund, as well as on its investment in a joint venture investing up to $20bn in infrastructure assets. Toshio Dokei is recommended. ‘Rising star’ Paul Harrison, who relocated to Tokyo from London in 2012, ‘focuses on providing practical solutions to clients’ needs’, and is ‘making a name for himself through his advice on leading transactions in the energy industry’.

Within Independent local firms Corporate and M&A: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is a second tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) advised Haier Group on its acquisition of Sanyo Electric Co’s white goods businesses in Japan and four countries in Southeast Asia, and represented Nycomed Sweden Holding 2 AB during its $13.7bn divestment of the majority of Nycomed Group to Takeda. The firm also assisted Japanese lessors with the restructuring of 29 Japanese operating lease transactions following Iberia’s reorganisation into a holding company/operating company structure in preparation for its merger with British Airways. Team heads Brian Strawn and Jun Usami, who is ‘capable of seamlessly executing deals’, are recommended, as is Simon Collins.

Within Independent local firms Dispute resolution: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is a second tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is ‘one of the best law firms, especially for US cases’, and clients rate the ‘exceptionally high level of service’ provided by its ‘very well trained and knowledgeable’ team. The firm has been defending a leading Japanese manufacturer and affiliated companies in putative antitrust class actions by direct and indirect purchasers of cathode ray tubes. It is also representing an Asian contractor in a $1.4bn ICC arbitration concerning a dispute with a state petroleum company arising from the refurbishment and expansion of an oil refinery and pipelines. David Case is praised for his ‘sincerity, professional support and ability to organise an appropriate team’. Yuji Ogiwara and Osamu Umejima are also highly recommended.

Within International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is a first tier firm,

The ‘excellent’ White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) rises a tier this year. It advised on IP aspects of Toshiba’s acquisition of Western Digital’s HDD manufacturing equipment, and assisted Haier Group with its acquisition of Sanyo Electric’s white goods businesses (including the transfer of more than 1,200 patents). It also advised on the Panasonic and Freescale patent infringement litigation. Other clients include Rohm, Flextronics International, Abbott Laboratories, Alere, Japan Times, Panasonic, and Saudi Aramco. David Case ‘understands commercial complexity’, and ‘proposes positions to bridge commercial gaps while proactively asserting his clients’ best interests’. Yuji Ogiwara is also recommended.

Within Independent local firms Labour and employment law: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is a second tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) advises multinationals on cross-border employment law matters. It is representing a security software provider in a labour matter where former employees sued its client on the grounds that their terminations were void; and is acting as counsel for a client’s employees regarding the enforcement of non-competition and confidentiality provisions in agreements between each employee and their former employer. Practice head Yuji Ogiwara is a seasoned litigator.

Within Independent local firms Real estate: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is a first tier firm,

‘A very good one-stop-shop for all real estate needs’, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is able to provide in-house tax expertise relating to real estate funds. The firm advised on the ¥13bn financing of discounted real estate debt repurchases by a fund managed by a client. The financing utilised a complex structure involving real estate debt purchased by a tokutei mokuteki kaisha (TMK), with loan and bond financing provided to the TMK by Aozora Bank. The ‘practical and knowledgeable’ Tetsuya Morimoto and Gerald Fujii provide ‘extremely quick response times’, and are ‘good value for money’. M&A specialist Ayako Kawano also has a thriving real estate practice.

Within International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is a first tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) advises on all aspects of commercial shipping, including construction, operation, chartering and financing of vessels. The firm also has specialist knowledge of LNG transportation arrangements and financing. It continues to advise the sponsor, Tokyo Electric Power (and its partners including Mitsubishi Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kaisha) on projects to construct, own and operate LNG tankers. The firm also advised Nippon Yusen Kaisha on making a junior loan to Knutsen NYK Offshore Tanker to fund 15% of a new shipbuild. Hendrik Gordenker’s team includes Simon Collins and Alexander Woody, as well as Paul Harrison, who relocated to Tokyo from London in 2012.

Within Independent local firms Securitisation: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is a second tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) has added real firepower to its structured finance and securitisation practice by recruiting Norifusa Hashimoto and counsel Seiji Matsuzoe from Allen & Overy Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo Horitsu Jimusho. The firm represented UBS, as lender and originator, and SMBC Nikko Securities, as financial adviser, in a ¥14bn financing by way of a CMBS issue, provided to an SPC which owns a luxury hotel near Tokyo Disneyland. It also advised Shinsei Trust & Banking Co on Volkswagen Financial Services Japan’s off-balance securitisation of ¥25bn auto loan receivables. Ayako Kawano, Koichiro Ohashi and Thomas LaMacchia are also recommended.

Within Independent local firms Tax: bengoshi

Within International firms and joint ventures, White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association) is a first tier firm,

White & Case LLP- White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association)’s Gary Thomas is a US tax attorney who is fully qualified as a zeirishi and can represent clients before the National Tax Agency. He and his team, which includes Akira Akamatsu and Shimon Takagi, advise on Japanese, US and other foreign tax laws and tax controversies. The firm advises on Japanese tax audits, administrative tax appeals, National Tax Tribunal procedures, tax litigation in civil courts, bilateral competent authority procedures to avoid double taxation, and both bilateral and unilateral APA procedures. The firm is advising a Swiss-based luxury brand group on transfer pricing with its Japan-affiliated companies, including an APA; and is representing a Japanese company importing and selling products with valuable embedded intangibles in tax litigation in a Japanese district court.