Latham & Watkins Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise > Tokyo, Japan > Firm Profile
Latham & Watkins Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise Offices
MARUNOUCHI BUILDING, 32ND FLOOR
2-4-1 MARUNOUCHI, CHIYODA-KU
TOKYO 100-6332
Japan
Latham & Watkins Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise > The Legal 500 Rankings
Japan > Projects and energy: International firms and joint ventures Tier 1
LNG projects are a key focus of the energy practice at Latham & Watkins Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise, and the team acts for both sponsors and lenders on a number of LNG mandates. Stephen McWilliams leads the Asia project development and finance group from both Tokyo and Singapore. The team advises domestic and international clients on projects across the Asia Pacific region, from lenders and borrowers to developers, acquirers and state-related entities; Richard Chul Kim counts Japanese, Korean and other international sponsors, lenders and government agencies among his clients. Hiroki Kobayashi brings his expertise in the oil and gas and power industries, and the team also advises on matters across the petrochemicals, infrastructure and renewables sectors. Michael Yoshii retired from the firm.Practice head(s):
Stephen McWilliams
Other key lawyers:
Hiroki Kobayashi; Richard Chul Kim; Richard Fleming
Key clients
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
INPEX Corporation
Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)
JERA Co., Inc.
Marubeni Corporation
Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
Mizuho Bank
Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI)
San Miguel Corporation
Tokyo Gas
Work highlights
Japan > TMT: International firms and joint ventures Tier 1
Housing a reputable data & technology transactions team, Latham & Watkins Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise is well known for is expertise in mandates concerning international IP transactions. The group has a wealth of experience in acting for high-profile clients across the technology sector. Senior associate Benjamin Han primarily focuses on IP and commercial matters concerning technology, telecommunications, licensing, and pharmaceuticals. Stuart Beraha has since departed.Other key lawyers:
Work highlights
Japan > Corporate and M&A: International firms and joint ventures Tier 3
Latham & Watkins Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise‘s corporate M&A team is headed up by Hong Kong-based Ji Liu, who is also the chair for the firm’s Asia corporate department. Work carried out by the team includes cross-border acquisitions, venture capital financings, strategic alliances, and other inbound and outbound corporate transactions. Notable names within the team include Hiroki Kobayashi, Ivan Smallwood and Hiroaki Takagi. Noah Carr left the firm in November 2023.Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Nissan
Kioxia Corporation
Warburg Pincus
Carlyle
Block Inc
SoftBank
Z Holdings
Servco
Bain Consulting
Otsuka Medical Devices
Japan > Dispute resolution: International firms and joint ventures Tier 4
The litigation and trial department at Latham & Watkins Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise has particular strength in enforcement actions before the US Department of Justice. Practice head Kaede Toh is experienced in advising Asia-based clients on a wide array of issues including government investigations, criminal defence in white-collar crime cases, and civil litigation.Practice head(s):
Kaede Toh
Key clients
Nissan Motor Co.
Toyo Denso
Sumida Corporation
South Korea > Projects and energy: foreign firms
With considerable experience in major project development and energy infrastructure-related advisory work, Stephen McWilliams works out of both the Singapore and Tokyo offices, leading the project development and finance team at Latham & Watkins LLP. The group represents Korean and international sponsors, lenders and investors, in a number of high-profile renewable energy, mining and petrochemicals, and LNG deals. Richard Chul Kim operates from the Tokyo office, while associate David Shin advises on various project finance transactions, particularly involving Korean clients.Practice head(s):
Stephen McWilliams
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
The Export-Import Bank of Korea
Korea Trade Insurance Corporation
Korea National Oil Corporation
Carlyle Asia Investment Advisors
Latham & Watkins Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise > Firm Profile
The firm: Latham & Watkins is a leading international law firm serving multinational companies, start-ups, investment banks, private equity funds, venture capital firms, sovereign wealth funds, governments and other organisations. The firm’s globally integrated platform spans Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US, and consists of internationally recognised practices across a wide spectrum of transactional, litigation, corporate and regulatory areas. Latham attorneys offer unrivalled legal resources and strategic commercial thinking to provide clients with innovative solutions to complex commercial matters.
Asia practice: Businesses and investors seeking innovative solutions to their most complex corporate, financial, regulatory and litigation challenges turn to Latham in Asia for strategic thinking and experienced counsel. Latham has extensive experience advising on the international aspects of a broad range of corporate and finance transactions for clients across the region, notably Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. With more than 150 lawyers operating from six offices in Asia, Latham provides clients in the region and clients looking to do business in Asia with expert advice under US, English, Hong Kong, Japanese and Singapore law. Latham’s deep roots in the financial and economic markets in the region are further strengthened by the firm’s local language capabilities.
Latham continues to receive awards and acclaim from a number of leading financial and legal publications for landmark and precedent-setting deals.
Areas of practice: The firm’s Asia practice has received considerable market recognition for its involvement in many of the most important single-country and in-region, inbound and outbound cross-border transactions. The team has extensive expertise across numerous practices, including: project development and finance (particularly in the areas of infrastructure, energy and natural resources); banking and acquisition finance; M&A; private equity; restructurings; privatisations; debt and equity capital markets; general company representation; foreign direct investment; commercial litigation and arbitration (with a particular focus on contentious insolvencies, securities and shareholder disputes); white-collar and government investigations; antitrust and competition; and technology, media and commercial transactions.
With a presence in Japan for more than 20 years, Latham & Watkins has developed a strong, fully integrated team of Bengoshi and registered foreign lawyers (with dual-language capabilities) with a thorough understanding of the nature of the business practices and objectives affecting clients in Japan and international clients with Japanese interests. The combination of experience and expertise working on deals and matters of all sizes in a wide range of industry sectors, has enabled the practice to provide effective and strategic legal advice in the areas of project development and finance; M&A; joint ventures and strategic alliances; employment; capital markets; banking; structured finance; intellectual property; antitrust and competition; international dispute resolution; arbitration; telecommunications; emerging companies; and public company representation. Attorneys in the Tokyo office have been involved in a number of transactions and cases that are the largest or first of their kind, and are consistently recognised as leading lawyers in numerous practice areas.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
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Arbitration | |||
Antitrust and competition | |||
Banking, leveraged and structured finance | |||
Capital markets | |||
Financial regulatory | |||
Foreign direct investment | |||
Outsourcing | |||
Technology transactions | |||
M&A | |||
Private equity | |||
Project development and finance | |||
Public company representation | |||
Restructuring, insolvency and workouts | |||
Tax |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Sidharth Bhasin | Sidharth Bhasin advises on private equity investments and exits, public and private… | View Profile | |
Andrew Bishop | Andrew Bishop, as Local Chair of the firm’s Finance Department in Asia,… | View Profile | |
Richard Chul Kim | Richard Chul Kim is counsel in the Finance Department of Latham &… | View Profile | |
James Clayton-Payne | James Clayton-Payne, a mergers and acquisitions lawyer, advises on complex cross-border M&A… | View Profile | |
Simon Cooke | Simon Cooke, a leading private equity lawyer in Asia, specializes in public… | View Profile | |
Owain Davies | Owain Davies advises on the development and financing of energy and infrastructure… | View Profile | |
Louise Deng | Louise Deng advises private equity and corporate clients in Asia and globally… | View Profile | |
Diana Dizon | Diana Dizon is an associate in the Hong Kong office of Latham… | View Profile | |
Ruonan Duan | Ruonan Duan advises clients doing business in Asia on corporate and finance… | View Profile | |
Lynsey Edgar | Lynsey Edgar advises top-tier sponsors on complex, cross-border financing transactions, particularly investments… | View Profile | |
Tingfei Fan | Tingfei Fan is a counsel in the Hong Kong office of Latham &… | View Profile | |
Richard Fleming | Richard Fleming is counsel in the Finance Department of Latham & Watkins… | View Profile | |
Esther Franks | Esther Franks leads the Data and Technology Transactions Practice in the firm’s… | View Profile | |
Dominic Geiser | Dominic Geiser is a partner in the Hong Kong office of Latham… | View Profile | |
Rajiv Gupta | Rajiv Gupta heads Latham’s India Practice and advises Indian companies and global… | View Profile | |
Benjamin Han | Benjamin Han is an associate in the Hong Kong office of Latham… | View Profile | |
Michael Hardy | Michael Hardy is a partner in the Hong Kong office of Latham &… | View Profile | |
Simon Hawkins | Simon Hawkins, an experienced and trusted advisor to financial institutions and fintech… | View Profile | |
Timothy Hia | Timothy Hia advises clients on their most complex financing transactions across Asia,… | View Profile | |
Wonsuk (Steve) Kang | Wonsuk Kang, Chair of Latham’s Korea Practice, helps Korean clients successfully navigate… | View Profile | |
Regina Kim | Regina Jinseo Kim advises Korean and global clients on outbound and inbound… | View Profile | |
Hiroki Kobayashi | Hiroki Kobayashi advises high-profile international and Japanese companies on all aspects of… | View Profile | |
Posit Laohaphan | Posit Laohaphan is the Managing Partner of Latham’s Asia offices and the… | View Profile | |
Sharon Lau | Sharon Lau is a partner in the Singapore office and a member… | View Profile | |
Marcus Lee | Marcus Lee represents clients doing business in Asia in public and private… | View Profile | |
Ning Li | Ms. Li focuses on capital markets transactions such as initial public offerings and… | View Profile | |
Ji Liu | Ji Liu, Regional Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Corporate Department in Asia,… | View Profile | |
Stephen McWilliams | Stephen McWilliams advises sponsors and lenders on the most complex and innovative… | View Profile | |
Michael Ning | Michael Ning counsels private equity sponsors, investors, and corporations on a variety… | View Profile | |
Diona Park | Diona Park is a counsel in the Seoul office of Latham &… | View Profile | |
Michael Rackham | Michael Rackham is a counsel in the Singapore office of Latham &… | View Profile | |
Ivan Smallwood | Ivan Smallwood regularly advises leading Japanese and multinational companies on high-stakes cross-border… | View Profile | |
Frank Sun | Frank Sun, Co-Deputy Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins’ Asia offices, advises… | View Profile | |
Hiroaki Takagi | Hiroaki Takagi advises Japanese and international companies and private equity firms on… | View Profile | |
Edward Tang | Edward Tang is a member of the Corporate Department and the Private… | View Profile | |
Jeremy Wang | Jeremy Wang advises issuers and underwriters on securities, debt, and equity offerings,… | View Profile | |
Allen Wang | Allen Wang is a partner in the Hong Kong office of Latham &… | View Profile | |
Howe Min Wee | Howe Min Wee advises export credit agencies, multilaterals, commercial lenders, and sponsors… | View Profile | |
Wei Wei | Wei Wei is a counsel in the Beijing office of Latham &… | View Profile | |
Mandy Wong | Mandy Wong advises clients on equity and debt capital markets, with a… | View Profile | |
Stacey Wong | Stacey Wong advises clients on a broad spectrum of complex equity and… | View Profile | |
Carolyn Wong | Carolyn Wong advises Asian and international clients on corporate transactions, with a… | View Profile | |
Hui Xu | Hui Xu, Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Litigation & Trial Department in… | View Profile | |
Eric Yiu | Eric Yiu advises investment banks as well as public and private companies… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of lawyers : more than 2,400 in Asia : 120+Languages
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- Projects and energy: International firms and joint ventures
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Top Tier Firm Rankings
- South Korea > Projects and energy: foreign firms