Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP‘s Tokyo office maintains a strong track record in cross-border venture capital investment matters. The team has a robust client base of early-stage companies and VC funds in the life sciences and healthcare industries. Praised for his ’ability to navigate complex cross-border transactions’, practice head Hiroki Sugita, who is dual-qualified in Japan and New York, stands out for his expertise advising technology companies.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'This team is composed of many experts who provide extensive legal advice. They also possess a deep understanding of business matters and respond in consideration of our business environment. Furthermore, since there are lawyers stationed at the Japan office, communication is both speedy and smooth.'
- 'I have had the privilege of working with Hiroki Sugita for over eight years now, and his excellence as a lawyer and trusted advisor is truly exceptional. Being admitted to both the New York and Japan bars, Hiroki possesses an unusually deep and nuanced understanding of both legal systems, allowing him to navigate complex cross-border matters with skill and confidence.'
- ‘We have particularly valued working with Hiroki Sugita. Hiroki stands out with his exceptional expertise, responsiveness, and ability to navigate complex cross-border transactions, ensuring clarity and efficiency throughout the process.’
- 'Horoki Sugita was great in communicating and delivering the results, always up for quick calls to provide context and supplements. I highly recommend him when using this law firm.'
- ‘Orrick’s Japan Corporate and M&A practice stands out for its exceptional ability to seamlessly bridge international and Japanese business cultures, providing valuable insights and strategic clarity to cross-border transactions. The team excels in responsiveness, deep market knowledge, and proactive communication, ensuring a smooth and efficient transaction process.’
- ‘The team is knowledgeable and professional, with strong in-depth knowledge within the industry. They represented us well. ’
- ‘Hiroki Sugita was invaluable, expertly leveraging his internal network and specialised knowledge, while also accurately understanding our needs as clients. This enabled him to provide incredibly timely advice. Furthermore, he led negotiations with the other party in English, playing an indispensable role.’
- 'The Orrick team has supported me and company for the last fundraising event, which was a positive experience. They partnered up globally and could tell they possess the domain expertise and negotiation tactics. They understood and experienced well for fund raising from Silicon Valley.'
- ‘We were truly grateful for the prompt internal collaboration with professionals across various specialised fields, not just M&A negotiations, which allowed us to receive timely advice.’
- ‘Hiroki Sugita is particularly bright. He has a strong business sense and can advise me from different angles.’
Key clients
- LUCA Science Inc. Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Nxera Pharma (formerly known as Sosei Heptares) Tadano Ltd. Toyota Motor Corporation UTokyo Innovation Platform Happiness Capital SHO-BOND & MIT Infrastructure Maintenance Corporation SAP SE Yokogawa Electric Corporation Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
Work highlights
Advised Yokogawa Electric Corporation in relation to legal due diligence work and the structuring of, as well as the negotiation of a transaction agreement in connection with Yokogawa's acquisition of all outstanding shares in BaxEnergy GmbH.
Advised Mitsui & Co., Ltd. in relation to legal due diligence work and the structuring, as well as negotiation of a transaction agreement in connection with Mitsui's acquisition of a majority interest in Redpoint Cybersecurity LLC.
Advised Synopsys, Inc. on the sale of its Software Integrity Business to Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. and Francisco Partners and on the sale of its Optical Solutions Group to Keysight Technologies, Inc.
Lawyers
Leading partners: Gaiben
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Hiroki Sugita