Norton Rose Fulbright eyes Japan outbound M&A with Nishimura & Asahi hire
Norton Rose Fulbright is to join the rush of international firms eyeing outbound M&A work from Japan following the hire if it's first Japanese-speaking partner from top-four local outfit Nishimura & Asahi.
January 05, 2015 at 11:11 PM
2 minute read
Norton Rose Fulbright is to join the rush of international firms eyeing outbound M&A work from Japan following the hire of its first Japanese-speaking partner from top-four local outfit Nishimura & Asahi.
Eiji Kobayashi, who is a US-qualified Japanese national, was formerly co-head of the cross border transactions group at Nishimura and before that worked in the Houston, Texas and Tokyo offices of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom.
His appointment brings the total number of partners in Norton Rose's Tokyo office to five following the promotion of banking lawyer Adrian Joyce early last year, and is expected to boost the firm's profile on outbound deals, particularly those into the US, Canada and Latin America.
Kobayashi will work alongside the single existing corporate partner Chris Viner, who is managing partner of the base and also does project work.
"We anticipate a significant increase in outbound investment activity from Japanese corporates," said the firm's managing partner Martin Scott.
Philip John, head of North Asia, added: "Our Tokyo office plays a critical role both as a provider of English legal services in Japan… Eiji adds the dual capacity to work with Japanese clients in their own language whilst also being able to advise and guide those clients through international transactions."
Norton Rose's Tokyo office opened in 2007 with an eight-lawyer practice, and until now has focused mostly on finance.
It is among a long list of UK firms with a base in the city, though most have found it hard to compete with the local firms and as such have relatively small practices.
Simmons & Simmons is now down to just two partners following the loss of its local infrastructure and energy head Simon Barrett to US firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman last year, while Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) now counts six partners after the departure of its head of corporate for Japan, James Robinson, to Morrison & Foerster in December.
The firm had previously seen at least five partners move or leave the firm since it opened in the year 2000.
Related: Legal Week's 2014 in review: Japan
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