Japan

Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners is a Japanese domestic law firm with its main offices in Tokyo and Osaka. The firm was originally established in Osaka in 1981 by Tadashi Ishikawa, Makoto Miyazaki and Hiroaki Tsukamoto. It later opened offices in Shanghai in 1995, Tokyo in 2002 and Nagoya in 2015 to serve the expanding needs of its clients. 

Highlights 

The firm excels in the fields of corporate mergers and acquisitions and private equity. Additionally, it has a strong presence in the areas of restructuring and project management. 

Throughout the research cycle, the firm has been actively involved in providing legal services on both domestic and international acquisitions, with a focus on targets in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. One notable transaction involved advising Kaneka on its acquisition of 96.8% of EndoStream. 

Key clients 

Key clients include Ant Capital Partners, Rengo, Japan Growth Investments Alliance, Nippon Pigment, Air Water, OGIS-RI, Basic Capital Management, and J-STAR. 

Testimonials 

"They provided solid legal advice on M&A matters and delivered fast and accurate documentation, demonstrating excellent performance." (M&A client) 

Yoshinori Hirai  

"He provided solid legal advice on M&A matters and delivered fast and accurate documentation, demonstrating excellent performance. Personally, I felt their legal services were on par with those of Japan’s Big Four law firms." 

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune is one of Japan’s “Big Four” independent firms with a history traced back to 1952 as O'Gorman, Nattier & Anderson, before taking its current name following the merger with Tomotsune & Kimura in 2005. The firm has close to 450 attorneys and offices in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore and Jakarta. 

Highlights 

The firm is a leading full-service firm and is strong across the board in financial and corporate transactional matters. It excels in capital markets work where it has a strong reputation in the primary offerings of samurai bonds, uridashi offerings, J-Reits, equity offerings, and international offerings of convertible bonds by Japanese issuers. 

During the past research cycle, the firm continued to remain active across different practice areas. The banking and finance team regularly assisted clients in relation to complex financial transactions and regulatory matters. Notable transactions including advising on Taisho Pharma’s going-private, which is Japan's largest-ever management buyout with the transaction value of more than JPY 700 billion (US$4.44 billion). 

The firm's recent notable highlights in the capital markets and corporate sector include assisting Daiwa House in a $1.3 billion international public offering for its convertible bonds, and the strategic partnership between Apollo Funds and Panasonic Automotive Systems. 

Key clients 

Key clients of the firm include Aozora Bank, Apollo Global Management, Blackstone Singapore, Bain Capital, Hillhouse Investment Management, Mizuho Bank, MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Sumitomo Trust and Banking Co., JERA, and Electric Power Development. 

Testimonials 

"Dedicated team, quality of advice, team organization, quick response, speed, flexibility and deep knowledge and experience of financial regulation." (M&A client) 

"They support us with their high level of expertise in a wide range of fields, including finance, EPC, O&M, chartering, and others. In particular, they provide high-quality services in a short period of time, which is essential in project development where quick response is required.” (Project development client) 

"Quick response and detailed explanation." (Financial services regulatory client) 

"High quality service level." (Banking and finance client) 

"High-quality services in a timely manner with reasonable cost." (Banking and finance client) 

“Industrial knowledge and quality of documents." (Equity capital markets client) 

"AMT's advice coming from Ando-sensei's unparalleled deal experience is always extremely helpful for underwriters to navigate issuers appropriately based on reasonable logic." (Equity capital markets client) 

"The partner did really well and was very helpful on the negotiation, leveraging his domestic transaction expertise for the tender offer." (M&A client) 

"Lateral coordination of M&A and finance, intellectual property, and other teams.” (Private equity client) 

"The overall quality of the firm’s other attorneys is exceptionally high. We have worked with many of them, and one of the firm’s key strengths is the consistently high level of expertise across its lawyers, with minimal variation in quality." (Project finance client) 

Tsunemichi Nakano  

“Good at client management, deal lead, negotiates with the counter party, quick response to his client, provides deep knowledge of regulations.” 

Kunihiro Yokoi  

“He supports us with a high level of expertise in a wide range of fields, including finance, EPC, O&M, chartering, and others. In particular, he provides high-quality services in a short period of time, which is essential in project development where quick response is required.” 

Daisuke Tanimoto  

"High expertise in legal matters concerning derivatives transactions." 

Takehisa Sato  

"High-quality advice and expertise." 

Shintaro Takeoka  

"Great work as our underwriter’s counsel.” 

Takaharu Totsuka  

"In-depth knowledge and understanding about the financial laws and regulations." 

Raku Raku  

"Raku-sensei has very extensive expertise on Japanese tender offer transactions. He proactively shares his intelligence and advice with his client."  

Hiroto Ando  

"His advice from his deep deal experiences in all situations is extremely helpful. His advice is always practical." 

Norifumi Takeuchi  

"We highly value the support of Mr. Takeuchi, a partner at the firm, who has been providing legal advice on domestic project finance transactions for over a decade. Thanks to this long-standing relationship, he has a deep understanding of our bank’s risk-taking policies. As a result, he is able to offer not only formal legal judgments but also sound business advice, which greatly contributes to the smooth progress of our projects." 

Atsumi & Sakai was formed in 1994 as Atsumi & Usui before adopting its current name in 2010 following the acquisition of a practice group from TMI Associates. The firm has close to 150 lawyers and offices in Tokyo, London and Frankfurt. It was the first Japanese law firm to register as a joint venture between Japanese and foreign lawyers in 2005, and in 2013 it formed a joint venture with the German law practice of Markus Janssen. In 2021, the firm launched an affiliate office in New York, Atsumi & Sakai New York. In 2025, the firm launched an affiliate office in the port city of Osaka. 

Highlights 

The firm is best known for its structured finance and securitisation work but also has a strong project development and finance practice. 

Throughout the research cycle, the firm continues to advise multiple multi-million-dollar financing transactions in the banking, capital markets, M&A and project sectors. With a focus on project finance, acquisition finance and asset finance, the firm advises clients across a wide range of financing transactions and services. 

A major focus of the firm's capital markets practice is to provide guidance on structuring, SPC formation, and related regulatory issues to originators, arrangers, trustees and institutional investors. 

Over the past year, the firm bolstered its capabilities in banking and finance, corporate M&A, and project sectors with the hiring of lists of partners including Atsushi Tabata, Akiko Hosokawa, Makiko Harada, Christopher Hodgens and Akiko Hosokawa. 

Key clients 

Key clients of the firm include Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Financial Services Agency, HyAS & Co., Sumitomo life Insurance, Oasis Management Company, Sega Sammy Holdings, Mitsubishi Research Institute, and The Japan Research Institute. 

Testimonials 

"What we value is the ability to provide timely and accurate support, based on a deep understanding of our business and position, even amid differing legal systems in Japan and overseas." (Banking and finance client) 

“Detailed service, prompt advice." (M&A client) 

"They are individually specialized, have a good understanding of business, and can cover a wide range of areas as a team."(M&A client) 

"Legal knowledge and client-first attitude." (Project development client) 

"Responsive. Clear advice. Approachable. Not overly 'legalistic’." (Project development client) 

"We have a good relationship partner – Daniel Jarrett. Daniel leads us to various practice areas on Japanese law matters. Daniel's quality control is very effective. Good team and wide variety of expertise." (Project finance client) 

Akimoto Kawamura  

"English fluency; expertise in M&A." 

"He always seeks the best solution for his clients." 

"He and his team provided qualified legal services on due diligence, contract document review, legal advice, and labor relations regarding M&A and healthcare services. Additionally, he manages and supervises his team's work well to control service quality." 

Daniel Jarrett  

"Responsive. Clear. Manages team and deadlines." 

Fumiko Oikawa  

"Ms. Oikawa has experience being seconded to our company, and she has a deep understanding of our business and the legal issues associated with it. Based on this understanding, she provides precise legal advice on individual matters from the client’s perspective, with a strong sense of empathy." 

TMI Associates is one of the fastest-growing law firms in Japan. The firm was established in 1990 and now has 556 attorneys with six domestic offices in Tokyo, Kobe, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto and Fukuoka and 10 overseas offices in Bangkok, Beijing, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, London, Phnom Penh, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore and Yangon. It also has overseas practice groups and joint venture arrangements. 

Highlights 

During the research cycle, the firm was busy handling transactions in banking, M&A, debt capital markets and project areas. 

The firm’s banking and finance team was active in assisting clients in financial matters including corporate finance, structured finance, project finance, securitisation, liquidation, real estate finance, REITs, acquisition finance, derivative transactions, banking, securities, insurance and trusts. Apart from actively advising sponsors and investors in project finance, the firm was also actively involved in the development of energy projects. 

In the capital market, the firm was preoccupied with transactions related to IPOs, share capital increases, debenture issues and sovereign bond issues, and often advised underwriters and issuers. 

In the M&A market, the firm was active in numerous squeeze-out transactions representing both private equity funds and targets. The firm also worked for numerous public companies across all industries and market capitalisations in defending against a wide array of shareholder activism campaigns. 

Key clients 

Key clients include Aozora Bank, Crédit Agricole Securities Asia, Daiwa Securities, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation, Mizuho Trust & Banking, Nomura Securities, and Nidec Corporation. 

Testimonials 

"Familiar with local laws and good communication skills." (Project development client) 

Norimitsu Shirai  

"Extensive knowledge of Indian law and negotiation skills." 

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu is one of the “Big Four” law firms in Japan. Established in 2000, the firm now has nearly 600 lawyers and seven offices outside Japan including New York, Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Jakarta and Shanghai. 

Highlights 

The firm is well known for its integrated full-service capabilities, especially equipped with expertise in the corporate, finance and real estate market. With years of experience, the firm has gathered flexible teams of lawyers with extensive expertise both domestically and internationally covering a wide range of legal specialty areas that collaborate to handle cases expeditiously and efficiently. 

Throughout the research cycle, the banking team has been active in the areas of loans, credit transactions, structured and acquisition finance, and project and real estate finance. Notable transactions include advising on the acquisition of Chilled & Frozen Logistics Holdings by SG Holdings. 

The firm actively engaged in capital market transactions, encompassing a variety of global offerings by Japanese issuers in both equity and debt securities. Notable transactions include advising Panasonic Holdings Corporation’s US$500 million Senior Notes 144A/Reg S offering. 

The project team was active in advising renewable energy projects, hydrogen projects, corporate power purchase agreements, carbon credit transactions, as well as green bond/finance transactions, showcasing a commitment to climate and carbon reduction strategies. 

The firm announced the promotion of partner Ryuji Oka in the banking and finance sector, along with the promotion of corporate M&A partners Yusei Uji and Oki Osawa in 2025. Additionally, the projects team welcomed new counsel Tsutomu Kobayashi. 

Key clients 

Key clients of the firm include Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings, Morgan Stanley, Toshiba, Panasonic, Bain Capital, SoftBank, CVC Capital Partners, and Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings. 

Testimonials 

"High expertise on the product." (Banking and finance client) 

"They provide timely and quick responses. They have deep knowledge and experience of capital market work." (Equity capital markets client) 

"Not only advising the legal flame work but they tried to understand what we were trying to achieve by adopting the execution format of US listed company's offerings. Although there were no precedents, they helped us outline how we could get the deal done, although the deal has not come to live yet." (Equity Capital markets client) 

"Highly sophisticated. Ability to focus on business goals and to remain available for communication with us at all times. Clearly point out legal issues and propose practical solutions on the issues." (Equity capital markets client) 

"Providing well-balanced services between technical legal points and practical advice to drive a successful deal. I think its capital market partners are willing to share information with other partners and discuss with each other." (Equity capital markets client) 

"Rich experience and knowledge of renewable business and related public programs." (Project development client) 

"Partner (Kensuke Suzuki) quality of service (accuracy and timeliness)." (Investment funds client) 

"Team consists of senior partner Akemi Suzuki and other partners, associates, paralegals and translators. They not only provide accurate and business-oriented advice but also provide practical and concrete solutions to issues that have no precedent. They are proactive and act as a member of our business team, helping us tremendously to progress such a complex project with no precedent." (Financial services regulatory client) 

"Expertise is satisfactory. Response is quick." (M&A client) 

"Quick response, industry expertise, and reasonable cost for its quality." (Project finance client) 

Akemi Suzuki  

"Akemi cares about our company and our people. Akemi understands our company and our people, and our business. Akemi is proactive and identifies and highlights issues that we may not be aware of and acts as a holistic business advisor. Her advice is invaluable and essential to our business." 

Motoki Saito  

"He provided advice based on his experience at a securities company as a secondment." 

Shinichi Araki  

"He is highly accessible and responsive to our inquiries including general ones and provides practical solutions that satisfy our commercial objectives with understanding of commercial realities." 

Sosuke Kimura  

"Very flexible and can get hold of them even in a very busy time. Outstanding deep understanding of Japanese law and regulations related to capital markets. The above knowledge helps our global firm to seek new business opportunities, such as adopting new execution framework which is already precedented in other regions outside of Japan." 

Jiro Mikami 

"Communicates with the client as a partner and leads project finance-related contracts review." 

Kensuke Suzuki  

"The best lawyer available in Japan for asset management practice." 

Kiyoshi Honda  

"Responsive and their responses are quick." 

Tomohiro Koyasu  

"Provides quick response to my questions and effective approach." 

Yuichi Miyashita  

"Always pleasant to work with and responsive. Very familiar with the practice. Providing very logical and practical legal advice. Proposing solutions from a customer perspective." 

Yoshihisa Watanabe  

"Good at renewable energy sector business." 

Mori Hamada is one of Japan’s “Big Four” law firms. As a full-service law firm with headquarters in Tokyo, the root of the firm can be traced back to 1971 with the establishment of Mori Sogo. In December 2002, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto was established by the merger of Mori Sogo and Hamada & Matsumoto. 

The firm now has more than 700 lawyers including 155 foreign lawyers in offices across major cities and regions such as Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore. The firm also offers broad local and international capability in ASEAN countries including Thailand (Chandler MHM), Myanmar (Myanmar Legal MHM), Vietnam (MHM Vietnam), and Indonesia (ATD Law in association with MHM). Apart from its Tokyo office, the firm also has branches in Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Takamatsu. 

Highlights 

The firm is best known for banking and finance, capital markets, M&A, private equity and project development, often assisting domestic and overseas conglomerates, financial institutions and government organisations. 

The firm’s banking and finance team was very busy advising clients in major transactions and related regulatory mandates on corporate loans, structured finance, real estate finance, acquisition finance and mezzanine finance. Recent deal highlights include advising JIC Capital on acquisition finance for a tender offer bid for JSR Corporation. 

In M&A and private equity, the firm was preoccupied in major domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions advising both buyside. and sellside, including advising Hulic on its acquisition of Raysum.  

In the project space, the firm leads on transactions in the energy sector including offshore wind, biomass, photovoltaic, and PFI/PPP/infrastructure, and represented several major utilities in domestic and foreign projects assisting sponsors, lenders and other stakeholders. 

Key clients 

Key clients include Apollo Management, Bain Capital, Blackstone, The Japanese Bankers Association (JBA), MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Mizuho Bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley, Daiwa Securities, Mizuho Securities, SoftBank, Japan Post Holdings, KKR, Tepco Renewable Power, and Tokyo Gas. 

Testimonials 

"Industry knowledge, responsiveness and quality of legal works." (Asset finance client) 

"High quality for legal advice and stable transaction." (Banking and finance client) 

"They have a lot of knowledge about LBO loans that we need and they respond quickly."(Banking and finance client) 

"Prompt response, detailed analysis." (Banking and finance client) 

"Mori Hamada & Matsumoto has excellent expertise and can support us even with risks that we are not aware of." (Banking and finance client) 

"We value Mori Hamada's ability to provide high-quality legal advice and prompt document preparation services." (Capital markets client) 

"Mori Hamada possesses unparalleled expertise in the field of capital markets in Japan. Our company is an asset management firm for a J-REIT, and their support is indispensable for fundraising in the capital markets for the J-REIT. Particularly in highly innovative projects, the practical advice provided by Mori Hamada's lawyers enables us to tackle new challenges without any issues. They consistently stay abreast of the latest legal regulations and practices, ensuring appropriate solutions even when faced with unprecedented situations." (Capital markets client) 

"Mori Hamada & Matsumoto has deep experience in J-REIT-related matters and real estate transactions, which allows them to quickly identify and address industry-specific legal issues. We value their proven track record in successfully handling similar equity financing and large-scale property deals, which makes us confident in the reliability and quality of their work. In addition, their team of experts is well organized, and communication is always smooth. They proactively share updates and anticipate potential issues, which helps us stay ahead in the process."(Capital markets client) 

“Professional skill and wide range of knowledge." (Capital markets client) 

"Professional and friendly advice." (Leveraged finance client) 

"They know much about the trend of M&A deals and how to proceed with the deal advantageously to the client." (M&A client) 

"Extensive knowledge of M&A." (M&A client) 

"The team at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto is extremely kind and responsive, addressing our concerns with great care. Their advice is always accurate and practical, making it highly valuable for our business operations. Additionally, their ability to explain complicated legal issues in a clear and understandable manner sets them apart. We also appreciate their collaborative approach and professionalism." (M&A client) 

"They have a strong understanding of our business and its specific characteristics, which enables them to provide appropriate legal advice on each matter. In particular, they demonstrate a clear understanding of our objectives, and even when the originally planned approach poses legal issues, they provide guidance on alternative ways to achieve our goals." (M&A client) 

"Deep understanding on banking regulations in Japan." (M&A client) 

"Detailed knowledge and knowhow on M&A and very reliable without errors and mistakes." (M&A client) 

"Flexibility in advice based on our needs." (Private equity client) 

"Strategic and practical, not battling style." (Private equity client) 

"Responsiveness, in-depth expertise in the field of energy in Japan." (Project development client) 

"Their industry and market knowledge is exceptional. Their advice is grounded in extensive experience from past projects and solid legal expertise. They also maintain strong connections with the Japanese government through various interactions, including secondment arrangements and committee activities, which further enhance their competency." (Project development client) 

"They have very experienced and skilled lawyers." (Project development client) 

"They possess a comprehensive understanding of our business and industry, coupled with extensive knowledge of pertinent laws and regulations, derived from substantial project experience. Additionally, they maintain strong governmental relationships, which further substantiate their profound understanding of the industry, market, and regulatory framework."(Project development client) 

"High level of expertise and fast response." (Project finance client) 

"I liked the fact that they were able to accurately grasp the facts and the arguments of both sides, and then gave me appropriate, considerate advice that took into account both parties' positions." (Project finance client) 

Akira Matsushita  

"Advising on the legal strategies against shareholders activism." 

Kei Shirakawa 

"He communicates efficiently, shows a precise understanding of our issues, and provides prompt responses." 

Kohei Morita 

"Good at general corporate law, M&A, litigation." 

Katsuyuki Tainaka 

"Wide range of legal knowledge, finds solutions and well-balanced advice taking legal perspective and business perspective." 

Norihito Sato 

"Thorough job in a short period of time." 

Shigeki Okatani 

"For the renewable energy power generation projects we handle through project finance, we are able to quickly respond to frequently changing systems and provide appropriate advice based on an understanding of the complex relationships with stakeholders." 

Sonoko Amano 

"She is a legal professional specializing in the financial industry, with particular expertise in capital markets and asset management. 

She is one of the most active lawyers in the real estate finance industry in Japan. She has worked on a variety of cases, including capital increases and merger projects, and has led these projects to success with her excellent legal advice." 

Takayuki Kihira  

"He knows the recent trend and market standard in M&A industry and how to lead his clients to achieve contractual terms advantageous to them in domestic and international deals. He has prominent English communication skills." 

Takahiro Kobayashi  

"Very good communication skills and responsiveness with excellent industry knowledge." 

"Good at renewable energy field in general.” 

Toshimitsu Nemoto  

"We appreciate that Mr. Nemoto has a broad knowledge of finance in general and is able to solve even complex problems quickly and with rational judgement." 

Takeshi Okuyama  

"He demonstrates a strong understanding of our company and consistently offers flexible and well-considered advice." 

Hajime Tanahashi 

"Long experience and excellent expertise on M&A, in particular, PE fund transactions. He can take appropriate risk." 

Taro Omoto  

"He has broad experience of fund management." 

Yasuhiko Fujitsu 

"He possesses extensive expertise in J-REITs overall and can be relied upon to handle tasks with great confidence." 

Yoshihito Kuramochi 

"He provides services for us in the field of finance, paying close attention to the details of contracts." 

Yuki Matsuda 

"Finance and legal knowledge. Kind advice." 

"Innovative and good knowledge about our business." 

"He has a good knowledge of structured finance." 

"Matsuda demonstrates exceptional professionalism and expertise in handling complex legal matters. He provides clear, accurate, and practical advice, which is highly beneficial for our business operations. His approachable and kind demeanor makes communication seamless and efficient, and he consistently goes the extra mile to address our concerns thoroughly." 

Yusuke Murakami 

"Leads the team. Provides necessary inputs at the right time.” 

"He possesses a deep understanding of our business and industry, consistently providing legal advice that is not only appropriate but also practical and tailored to our specific needs. His insights help us navigate complex legal landscapes with confidence." 

"He must be one of the best lawyers in our industry. He has extensive knowledge and experience across all phases of project development. From early-stage planning and consortium governance to construction, financing, and execution. He provides strategic, commercially sound legal guidance that consistently adds value. His deep understanding of complex project structures and regulatory landscapes makes him an indispensable partner in navigating high-stakes transactions."