Toyota Motor Corporation: Transfer of Hino Motors Ltd.’s Hamura Plant

Atsushi combines his experience as an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley and his broad experience as a business attorney to provide solutions to tech companies and startups, including the design of transaction flows and contractual frameworks in business model creation, fundraising, various types of business collaboration with large corporations, IP strategy building, global business expansion, and strategic M&A and joint venture deals. For larger corporations, he advises on business collaboration with companies in other industry domains and on investments in and business collaborations with startups as well as on their new business model creation.

Yotaro engages in all aspects of corporate legal affairs, focusing on domestic and overseas M&A and startup-related deals. Leveraging his broad knowledge and experience, Yotaro analyzes transaction structures, designs execution plans and negotiation strategies, and supports the analysis and execution of transactions to achieve their goals and objectives. In the M&A field, Yotaro has a track record of success in numerous deals, including cross-border transactions, and possesses broad knowledge. In addition, Yotaro lived in Singapore for more than two years and has engaged in numerous M&A deals in Southeast Asia. Having been in charge of M&A transactions in the Corporate Strategy Department of a major listed company, Yotaro has expertise in supporting deals based on the in-house processes and corporate culture of Japanese companies. In the field of startups and new business development, Yotaro has worked on numerous projects for the formation of joint ventures between large listed companies and domestic and overseas startups, the formation or development of new businesses, business alliances, and startup investment. With respect to startup investment, Yotaro possesses extensive knowledge and experience in investments around the world, including in Japan, the U.S., and Southeast Asian countries, as well as in South America and India, and provides advice based on the strategic objectives of Japanese companies and CVCs. Yotaro also has a wealth of experience in supporting start-up companies and has strengths in M&A transactions, financing, intellectual property strategy, and support for overseas business expansion, taking into consideration the characteristics of startups. In addition, Yotaro has a wide range of support experience, including in litigation and disputes between companies, scandals, and labor issues.

Kazumaro’s antitrust practice spans various industries, including automotive, energy, telecommunication, medical/healthcare and finance. Kazumaro regularly represents clients in high-profile matters, including merger and acquisitions that require approval in multiple jurisdictions, and global and domestic cartel investigations.

Nobu Tanaka is a partner in our Antitrust and International Trade practice team dealing with merger control, cartel/bid rigging, monopoly, unfair trade practice and dispute related cases. Nobu has much experience in dealing with cross-border merger control, international cartels and cross-border litigation cases. Through his 3 years experience in the U.S., Nobu has a deep understanding of the legal, business and cultural difference between Japan and other countries and he has expertise in explaining Japanese laws in a plain manner. Nobu always tries to understand clients’ interest and clients’ businesses deeply so that he can provide better and flexible solution. Nobu has good reputation in deep understanding of industries and business. In addition to antitrust cases, Nobu also handles various non-antitrust matters, such as cross-border commercial litigation, internal investigation, white-collar matters and cross-borer corporate transaction and general corporate matters including advice relating to new business in Japan. He also has a good reputation in timely and efficient communication. Nobu has LL.M degree at Stanford Law School (2017) and J.D. degree at University of Tokyo School of Law (magna cum laude). Nobu is fluent in English.

Kozo’s anti-trust/competition practice covers every area of the practice, i.e., violation cases such as cartel and unilateral conduct, merger regulations, and compliance to prevent violations of Japanese and foreign competition laws. Kozo continues to be recognized by international law journals as one of the top practitioners in Japan in the area of competition law. He has handled large scale international cartel cases and has contributed to the realization of prominent merger regulations. In the area of international trade law, Kozo is widely recognized as a pioneer of trade law practice in Japan and has advised both the private sector and governmental agencies. He has been involved in most of the trade remedy investigations, such as those for the imposition of anti-dumping duties and subsidy countervailing duties as counsel to Japanese and foreign clients, and in some overseas trade remedy investigations to defend Japanese clients. In addition, Kozo’s practice covers international disputes, corporate crisis management, and regulatory investigations.