Yamato Kogyo Co., Ltd. - Acquisition of a stake in Posco SS Vina Joint Stock Co.
Leading Japanese law firm Nishimura & Asahi advised Yamato Kogyo Co., Ltd. [TSE: 5444], a Japan-based steel manufacturing company, on its agreement to acquire a 49% stake in Vietnam-based steel products manufacturer Posco SS Vina Joint Stock Co. (“Posco SS Vina”) from South Korean-based Posco [KRX: 005490]. Following the acquisition, Posco SS Vina will be renamed Posco Yamato Vina Steel Joint Stock Co.
The Nishimura & Asahi team advising Yamato Kogyo was led by partners Yuichiro Hirota, Kazuhide Ohya and Ha Hoang Loc, counsel Akira Hiramatsu, and foreign attorney Michael Douglas.
People
Stationed in Singapore in 2010 and in Vietnam since 2013, and supported foreign investors in their investments and business development in South East Asia. Provided legal advice on various projects including the following: • M&A deals • infrastructure development projects including smart city, road, and railway • natural resources and energy projects including renewable energy projects • real-estate development projects including residential housing, commercial/logistics, offices, hospitality properties, complex buildings Kazuhide has also advised foreign invested companies in South East Asia in various areas, such as labor, trade, information security, digital regulations, crisis management, and compliance.
He has worked in Vietnam since 2014, and is currently a representative of our Hanoi Office. He has mainly provided legal advice to many Japanese and international companies on various cross border M&A cases and other cross border transactions, including the acquisition of shares in listed companies and large scale companies in various industries. He also provides advice on compliance, labor law, corporate disputes and general corporate and commercial transactions based on his extensive knowledge and experience.
Mr. Loc joined Nishimura & Asahi (Ho Chi Minh City Office) in July 2012. Before that, he spent more than 8 years with other foreign and domestic law firms in Vietnam. He has assisted clients in many large-scale cases including, among others, an acquisition of shares in a public pharmaceutical company in Vietnam, transactions acquiring shares in a public construction company, an acquisition of shares in a digital retailer listed in Vietnam, and bidding by a client for development of a real estate project in Ho Chi Minh City. Mr. Loc has assisted many well-known Japanese investors in investments worth hundreds of millions of US dollars in finance leasing, real estate development, and steel manufacturing businesses in Vietnam. He has advised a number of giant Japanese companies in conducting their business in Vietnam, and he has given lectures to clients’ employees in relation to anti-corruption matters. He has also advised clients in carrying out product recall procedures in Vietnam. Mr. Loc has authored various articles including Anti-Corruption Survey 2014 (Vietnam Chapter) - Anti-Corruption Survey published in 2014, the Mergers & Acquisitions Review - Eighth Edition - (Vietnam Chapter) published in 2014, Vietnam: All change for offshore investors - International Financial Law Review published in 2014, Vietnam: The investment conditions list - International Financial Law Review published in 2015, and Simplifying foreign Investment - International Financial Law Review published in 2016. Mr. Loc is a 2001 graduate of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law (LL.B), and received an LL.M (with Merit) from Southampton Solent University (England) in 2008. He is admitted to the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association (since 2008), and the Vietnam Bar Federation (since 2009). He is fluent in both English and Vietnamese.
Yuichiro has been the co-head of our Osaka office since its establishment. After studying in the United States and being seconded to the Bank of Japan, he has mainly handled corporate, M&A, cross-border M&A, labor law, and labor dispute matters, and has extensive experience in a variety of other practice areas. In addition, he also regularly consults with his clients in order to ensure that any urgent matters are addressed promptly. His ability to advise on corporate crisis management and M&A matters is enhanced by his close relationships with his clients as well as with other legal professionals.