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Welcome to the ALB Japan Law Awards 2022!
WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists at our awards.
Date: Thursday, 2 June 2022Time: 6:30 pm Cocktail session
Venue: The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo
Asian Legal Business is pleased to announce that the 18th Annual ALB Japan Law Awards 2022 returns as an in-person event! We are thrilled to be returning to Japan after a two-year hiatus and look forward to seeing you again in 2022.
These prestigious awards will recognise the exceptional performance of private practitioners and in-house counsel in Japan and throughout the region. Recognize the accomplishments and efforts of your own law firm, in-house team, or other teams you have worked with in the last year. The process will conclude with an awards ceremony in June 2022. Come celebrate legal excellence with us!
For questions about the submission or the event, please contact
Lokesh Bogati at lokesh.bogati@tr.com or +91 7666 872611.
For questions about sponsorship opportunities, please contact
Amantha Chia at amantha.chia@tr.com or +65 6973 8258.
GUEST OF HONOUR
Keiichi Hayashi
Former Justice, Supreme Court of Japan
Former Ambassador of Japan to the United Kingdom
Senior Counsel, Morrison & Foerster Law Offices
Keiichi is a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan, where he served for almost four years (April 2017–February 2021). Prior to that, he was a senior diplomat with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he worked for over 40 years.
A graduate of the Faculty of Law at Kyoto University, he joined the Ministry in 1974, serving for nearly a decade in the Ministry’s Office of Legal Advisors, which he eventually led. In addition, as a diplomat, he was assigned to seven overseas postings, including as Ambassador of Japan to the United Kingdom (2011–2016) and Ireland (2005–2008).
Keiichi Hayashi is currently a senior counsel in the Litigation Department of Morrison & Foerster Law Offices.
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Categories
CATEGORIES
DEAL CATEGORIES
Debt Market Deal of the Year
Equity Market Deal of the Year
M&A Deal of the Year (Midsize)
M&A Deal of the Year (Premium)
Project Finance Deal of the Year
Real Estate Deal of the Year
Technology, Media and Telecommunications Deal of the Year (Midsize)
Technology, Media and Telecommunications Deal of the Year (Premium)
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES
Dealmaker of the Year
Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year
Foreign Lawyer of the Year
In-House Lawyer of the Year
Managing Partner of the Year
Woman Lawyer of the Year (In-House/Law Firm)
Young Lawyer of the Year (In-House/Law Firm)
IN-HOUSE CATEGORIES
Innovative In-House Team of the Year
Technology, Media and Telecommunications In-House Team of the Year
Japan In-House Team of the Year
FIRM CATEGORIES
Antitrust and Competition Law Firm of the Year
Banking and Financial Services Law Firm of the Year
Boutique Law Firm of the Year
Energy and Resources Law Firm of the Year
Healthcare and Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year
International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year
International Deal Firm of the Year
International Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year
Investment Fund Law Firm of the Year
Japan Deal Firm of the Year
Japan Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year
Japan Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year
Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year
Litigation Law Firm of the Year
Overseas Practice Law Firm of the Year
Real Estate Law Firm of the Year
Regulatory and Compliance Law Firm of the Year
Restructuring and Insolvency Law Firm of the Year
Tax and Trusts Law Firm of the Year
Technology, Media and Telecommunications Law Firm of the Year
Japan Law Firm of the Year
Submit Today
SUBMISSION FORMS
Submissions are closed
IMPORTANT DATES
Opening of submissions | 21 February
Extended deadline for submissions | 31 March
Announcement of finalists | End of April
Awards ceremony | 2 June
SUBMISSION INQUIRIES
Lokesh Bogati
Events Researcher
Phone: +91-22-68414325
lokesh.bogati@thomsonreuters.com
Judges
JUDGING PANEL
Each year, ALB invites an independent judging panel of senior and expert legal industry leaders from various sectors corresponding to the diverse list of award categories. ALB is pleased to introduce some of the distinguished judges. The rest of the panel will be revealed on the evening of the awards.
Arshad Karim
Director & Associate General Counsel, Japan & Korea
Twitter
Arshad Karim is Senior Legal Counsel at Twitter since January 2019, responsible for all legal matters in Japan and Korea, including but not limited to drafting and negotiating various commercial agreements, managing litigation, and advising on privacy, law enforcement, and employment matters.
Prior to Twitter, he served as Senior Vice President & Legal Counsel for Nikko Asset Management Co., Ltd where Arshad was involved in projects such as acquisitions of asset management companies in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia, establishment of joint ventures in China and India, and the listing process with the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Prior to that, he was Legal Counsel & Chief Privacy Officer for IMS Japan, an American pharmaceutical data firm where he led the Company’s efforts to comply with the Personal Information Protection Law of Japan. His previous positions also include tenure at Hayabusa Kokusai Law Offices and Deloitte & Touche in New York. He received a B.A. with Distinction in Biological Sciences from Cornell University and a J.D. from Loyola Law School.
Junko Mukoyama
Senior Corporate Counsel, Avaya Japan
Junko Mukoyama is a board member and senior corporate counsel at Avaya Japan Ltd. and is in charge of the legal department at the company. Before joining Avaya in 2004, she worked at an international law and patent firm as a trademark attorney and at an IT company. She received a masters of law degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and completed a doctorate course in bankruptcy at Waseda University. She has published over a dozen articles in the fields of bankruptcy and intellectual property. She is registered as an attorney in New York State and as a patent attorney in Japan. She is a member of ABI, AIPPI, INTA and JTA.
Hiroshi Miyashita
Associate Professor of Law, Chuo University
Hiroshi Miyashita is Associate Professor of Law at Chuo University in Tokyo. He specializes in constitutional law and information law. Prior to the current position, Miyashita served for the Office of Personal Information Protection in the Cabinet Office of Japan. He received Doctor in Law from Hitotsubashi University. He was a visiting scholar at Harvard Law School, Brussels Privacy Hub, Vrijie Universiteit Brussel and CRIDS (Centre de Recherche Information, Droit et Société), University of Namur. He published five books on privacy including the EU GDPR Commentary in Japanese and over 100 academic articles including many on privacy and data protection.
Kenichi Umezawa
Head of Legal and Compliance, Japan
MSD
Kenichi Umezawa has been Member of the Board, Executive Officer, Chief Legal & Compliance Officer and Head of Legal & Compliance at MSD Japan since January 2020. He has extensive knowledge and experience in the healthcare industry from both sides of Legal and compliance of pharmaceutical business with spending a considerable amount time with Novartis Pharma Japan working as their Head of Pharma Legal, and thereafter, as their Corporate Officer and Head of Integrity & Compliance. He also has experience of working for Microsoft and Cargill respectively in Japan after started his career as a lawyer at White & Case Tokyo.
Mr. Umezawa received his LL.B. degree from Waseda University and is admitted to practice law in Japan (2000).
Kenji Tagaya
Executive Officer, General Counsel, Head of Legal Group
JERA
Mr. Tagaya is the Executive Officer, General Counsel and Head of Legal Group of JERA, which is one of the largest energy companies in Japan, encompassing the entire energy supply chain from upstream fuel investment and fuel procurement through power generation. Prior to joining JERA, Mr. Tagaya worked for a Japanese governmental financial institution (JBIC) and was involved in oil & gas and power project financing in Asia and Middle East.
Mr. Tagaya also spent time as Principal Counsel at an international financial institution (EBRD) in London and was involved in development financing in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. He was awarded ALB (Asian Legal Business) Japan “In-house Lawyer of the Year” in 2017 and Chambers “GC Influencers” Japan in 2019.
Michito Kitamura
Managing Partner
PwC Legal Japan
Michito Kitamura is a managing partner at PwC Legal Japan. Prior to joining PwC Legal Japan in 2016, he started his career in working for Arthur Andersen for 5 years as a C.P.A. and then worked for one of the largest law firms in Japan for 15 years as an attorney-at-law, including five years as a partner.
He specializes in the fields of tax dispute and litigation, wealth management and ESG as well as corporate law and M&A, by utilizing his unique background that includes experience in the legal, tax and accounting fields. Specifically, he has extensive experience representing clients in various kinds of tax disputes and litigation at all court levels in Japan. In addition, he has also engaged in consulting services related to ESG and sustainability agendas with PwC professionals.
Michito has served as an expert on the committee on international taxation of the JICPA. He has also been a lecturer on tax policy at Hitotsubashi University’s School of International and Public Policy from 2011 to the present. He is a graduate of Keio University and NYU School of Law (LLM in International Tax).
Michael Mroczek
President, European Business Council in Japan
Michael Mroczek is a Partner with the Tokyo based Okuno & Partners where he primarily specializes in international commercial arbitration, corporate law, M&A and finance. Michael also serves as President of the European Business Council in Japan (EBC). He is a lecturer at the University of Tokyo where he teaches International Arbitration. He also lectures at the Temple Law School (Tokyo) and the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland). Michael sits as arbitrator in cross-border disputes.
Mika Yano
Vice President, Head of Legal, Asia and the U.S.
Colt Technology Services
Mika Yano is Director, Head of Legal, Asia and the U.S. at Colt Technology Services, Co., Ltd. She has held several in-house positions in Japan and the U.S., and was also in private practice at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Mika is admitted to practice law in New York, and is a graduate of Keio University and Georgetown University Law Center.
Steven Howard
Senior Legal Counsel, Japan & Pan-Asia
Fiskars Group
Steven Howard is Senior Legal Counsel for the Fiskars Group, a Finnish consumer products company which includes such iconic brands as Wedgwood, Waterford and Royal Copenhagen. He handles all legal matters across the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to joining Fiskars this year Steven was a senior counsel with Sony in Tokyo and Singapore for eight years, including two years as Global Privacy Officer for Sony's mobile business group. Originally from the US, Steven has practiced law in Asia for over 20 years, both in-house and in private practice.
Rupert Burrows
Managing Partner, Mayer Brown Tokyo
Rupert Burrows is the Managing Partner of Mayer Brown's Tokyo office. Rupert is highly regarded in Japan for his broad experience in projects work, particularly international infrastructure projects in the energy and chemical sectors and related corporate M&A. His clients include all of the major Japanese trading houses as well as a large number of Japanese utilities and banks. He has a wealth of experience advising Japanese companies on cross-border acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures and other investments.
Wise Wang
Senior Legal Counsel, ByteDance K.K.
Wise Wang is the Senior Legal Counsel responsible for ByteDance K.K.’s legal affairs. He joined ByteDance K.K. as the first in-house legal counsel and is currently the lead product counsel, covering various products of ByteDance K.K. (BtoB, CtoC services including the most downloaded short-movie platform, TikTok).
Prior to joining ByteDance K.K., Wise worked for IBM, Deloitte as a business management consultant, subsequently served as a legal counsel for IT companies across industries (Game, EC, Automobile, Entertainment, Payment services, and SaaS). As an in-house legal counsel at website analytics company, PLAID, Inc., he had played a substantial role in initiating its global IPO (Global offering), which was an exceptional case in Japan-based SaaS industry. Combined with his diversified experiences in the business / legal fields and his multi-language (Japanese, Chinese, and English) skills, he provides unique and balanced legal services for one of the fastest-growing companies in the world.
Yoshio Sano
Director & Regional General Counsel, Far East
Chubb Insurance Japan
Yoshio Sano joined Chubb Insurance Japan as Executive Director and General Counsel, Far East in June 2017 and was promoted a director in March 2018. He manages 6 departments, Legal, Compliance, Solicitation Compliance, Solicitation materials Control, Product Filing and Government Affairs.
Before joining Chubb, he belonged to BNP Paribas Cardif Japan as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer from 2015. Also, he worked for Tokyo office of Aetos Japan, an American asset management company from 2009 to 2015 and for an investment management subsidiary of Namura Holdings from 2005 to 2008 as General Counsel.
He started his business carrier at Nippon Life Insurance in 1985 and experienced in Claims, NLI Research Institute, HR, Legal and Real Estate until 2005. The final job title was General Counsel for Real Estate
He obtained LL.B at University of Tokyo in 1985 and LL.M at Harvard Law School in MA 1995.
He is an attorney at law admitted in New York, USA.
and many more...
Finalists
FINALISTS
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES
Dealmaker of the Year
Asa Shinkawa - Nishimura & Asahi
Eiichi Kanda - Clifford Chance
Go Hashimoto - Atsumi & Sakai
John Tessensohn - SHUSAKU.YAMAMOTO
Jun Usami - White & Case
Kei Asatsuma - Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Keiji Hatano - Sullivan & Cromwell
Ken Lebrun - Davis Polk & Wardwell
Kenji Taneda - Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Koki Yamada - Tokyo International Law Office
Nobusuke Nakamiya - Accenture
Shuhei Uchida - Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Tong Yu - Paul Weiss
Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year
Akihiro Hironaka - Nishimura & Asahi
David Gilmore - Herbert Smith Freehills
Kei Akagawa - Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Kensaku Yamamoto - SHUSAKU.YAMAMOTO
Kohei Murakawa - Atsumi & Sakai
Kunihiro Watanabe - Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Shinsuke Yakura - Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Ryan Goldstein - Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Yosuke Kanegae - Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Foreign Lawyer of the Year
Axel Kuhlmann - Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Bonnie L. Dixon - Atsumi & Sakai
Catherine O'Connell - Catherine O'Connell Law
Christopher Kodama - Davis Polk & Wardwell
Christopher Studebaker - Tokyo International Law Office
Eric Roose - Withers
Fiesta Victoria - ZeLo
Jacky Scanlan-Dyas - Hogan Lovells
Keiji Hatano - Sullivan & Cromwell
Lars Markert - Nishimura & Asahi
Ryan Goldstein - Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Shi Kang - Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
In-House Lawyer of the Year
Anthony Luna – IBM
Emi Takeda - Accenture
Katsuo Nagasawa - Schneider Electric
Yuichiro Watanabe - Airbnb Japan
Managing Partner of the Year
Akiko Araki - Araki International IP & Law
David Gilmore - Herbert Smith Freehills
Fumihide Sugimoto - Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Jon Gray - Davis Polk & Wardwell
Jun Usami - White & Case
Keiji Hatano - Sullivan & Cromwell
Ken Siegel - Morrison & Foerster
Kensaku Yamamoto - SHUSAKU.YAMAMOTO
Masataka Ogasawara - ZeLo
Mikiharu Mori - Tokyo International Law Office
Shinsuke Yakura - Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Reiji Takahashi - Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Ryutaro Nakayama - Nishimura & Asahi
Woman Lawyer of the Year (In-House)
Emi Takeda - Accenture
Naho Kaneko - Dassault Systems
Tomoyo Iwatsuka - Rakuten Mobile
Woman Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm)
Akemi Suzuki - Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Akiko Araki - Araki International IP & Law
Ayako Kawano - White & Case
Catherine O'Connell - Catherine O'Connell Law Offices
Chika Minami - ZeLo
Laarni Victoria Q. Vinas - SHUSAKU.YAMAMOTO
Maya Ito - Nishimura & Asahi
Miho Niunoya - Atsumi & Sakai
Naoko Yanaka - Tokyo International Law Office
Naomi Koshi - Miura & Partners
Takane Hori - Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Tomoe Takahashi – Hogan Lovells
Yumiko Ohta - Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Young Lawyer of the Year (In-House)
David Kadaka - Dassault Systemes
Hiroyuki Hamai - Tokio Marine Holdings
Mami Yamada - Rakuten Mobile
Mina Hoshizawa - Bayer
Satomi Tanaka - IBM Japan
Yuichiro Watanabe - Airbnb Japan
Young Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm)
Akiko Araki - Araki International IP & Law
Jonathan Stradling - Simpson Thacher
Ken Kiyota - Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Kohei Kanzawa - ZeLo
Laarni Victoria Q. Vinas – SHUSAKU.YAMAMOTO
Masahito Saeki - Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nels Hansen - White & Case
Nirav N. Mehta - Sullivan & Cromwell
Ryoichi Inoue - Miura & Partners
Takahito Fujii - Southgate
Viet Nguyen - Hogan Lovells
Yoko Atsumi - Atsumi & Sakai
Yoko Kasai - Nishimura & Asahi
IN-HOUSE CATEGORIES
Innovative In-House Team of the Year
Accenture
Airbnb Japan
Bayer
GlaxoSmithKline
IBM
Tokio Marine Holdings
Technology, Media and Telecommunications In-House Team of the Year
Accenture
Airbnb Japan
IBM
Rakuten Mobile
Japan In-House Team of the Year
Accenture
Airbnb Japan
Bayer
GlaxoSmithKline
IBM
INPEX Corporation
Rakuten Mobile
Softbank Group
Tokio Marine Holdings
FIRM CATEGORIES
Antitrust and Competition Law Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Atsumi & Sakai
Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Hirayama Law Offices
Ikeda & Someya
Miura & Partners
Nishimura & Asahi
TMI Associates
Banking and Financial Services Law Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Atsumi & Sakai
Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi
Paul Weiss
TMI Associates
White & Case
Boutique Law Firm of the Year
Catherine O'Connell Law
Finnegan
Southgate
Tokyo International Law Office
Vanguard Lawyers Tokyo
Energy and Resources Law Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Atsumi & Sakai
Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
Herbert Smith Freehills
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
TMI Associates
White & Case
Healthcare and Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year
Atsumi & Sakai
Hogan Lovells
Morgan Lewis
Morrison & Foerster
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi
SHUSAKU.YAMAMOTO
TMI Associates
Vanguard Lawyers Tokyo
ZeLo
International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Atsumi & Sakai
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Herbert Smith Freehills
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
International Deal Firm of the Year
Clifford Chance
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Paul Weiss
Shearman & Sterling
Simpson Thacher & Barlett
Sullivan & Cromwell
White & Case
International Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year
Finnegan
Hogan Lovells
Morgan Lewis
Morrison & Foerster
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Investment Fund Law Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Atsumi & Sakai
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
TMI Associates
Withers
Japan Deal Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Atsumi & Sakai
Miura & Partners
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi
Southgate
Tokyo International Law Office
Japan Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year
Abe, Ikubo & Katayam
Atsumi & Sakai
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nishimura & Asahi
SHUSAKU.YAMAMOTO
TMI Associates
ZeLo
Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Atsumi & Sakai
Morgan Lewis
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nishimura & Asahi
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
TMI Associates
Vanguard Lawyers Tokyo
Litigation Law Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Atsumi & Sakai
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Morrison & Foerster
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
TMI Associates
Vanguard Lawyers
ZeLo
Overseas Practice Law Firm of the Year
Atsumi & Sakai
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu.
Nishimura & Asahi
Tokyo International Law Office
Real Estate Law Firm of the Year
Atsumi & Sakai
Clifford Chance
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Morrison & Foerster
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
TMI Associates
Withers
Regulatory and Compliance Law Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Atsumi & Sakai
Clifford Chance
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu.
Nishimura & Asahi
SHUSAKU.YAMAMOTO
Sullivan & Cromwell
Restructuring and Insolvency Law Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Atsumi & Sakai
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu.
Nishimura & Asahi
Tax and Trusts Law Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Atsumi & Sakai
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi
TMI Associates
Withers
Technology, Media and Telecommunications Law Firm of the Year
Atsumi & Sakai
Baker & McKenzie
Herbert Smith Freehills
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Morrison & Foerster
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Southgate
TMI Associates
White & Case
ZeLo
Japan Law Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Atsumi & Sakai
Clifford Chance
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Miura & Partners
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Nishimura & Asahi
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
SHUSAKU.YAMAMOTO
Tokyo International Law Office
Withers
DEAL CATEGORIES
Debt Market Deal of the Year
ANA Holdings' Issuance of Zero-Coupon Convertible Bonds
Law Firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Gaikokuho Kyodo-Jigyo Horitsu Jimusho Linklaters; Marunouchi International Law Office
Bain-led Consortium Tender Offer
Law Firm: White & Case
DBJ Debut SRI Notes
Law Firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Clifford Chance; Davis Polk & Wardwell
Government of Indonesia's Samurai Bond Issuance
Law Firms: Assegaf Hamzah & Partners; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
JR East MTN Programme Establishment and Debut Drawdown
Law Firms: Clifford Chance; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Metropolis of Tokyo 144A Bonds
Law Firms: Clifford Chance; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Norinchukin Bank’s Green Bond Offering
Law Firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
NTT Finance's Concurrent Senior Notes Offerings
Law Firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Olympus Corp's Senior Notes Issuance
Law Firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Mayer Brown; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Banks: BofA Securities; J.P. Morgan Securities; Morgan Stanley & Co.; The Bank of New York Mellon
Rakuten's Notes Offering
Law Firms: Nishimura & Asahi; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Sullivan & Cromwell
Equity Market Deal of the Year
Hulic Co's Global Offering
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Nishimura & Asahi
Japan Post Holdings’ Equity Offering
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Sullivan & Cromwell
Net Protections' IPO
Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Nippon Prologis REIT Two Global Follow-on Offerings
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Morrison & Foerster; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Nippon Steel’s Offering of Zero-Coupon Convertible Notes
Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Linklaters; Nishimura & Asahi; Sullivan & Cromwell
Banks: Daiwa Securities; Goldman Sachs; Merrill Lynch
PHC Holdings' IPO
Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
SUMCO Corp's Global Public Offering
Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Sullivan & Cromwell
Visional's IPO
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Nishimura & Asahi; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
West Japan Railway's Global Follow-on Offering
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Nishimura & Asahi; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
M&A Deal of the Year (Midsize)
Acquisition of EPS Holdings for a Management Buyout
Law firms: Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune; Nishimura & Asahi
Advent's Acquisition of Shiseido’s Cosmetic Brands
Law firms: Morgan Lewis & Bockius; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Weil Gotshal & Manges
Atlas Copco’s Acquisition of LEWA GmbH And Geveke B.V.
Law firm: Baker McKenzie
Electronic Gaming Development's Acquisition of SNK Corporation
Law firms: Bae, Kim & Lee; Baker & McKenzie; Lee&K; Miura & Partners
ENEOS Corporation's Acquisition of JSR Corporation’s Elastomers Business
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Nishimura & Asahi
Houlihan Lokey's Acquisition of GCA Corporation
Law firms: Latham & Watkins; Morrison & Foerster
Banks: Daiwa Securities; Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities and Plutus Consulting
Jefferies and SMBC Group's Strategic Alliance
Law firm: Morgan Lewis & Bockius
MBK Partners' Acquisition of Tsukui Holdings Corporation
Law firm: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Mitsubishi Chemical's Exit from Non-Core Businesses
Law firm: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Pennon Group's Acquisition of Bristol Water Holdings
Law firm: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
SBI Holding’s Bid to Acquire Shinsei Bank's Shares
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Morrison & Foerster; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi
SBI Holding and ALBERT’s Capital and Business Alliance
Law firm: Miura & Partners
M&A Deal of the Year (Premium)
Aomori Bank and The Michinoku Bank Merger
Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Shearman & Sterling
Bain-led Consortium Acquisition of Hitachi Metals
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi; Ropes & Gray; White & Case
CBC-led firms Acquisition 46.9% equity interest in Hugel
Law firms: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; Kirkland & Ellis; Shearman & Sterling
CVC's Acquisition of Shiseido's Personal Care Businesses
Law firms: ACCRALAW; Allen & Gledhill; Baker McKenzie; Clifford Chance; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners; Formosa Transnational; Morrison & Foerster; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Skrine; SSEK Legal Consultants; White & Case; Zhong Lun Law Firm
Hitachi's Acquisition of Global Logic
Law firms: Kirkland & Ellis; Shearman & Sterling
Japan Retail Fund Investment and MCUBS MidCity Investment's Merger
Law firm: Morgan Lewis & Bockius
KKR's Acquisition of Yayoi
Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Matsumotokiyoshi Holdings and Cocokara Fine Merger
Law firm: Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune
Panasonic's Acquisition of Blue Yonder
Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson; Guerrero Olivos; Khaitan & Co; Lee and Li Attorneys-at-Law; Lee Tsai & Partners; McCarthy Tétrault; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Rahmat Lim & Partners; White & Case; Zhong Lun Law Firm
PayPal's Acquisition of Paidy
Law firms: Cooley; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi; White & Case
SMFG Acquisition of 49% stake in Vietnam's FE Credit
Law firm: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
U.S. Bancorp's Acquisition of MUFG Union Bank
Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Nishimura & Asahi; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Sullivan & Cromwell
Project Finance Deal of the Year
Project Financing for Biomass Power Plants in Japan
Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi
Project Financing for GOI United Generation Gas-Fired Power Project
Law firms: Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi
Project Financing for Kansai Airport
Law firms: Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi
Real Estate Deal of the Year
Activia Properties Active Portfolio Replacement
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Morrison & Foerster; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Sullivan & Cromwell
ARA's Joint Buyout with Sumitomo Mitsui of Kenedix
Law firm: Latham & Watkins
Blackstone Acquisition of Japan Hotels from Kintetsu Group
Law firms: Morrison & Foerster; Nishimura & Asahi; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Daiwa House Logistics’ IPO
Law firms: Allen & Gledhill; Allen & Overy; Dentons Rodyk & Davidson; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
ESR's Initial Closing of ESR Japan Income Fund
Law firms: Clifford Chance; White & Case
GLP’s Land Acquisition in Akishima
Law firm: Nishimura & Asahi
Bank: Mizuho Leasing Company
Sale of Dentsu Headquarters Building
Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi
Technology, Media and Telecommunications Deal of the Year
Anchor’s Acquisition of Stake in Kakao Japan
Law firms: Kim & Chang; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi; Shin & Kim
Bain Capital’s Public Tender Offer for Acquisition of Shares in Hitachi Metals
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Nishimura & Asahi; Ropes & Gray; White & Case
Hitachi's Acquisition of Global Logic
Law firms: Kirkland & Ellis; Shearman & Sterling
KKR and Rakuten’s Acquisition of Stakes in Seiyu from Walmart
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Nishimura & Asahi; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Panasonic's Acquisition of Blue Yonder
Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson; Guerrero Olivos; Khaitan & Co; Lee and Li Attorneys-at-Law; Lee Tsai & Partners; McCarthy Tétrault; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Rahmat Lim & Partners; White & Case; Zhong Lun Law Firm
Paypal's Acquisition of Paidy
Law firms: Cooley; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi; White & Case
PHC Holdings’ IPO
Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Rakuten's Notes Offering
Law firms: Nishimura & Asahi; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Sullivan & Cromwell
Renesas Electronics' Acquisition of Dialog Semiconductor
Law firms: Covington & Burling; Linklaters; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
SUMCO Corp's Global Offering
Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Sullivan & Cromwell
TDK’s and ATL’s Business Alliance
Law firms: King & Wood Mallesons; Morrison & Foerster
Tencent's Investment in Rakuten
Law firms: Morrison & Foerster; Nishimura & Asahi
TSMC's Specialty Technology Fab in Japan with Sony Semiconductor Solutions
Law firms: Baker & McKenzie; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi
**COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF INFORMATION
Please note that the inclusion of banks and legal advisors in the transactions essentially reflects the information provided by nominating organizations. Therefore, any omission of a party involved in any of these transactions should not be taken as a commentary on the role assumed by that party. For queries about the shortlist, please email Lokesh at lokesh.bogati@thomsonreuters.com
* The above list will be regularly updated until final.
Winners
WINNERS
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES
Dealmaker of the Year
Asa Shinkawa - Nishimura & Asahi
Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year
Akihiro Hironaka - Nishimura & Asahi
Foreign Lawyer of the Year
Catherine O'Connell - Catherine O'Connell Law
In-House Lawyer of the Year
Emi Takeda – Accenture
Managing Partner of the Year
Fumihide Sugimoto - Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Woman Lawyer of the Year (In-House)
Emi Takeda - Accenture
Woman Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm)
Akemi Suzuki - Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Young Lawyer of the Year (In-House)
Satomi Tanaka - IBM Japan
Young Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm)
Yoko Kasai - Nishimura & Asahi
IN-HOUSE CATEGORIES
Innovative In-House Team of the Year
Airbnb Japan
Technology, Media and Telecommunications In-House Team of the Year
Airbnb Japan
Japan In-House Team of the Year
INPEX Corporation
LAW FIRM CATEGORIES
Antitrust and Competition Law Firm of the Year
Hirayama Law Offices
Banking and Financial Services Law Firm of the Year
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Boutique Law Firm of the Year
Vanguard Lawyers
Energy and Resources Law Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
Healthcare and Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year
Nishimura & Asahi
International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year
Nishimura & Asahi
International Deal Firm of the Year
Simpson Thacher & Barlett
International Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year
Hogan Lovells
Investment Fund Law Firm of the Year
Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
Japan Deal Firm of the Year
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Japan Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year
Nishimura & Asahi
Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year
Vanguard Lawyers
Litigation Law Firm of the Year
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Overseas Practice Law Firm of the Year
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Real Estate Law Firm of the Year
Clifford Chance
Regulatory and Compliance Law Firm of the Year
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Restructuring and Insolvency Law Firm of the Year
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Tax and Trusts Law Firm of the Year
Nishimura & Asahi
Technology, Media and Telecommunications Law Firm of the Year
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Japan Law Firm of the Year
Nishimura & Asahi
DEAL CATEGORIES
Debt Market Deal of the Year
Bain-led Consortium Tender Offer
Law Firm: White & Case
Equity Market Deal of the Year
Japan Post Holdings Equity Offering
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Sullivan & Cromwell
M&A Deal of the Year (Midsize)
SBI Holding’s bid to acquire Shinsei Bank's Shares
Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Morrison & Foerster; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi
M&A Deal of the Year (Premium)
CVC's Acquisition of Shiseido's Personal Care Businesses
Law firms: ACCRALAW; Allen & Gledhill; Baker McKenzie; Clifford Chance; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners; Formosa Transnational; Morrison & Foerster; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Skrine; SSEK Legal Consultants; White & Case; Zhong Lun Law Firm
Project Finance Deal of the Year
Project Financing for GOI United Generation Gas-Fired Power Project
Law firms: Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi
Real Estate Deal of the Year
ARA's Joint Buyout with Sumitomo Mitsui of Kenedix
Law firm: Latham & Watkins
Technology, Media and Telecommunications Deal of the Year
Hitachi's Acquisition of Global Logic
Law firms: Kirkland & Ellis; Shearman & Sterling
Quotes
To be updated
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FAQs
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ELIGIBILITY
How do I know if I am eligible to make a submission?
We highly encourage all firms, individuals and in-house teams to submit, as we have numerous award categories to choose from. We welcome both past participants and newcomers to join the submission for the awards.
Is self-nomination permitted?
Yes, we accept self-nominated submissions. We also accept third-party submissions, should you wish to nominate an external party or vice versa.
Is there a fee required to make a submission in the law awards?
No, there is no fee payment required for you or your firm/team to make a submission.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
When will the finalists and winners be announced?
The shortlist of finalists will be released around 4-8 weeks prior to the awards ceremony. The winners will be exclusively announced at the awards ceremony on 2 June 2022.
NOMINATION PROCESS AND ASSESSMENT
How are the finalists chosen?
Asian Legal Business will compile all of the submission entries, and the ALB editorial and research teams will extensively review each submission to ensure the criteria are met in order to advance to the shortlist of finalists. We stress that this process is fair, impartial and not subject to external influences.
How are the winners chosen?
Once the shortlist of finalists have been announced, an independent judging panel will review and select their top three choices for the award categories they are assigned to. The scores for each award category will be tabulated, and the individual/firm/team with the highest score will be announced as the winner.
What are the award categories that I can take part in?
Any law firms, in-house teams or individuals may take part in multiple award categories if appropriate. The researchers reserve the right to move entries from one category to another if they feel it appropriate. The researchers’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Who will be on the judging panel for ALB Japan Law Awards?
There will be an independent judging panel of at least 25 senior and expert legal industry leaders to review the submission materials. The judging panel will be selected on the basis of their expertise and knowledge, and will be comprised from various sectors to correspond to the diverse list of award categories. A partial list of judges’ names will be released prior to the awarding ceremony, and the remaining judges will be revealed on the evening of the awards.
What will my contact information/my client’s information be used for?
All contact information provided will not be disclosed to external parties; and will only be seen by our ALB research team and the judges panel. We keep the information on record internally, in case we need to contact you or your client regarding any questions or discrepancies in the submission form.
Where will my name/firm name/team name be published if we are a finalist or winner?
As a finalist and/or winner, your firm/team/individual name will be published in ALB awards materials and print magazine. For more information, please contact us.
Is my submission confidential?
Any information you submit will only be reviewed by the ALB team and independent judging panel, whose names will be published. The material submitted will only be disclosed to the above; if there is any information that is strictly confidential, please mark clearly on the nomination form. Though we do our best to maintain the security of the information you provide, any information you transmit to us is done at your own risk and Thomson Reuters is not responsible for any unauthorized transmission of information.
SPONSORSHIP, PARTICIPATION AND OTHER
I would like to sponsor the ALB Law Awards.
Please contact Amantha.Chia@thomsonreuters.com or (+65) 6973 8258 for further details regarding sponsorship.
I am interested in being an official partner of the ALB Law Awards, as a media/legal association.
Please contact lokesh.bogati@tr.com.
My practice area or specialty is not listed, but I would like to participate in the Awards.
Please get in touch with our ALB Law Awards research team at lokesh.bogati@tr.com.
Can I participate in Awards across the region?
Yes, you can participate in more than one market. Please note there may be specific criteria for each market.
Who should attend the Awards Ceremony? Can I attend?
We welcome all finalists and non-finalists to join the Awards Ceremony; please contact Amantha.Chia@thomsonreuters.com or (+65) 6973 8258.
I would like to order a winner’s trophy and/or certificate (for finalists and winners).
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Asian Legal Business – Who are We?
Asian Legal Business (ALB) is owned by Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading source of intelligent information for business and professionals. With its portfolio of leading titles, law awards, in-house legal summits and online services, ALB provides authoritative and unbiased insights and unmatched networking and business development opportunities to legal professionals throughout the Asia-Pacific.
ALB combines news and analysis from its team of professional legal journalists and the expert opinions of senior industry professionals with Reuters news and insights that power businesses across the globe.
Please visit legalbusinessonline.com for further information.
Asian Legal Business – Law Awards
The ALB Law Awards are the pre-eminent legal awards in Asia-Pacific, held annually in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, the Philippines and China. The Awards are comprised of months of intensive research and culminate in a black-tie Awarding Ceremony in each of the markets. We cordially invite you to take part in these prestigious awards – and celebrate legal excellence with us.
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