DLA Piper Tokyo Managing Partner ranked highest among international law firms in Nikkei’s 2025 Best Performing Lawyers

Masahiko Ishida, Country Managing Partner for DLA Piper in Japan and Head of its Corporate practice has been ranked 7 in the Cross-Border M&A Lawyers category in the Nikkei 2025 Best Performing Lawyers Rankings.

This marks the first time Masahiko and DLA Piper have been recognized in these rankings. Masahiko is also the highest-ranked of only two lawyers from an international law firm included in the list—a truly remarkable achievement.

The Nikkei is the most prestigious business newspaper in Japan and the parent company of the Financial Times. Each year, it publishes the Best Performing Lawyers Rankings, an annual survey recognizing Japan’s most exceptional lawyers across five practice categories.

The survey is conducted by invitation only and gathers votes from major corporate legal departments and leading private practice lawyers. Each participant selects two lawyers who stand out for their exceptional legal services in each category.

For 2025, the rankings covered the following practice areas:

• Cross-Border M&A
• General Corporate Law (Company Law)
• Antitrust and Competition Law
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance
• Compliance

This achievement highlights Masahiko’s exceptional capabilities in guiding clients through complex cross-border transactions and reinforces our firm’s reputation for excellence in Japan and beyond.

Commenting on the recognition, Masahiko said: “I’m honored to be ranked 7 in Nikkei’s Cross-Border M&A category — the highest among international law firms in Japan. This reflects the strength of DLA Piper’s global network and the trust our clients place in us. I’m grateful to our clients and colleagues who make this work possible”.

Learn more about the rankings here: 企業法務部門や弁護士が選ぶ今年活躍した弁護士ランキング　記事一覧 - 日本経済新聞.