DLA Piper appoints leading Investment Funds team in Tokyo
DLA Piper announces it has significantly expanded its presence in Tokyo office with the appointment of an Investment Funds team, effective today.
Partners Koji Yamamoto and Yoshiyuki Omori, along with of counsel Wataru Sasaki, associates Hiroki Hosoda and Matthew Shiota, and paralegals Hirokazu Miyamoto and Noriko Narahara join from Withers.
Koji and Yoshiyuki are both widely respected funds partners, bringing more than 20 years of experience advising clients in the investment funds and investment management space. Yoshiyuki is qualified to practice in Japan and both partners are US qualified (New York).
The team includes both bengoshi and foreign-registered lawyers, and brings extensive experience and capabilities, advising both domestic and international funds and financial institutions on a wide range of activities in Japan. This includes capital raising, trading on Japanese exchanges, financial registration applications, and navigating the Japanese financial regulatory landscape. In addition, Koji, Yoshiyuki and their team have also acted as both lead counsel and Japan counsel for fund managers establishing offshore and onshore investment funds that have a wide range of strategies managing and/or investing in Japan.
Catherine Pogorzelski, International Sector Head, Investment Management and Funds, DLA Piper commented: "This is an exciting development for our Investment Management and Funds practice in Asia. The arrival of Koji, Yoshiyuki, and their team significantly strengthens our client offering in Tokyo and deepens our global investment management bench. Their cross-border expertise and deep knowledge of the Japanese regulatory environment position us ideally to support clients looking to invest or raise capital through Japan."
Luke Gannon, Head of Corporate, and Funds and Investment Management in Asia added "I am pleased to welcome Koji and the team to the Asia Corporate and Investment Funds teams. This is our first Investment Funds team appointment in Japan, marking a significant milestone for our Asia Funds practice. The increasing demand from clients to invest in Japan, coupled with improved investor confidence, presents a substantial market opportunity and our expanded team is well-equipped to capitalize on this growth."
Masahiko (Masa) Ishida, Country Managing Partner, Tokyo, concluded: "With the continued support from our clients and colleagues around the globe, DLA Piper's Tokyo office has seen steady and significant growth. This strategic hire further strengthens our capabilities, building on recent senior-level appointments - including Lawrence Carter, who rejoined as Co-Head of our Japan Employment practice, and Ed Sheremeta, who relocated from Hong Kong to serve as Co-Head of Real Estate for Japan. With our exceptional investment funds team led by Koji and Yoshiyuki, and strong synergies across our existing practices, including our market-leading M&A practice and renowned Real Estate group, I am confident that DLA Piper Tokyo will continue delivering best-in-class service as a truly global, one-stop solution provider for our clients."
