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Edward Mears

Senior Associate
Tokyo
About

Edward Mears advises clients on corporate and commercial law, advising clients on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital, and fintech matters, especially in the context of emerging technologies. He regularly counsels Japanese and international clients on foreign direct investment (FDI) regimes and national security regulations in the United States, Japan and other key jurisdictions, including developments under the U.S. CFIUS framework and Japan’s FEFTA regime.

Edward also has deep expertise in the intersection of business, politics, and international sport, stemming from a prior career in sports broadcasting and sponsorship with Japan’s largest advertising agency. This background gives him unique perspective on cross-border commercial strategy and stakeholder engagement.

Having been based in Asia for over a decade (Japan and Singapore), Edward is fluent in Japanese and English and is well-versed in navigating the legal, regulatory and cultural complexities of doing business in the region.

Areas of FocusMedia, Sport and EntertainmentCorporate
Professional QualificationsAttorney-at-law admitted with the State Bar of CaliforniaAttorney-at-law admitted with the District of Columbia Bar

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising a Pennsylvania based industrial fluids manufacturer on its acquisition of a leading Japanese leading supplier of surface treatment and plating solutions for the automotive and other industrial applications.
  • Advising an American data center development platform company on its structuring, acquisition and operation of a powered shell full-service data center facility for hyperscale development in Japan.
  • Advising an American marketing technology company on the sale of its Japan subsidiary in connection with a prepackaged Chapter 11 restructuring.
  • Advising a New York based global retailer on its acquisition of a premium Japanese sneaker and streetwear brand, including Japan regulatory and transactional matters.
  • Advising a Japan-based prevision components manufacturer on the settlement of cross-border patent litigation in the U.S. and Japan, including negotiation of a global cross-licensing agreement.
Languages
  • English
  • Japanese
Education
  • University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 2016
    Contributing Editor, Michigan Journal of International Law
    Erasmus Exchange, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Faculty of Law
  • Georgetown University, B.A., magna cum laude, 2007
    Asian Studies Certificate, Walsh School of Foreign Service
    Exchange Program, Waseda University School of International Liberal Studies

Awards

  • Trust Law Collaboration Award (2019), Thomson Reuters Foundation - The Collaboration Award recognizes highly effective working relationships between legal teams, NGOs and social enterprises that have dramatically increased the potential impact of projects as a result. DLA Piper collaborated with Asylum Access, Host International, Refugee Talent, Nokia Singapore, SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatimaitan, BTG Legal, Bae, Kim & Lae and Baker & McKenzie on a research project on the rights of refugees to work in Asia.

Publications

  • Legal and Economic Factors Influencing Efforts Towards Convergence of National Insolvency Laws and Some Representative Examples, Pratt’s Journal of Bankruptcy Law, May 2019, cited as 15 Pratt’s Journal of Bankruptcy Law 207 (2019).
  • What's Past Is Prologue: The European Movement Toward Harmonized Pre-Insolvency Business Restructurings Contrasted with The American Preference for Going-Concern Asset Sales, Pratt's Journal of Bankruptcy Law, March 2018, cited as 14 Pratt's Journal of Bankruptcy Law 105 (2018).
  • The Advance of "Rescue Culture" Business Insolvency Laws: The Long and Winding Road from Chapter 11 to the 2016 Proposed EU Directive, Pratt's Journal of Bankruptcy Law, April 2017, cited as 13 Pratt's Journal of Bankruptcy Law 117 (2017).
  • 2018 Overseas Legal News: Emerging Global Regulatory Frameworks for Initial Coin Offerings, article appearing in the Business Legal Magazine (Business Hōmu), March 2018 (Japanese language).
  • 2017 Overseas Legal News: Proposed Automated Vehicle Policy in the US, article appearing in the Business Legal Magazine (Business Hōmu), March 2017 (Japanese language).
  • Japan Regulatory Update on Virtual Currency Business, DLA Piper Financial Regulatory Alert, December 2017.

Prior Experience

Before attending law school and joining DLA Piper, Edward worked in New York as the head of business development for the sports business division of Japan's largest advertising agency where his work focused on the management of broadcast rights agreements for premiere international sporting events. During law school, Edward spent a summer in the natural resources department of one of Chile's largest law firms in Santiago, where he helped resolve regulatory issues on behalf of stakeholders in the Chilean solar energy industry. He also spent a summer in Tokyo with the legal and growth industry cluster departments of one of Japan's largest multinational banking and financial services companies.

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Georgetown University Alumni Club of Japan, President
  • The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan
  • Lawyers for LGBT+ and Allies Network
  • Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan

My latest insights

Japan: Navigating foreign direct investment rules when you are contemplating a corporate...

17 August 2022

Publication

Japan: Navigating foreign direct investment rules when you are contemplating a corporate...

28 June 2022 .5 minute read

Publication

UK-Japan CEPA

7 December 2020 .13 minute read

Connect

Phone

+81 3 4550 2836
(Work, Tokyo)
+81 70 4457 5583
(Work)
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