Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) welcomes new counsel, Tetsuo Kurita, who joined the Tokyo office as of May 1. Mr. Kurita is a seasoned lawyer well recognized for his efforts in supporting the legal affairs of Japanese companies advancing into Southeast Asia. He will be working as a member of the Corporate / Mergers & Acquisitions and the Dispute Resolution groups and will be further enhancing Baker & McKenzie’s presence in the Asia Pacific region.
Mr. Kurita will focus on advising Japanese companies on various legal issues with regard to advancing into and doing business in Southeast Asia, and will also handle dispute resolution matters such as commercial arbitration and cross-border litigation. Traveling between Baker & McKenzie’s Tokyo, Singapore and other regional offices, he will support clients in dealing with international issues related to financing, major projects, issuance of securities/listing of stocks, intellectual property, tax and trade alongside the lawyers in these fields at Baker & McKenzie’s various offices around the world.
After originally working for a major law firm in Tokyo, Mr. Kurita went on to study law in the U.S., then moved to Singapore, where he was a partner for three years at one of the leading local law firms. There, he provided Japanese clients with a wide range of legal and commercial advice on advancing into Southeast Asia -work which included establishing alliances with local companies and conducting mergers and acquisitions. He was also involved in matters involving multiple jurisdictions such as establishing regional headquarters and restructuring local subsidiary networks. In addition, Mr. Kurita is highly active in the litigation and international arbitration sector and was the first Japanese case managing officer at the Singapore International Arbitration Center.
Mr. Kurita graduated with an LLB from the University of Tokyo in 2003 and an LLM from the University of Virginia School of Law. He was admitted to practice in Japan in 2004, in Singapore (as a foreign lawyer) in 2010 and in New York in 2011.
Commenting on Mr. Kurita’s arrival to the Firm, Managing Partner of Baker & McKenzie Tokyo, Yoshiaki Muto, stated, “As a law firm actively involved in assisting Japanese companies advance their business into and handle dispute resolution issues in both Asia and established economies, we welcome Mr. Kurita as a great addition to our Firm. His vast experience in advising Japanese clients facing local law and business issues in the Southeast Asian region, and the knowledge built upon this experience, are incomparable assets in Japan. His experience and knowledge will help strengthen our platform for providing on-the-ground legal advice on Southeast Asian matters, directly related to the business of our Japanese clients. With Mr. Kurita joining our office, we will further strengthen the ties we have with our 14 offices in the Asia Pacific region, and the network of Japanese lawyers already working in these locales – strengthening the support we can provide to our clients across the region as a whole.”
Related Posts:
- None Found