Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP announced today that Edward “Ted” S. Johnson has joined the firm as a partner in its M&A and Private Equity Practice Group based in the firm’s Tokyo office. A leading corporate and M&A lawyer in Japan, Mr. Johnson was formerly a partner with Paul Hastings where he previously served as Managing Partner of the Tokyo office.
Mr. Johnson counsels multinational companies and private equity funds in structuring and negotiating cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, restructurings and other strategic transactions. He also represents clients in dispute resolution and compliance matters involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption, regulatory and competition law issues.
“We’re extremely excited to add another market-leading corporate practitioner focused on cross-border transactions to our Japan Practice,” said Mitch Zuklie, Orrick’s chairman.
“I’ve long admired Ted’s work and couldn’t be more thrilled to have him join our team,” added Mark Weeks, Orrick’s Tokyo Office Leader.
Mr. Johnson represents clients across a wide range of sectors including telecommunications and media, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, manufacturing, power, retail, hotels and real estate, finance and education. He has represented The Walt Disney Company in numerous matters, including its joint venture with Softbank Mobile Corporation to launch Japan’s first mobile virtual network operations and its acquisition of Disney Stores Japan from Oriental Land Co., Ltd. He also advised Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in its successful tender offer of The Seiyu, Ltd. and Warburg Pincus in the sale of its interests in Nikko Asset Management Co. to Sumitomo Trust and Banking Co., a transaction that was awarded “M&A Deal of the Year” by the Asian Legal Business Japan Law Awards.
“Orrick combines a long and prominent heritage in Japan with a strong global platform,” said Mr. Johnson. “This is exactly what clients need to execute their strategies, and I look forward to working with Orrick lawyers around the world.”
Mr. Johnson has authored multiple articles in industry publications and is the co-author of a casebook used at several law schools in the U.S. and Japan entitled “Law and Investment in Japan: Cases and Materials” (Harvard University Press). He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his B.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Long a leader in Japan, Orrick opened its Tokyo office in 1997 as its first international office. The firm’s Japan Practice includes lawyers across 15 offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia and focuses on representing Japan-based multinationals in the technology, energy, industrial and financial services sectors. Orrick’s Japan Practice team has been particularly focused on cross-border transactions for Japanese companies, including advising U-Shin Ltd., one of Asia’s largest producers of automotive access mechanisms, in its acquisition of Paris-based Valeo’s access mechanisms business, representing Sanei International Co. on the sale of its interest in Kate Spade Japan Co and counseling Nippon Soda in its acquisition of Alkaline SAS, a French chemicals company. The firm is a leader in representing Japanese consumer electronics companies in intellectual property and other litigation. Orrick is also playing an active role on behalf of clients in the reinvigoration of Japan’s renewable energy sector.
Mr. Johnson is the second partner to join Orrick’s Tokyo office this year. David Case, the former head of White & Case’s Japan and Northern Asia IP and commercial litigation practices, joined Orrick’s Intellectual Property Group earlier this year.
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