Global law firm White & Case LLP has bolstered its bengoshi profile in Japan with the hire of two new Japanese partners with expertise across M&A, real estate and restructuring. Mr Jun Usami and Ms Ayako Kawano join the firm from Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP.
Jun Usami is widely recognized in the Japanese market for his transactional experience spanning all areas of corporate practice, including M&A, private equity, MBOs, LBOs, strategic alliances and joint ventures. He has a strong track record in cross-border work, from mid-market to large complex deals, as well as in representing investors in the telecommunications, media and technology; asset management; transportation; retail and leisure sectors. Mr Usami joins the Firm as co-head of White & Case’s Tokyo M&A/Corporate Practice, alongside partner Brian Strawn.
Ayako Kawano is a corporate and real estate specialist, dual-qualified in Japan and New York, with extensive experience in acquisitions, dispositions and restructuring of distressed loan and real estate portfolios, as well as in private equity investments, restructuring and cross-border bankruptcy-related M&A. She is widely recognized as a real estate expert across a broad range of practices, from formation of funds, to acquisitions and dispositions, including J-REITs and complex financing deals.
“We are delighted to have Jun and Ayako join the team in Tokyo – their background and expertise fits perfectly with our integrated Japanese and international client offering,” said Barrye Wall, Managing Partner for Asia. “We are expecting an upswing in activity this year, particularly in outbound investments. The combined experience of Jun and Ayako in M&A/corporate and related areas adds considerable firepower to our service offering in Japan, particularly in being able to advise Japanese clients entirely in the Japanese language on both domestic and international legal issues. There are few, if any, international firms which can do this to any scale in Japan.”
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