Representative Experience

  • Advised Japanese information and health technology giant Hoya Corporation in its 27-billion-yen investment in a consortium led by Boston’s Bain Capital to purchase Toshiba’s flash memory chip business for $17.8 billion.
  • Represented Sumitomo Chemical Corporation on the development and expansion of a multibillion-dollar integrated refining and petrochemicals Rabigh II Complex (MEA Petrochemical 2015 Deal of the Year, Project Finance International magazine).
  • Represented a Japanese industrial company in a multibillion-dollar ICC arbitration stemming from claimed failure of certain critical components our client supplied for Southern California Edison’s San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

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  • Corporate and Securities Matters
    • Representing several Japanese commercial banks in developing and roll-out of nationwide digital banking platforms, including regulatory and related issues.
    • Provided guidance, in conjunction Tokyo-based law firm, City-Yuwa, to the Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA) regarding how to appropriately regulate the trading of stablecoins, a digital currency attached to a stable reserve asset, in Japan under the country’s amended Payment Services Act.
    • Represented Sumitomo Corp./Imagica Robot Holdings/Cool Japan in its acquisition of SDI Japan Media in California.
    • Represented Orix Aviation in its US$3.2 billion purchase of stake in Avolon Holdings Limited.
    • Represented JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy Corp. in its US$800 million sale of two life sciences subsidiaries.
    • Represented NTT Data Inc. in its US$3 billion acquisition of Dell Inc.’s IT services unit, Perot Systems Corp.
    • Represented Sumitomo Chemical in its acquisition of Monsanto’s worldwide sulfuron business.
    • Represented a Japanese materials company in connection with its acquisition of a majority interest in a concrete ready-mix business in California.
    • Represented a Japanese health care company in the acquisition of the seventh-largest U.S. home health care service provider, based in California, using a reverse triangular merger in acquiring all ownership interest in the limited partnership.
    • Handled Synnex Infotec’s refinancing of funds used to acquire Marubeni Infotec Corp.
    • Represented Japanese petrochemical manufacturers in the formation of a three-party joint venture company in Texas with a U.S. competitor for the manufacture and marketing of rubber additive products.
  • Energy and Infrastructure Projects
    • Advised SoftBank Group and its subsidiary SB Energy on a significant investment in Nemaska Lithium Inc., a Canadian mining company.
    • Represented JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corporation in connection with its investment alongside joint venture partner, NRG Energy Inc., in a US$1 billion carbon, capture and sequestration (CCS) Project.
    • Advised a U.S.-based global provider of semiconductor systems on the refurbishment of a microchip manufacturing facility in Hiroshima, Japan, involving drafting and negotiating complex design and build agreements with seven separate Japanese contractors.
    • Advised Mizuho Securities in its role as sole structuring agent and sole bookrunner for GECAS’s $709 million Labrador Aviation Finance asset-backed security. The transaction was the first ABS deal with equity placed in South Korea. Other aviation industry clients include Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Company, Sumisho Aero Engine Lease, and Sumitomo Corporation.
    • Advised Toyota Tsusho Corp. on its investment in a 725 MW natural gas-fired power plant in the U.S.
    •  Represented a consortium of Japanese trading companies and heavy equipment manufacturers in the engineering, procurement and construction of power plants located in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
    • Advised a Japanese oil and gas company on an enhanced oil recovery project in the Middle East.
    • Advised a large Japanese nuclear energy company in connection with its worldwide joint venture alliance with a prominent French nuclear company.
  • Intellectual Property
    • Acted for a global Japanese sports brand in enforcing a patent and defending the patent in IPR.
    • Represented a major optics products manufacturer on patent litigation brought by a nonpracticing entity.
    • Acted for a Japanese chemical manufacturer in connection with a claim for theft of trade secrets, successfully settling the case.
    • Represented a Japanese company and other defendants in a patent and trade secret litigation relating to semiconductor manufacturing equipment components.
    • Achieved a summary judgment ruling for a Japanese industrial light fixture company in noninfringement and related claim construction in a patent case.
    • Advised a Japanese technology company on FRAND issues.
  • Litigation and Dispute Resolution
    •  Represented a major Japan-based manufacturing company in a cross-licensing dispute before the ICC Court of Arbitration in Switzerland concerning nuclear technology licensing agreements with claims exceeding $500 million.
    • Represented a Japanese electronics company in an antitrust lawsuit involving liquid crystal display panels.
    • Represented a Japanese consortium in connection with its restructuring of its investments in Brazil and an international investigation as a result of the Operação Lava Jato (Operation Car Wash) allegations involving Petrobras in Brazil.
    • Represented a major Japanese electronics manufacturer in twin nationwide class actions claiming more than $200 million in damages for allegedly false representation of the battery life of notebook computers.
    • Represented a Japanese automotive parts manufacturer in connection with a claim for reimbursement of recall-related costs. We successfully settled the matter through mediation.
    • Represented Mitsui and subsidiary MOEX in relation to the Macondo Gulf of Mexico oil spill incident, limiting its exposure in one of the largest multidistrict litigation proceedings in history.

Practice Area Highlights

  • Chambers Global 2021 attorney ranking for Japan Projects & Energy: International.
  • The Legal 500 Asia Pacific ranked for Aviation Finance, Construction, and Projects and Energy.
  • Chambers Global ranked for global Aviation Finance, and Chambers Asia-Pacific ranked in Aviation Finance and Construction.

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  • #16 Japan M&A (Completed) by deal value by Refinitiv (2020)
  • Project Finance International recognized Pillsbury’s representation of Sumitomo Chemical in connection with the Petro Rabigh 2 project as its Middle East and Africa Petrochemical Deal of the Year.
  • Airfinance Journal awarded our work for Japanese client Mizuho Securities on an asset-backed security transaction with a Deal of the Year Award in May 2017.
  • Pillsbury was named a “go-to firm” in Intellectual Property Litigation based on an in-house counsel survey of Fortune 500 companies by Corporate Counsel.
  • 2018 Chambers Asia-Pacific ranks Pillsbury’s Construction and Asset Finance practices among Asia-Pacific’s finest.
  • 2017 Chambers Global Guide ranked six practices and named 23 Pillsbury lawyers as among the world’s top lawyers.
  • Japan-based NTT Data Corp.’s $3 billion acquisition of Dell Systems’ IT services division was honored as the Global Corporate Deal of the Year ($1 billion to $10 billion category) at the M&A Atlas Awards in November 2017.
  • Legal industry consulting firm BTI ranked Pillsbury as “One of the 25 Most Recommended Law Firms among General Counsel” in 2016.
  • The Financial Times cited Pillsbury as one of North America’s most innovative law firms in 2015 for the third consecutive year.
  • In 2014, the International Financial Law Review (IFLR) named Pillsbury’s Insolvency & Restructuring practice to the IFLR 1,000.
  • The 2014 International M&A Advisor Awards recognized Pillsbury for “Corporate/Strategic Acquisition of the Year” in the “Over $100 million to $1 billion” category.
  • Voted by Japanese companies as one of the top seven U.S. firms for overseas legal issues in a 2014 survey conducted by Japanese newspaper Nikkei.
  • In 2013, Pillsbury’s integrated Energy team was a Silver Award winner for Project Finance, Infrastructure & Energy by the International Legal Alliance.