Latham & Watkins Strengthens Japan M&A Team With M&A Partner Yohei Nakagawa

Latham & Watkins Strengthens Japan M&A Team With M&A Partner Yohei Nakagawa

Latham & Watkins, a prominent global law firm, has turned to its US counterpart, Morrison & Foerster, to augment its M&A capabilities in Japan with the recruitment of Yohei Nakagawa as a Partner. Nakagawa specialises in cross-border transaction advisory. Nakagawa’s expertise extends across diverse sectors, including technology, life sciences, media, and entertainment.

Nakagawa’s impressive roster of clients features industry giants such as SoftBank, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba, and Asahi Kasei.

Posit Laohaphan, the Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins’ Asia offices, underscored Japan’s vital role as a global finance and innovation hub. It remains a crucial pillar of the firm’s Asia strategy.

Furthermore, Charles Ruck, the Global Chair of Latham & Watkins’ corporate group, said in a statement that Japan’s allure persists for international companies and investors, with a robust market for both domestic and cross-border M&A anticipated to thrive.

Notably, Latham & Watkins experienced a personnel shift when transactions partner Noah Carr departed for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in November. However, the arrival of Nakagawa has bolstered the firm’s Tokyo presence, now boasting a team of five partners. Additionally, white-collar crime Partner Kaede Toh embarked on her independent practice in the Japanese capital after leaving Latham in February.