Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners

Managing partner: Mr Shiro Kuniya

Firm overview: Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners (“Oh-Ebashi”) is a full service law firm with over 160 attorneys, and with its main offices in Tokyo and Osaka. It was originally established in Osaka in 1981, and now has an equivalently- sized operation in Tokyo. Oh-Ebashi was the first Japanese law firm to open an office in China. Together with its Nagoya Office, Oh-Ebashi currently has offices in four locations. Oh-Ebashi has been providing its clients with the best legal advice and solutions for decades, and is committed to consistently exceed the clients’ expectations and be their ideal legal partner.

Main areas of practice
Corporate/M&A: Oh-Ebashi is capable of handling M&As, joint ventures, corporate reorganisations and business alliances under any transaction structure, and is also capable of handling intra-group reorganisations, capital and business alliances, management buy- outs, acquisitions of publicly-traded companies through tender offers and going-private transactions. Oh-Ebashi has extensive experience in cross-border M&A projects including outbound investments conducted by Japanese companies and inbound deals brought by foreign entities. It offers comprehensive legal support, including advising on emergency strategies with respect to corporate control battles and defensive measures against hostile takeovers and counteroffers thereto, as well as handling M&A related lawsuits and other disputes.

Restructuring/insolvency: Oh-Ebashi’s team, consisting of lawyers with expertise in M&A and finance practice, as well as business restructuring, provides professional support to clients in various capacities, including debtors, sponsor candidates, lenders and business partners.

Finance/insurance: Oh-Ebashi offers general consultation and advice concerning banking, securities, insurance and other financial businesses, including new financial products. With its extensive experience in project finance, securitisation and derivatives, Oh-Ebashi is able to assist in financial planning and schemes.

Intellectual property: Oh-Ebashi strategically supports its clients from planning/executing contracts to filing or defending against lawsuits. It also assists in drafting and negotiating contracts relating to licensing of copyrights, trademarks, patents, know-how and other intellectual property rights. Oh-Ebashi has extensive experience in handling many types of transactions, both internationally and domestically, in various fields of business. It has extensive experience not only in handling large-scale disputes, but small to medium-scale disputes as well.

Life sciences: Oh-Ebashi has been providing legal services to Japanese and foreign pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, bio ventures, research institutions such as universities, hospitals and various other clients for many years. It has handled a number of domestic and cross-border transactions involving leading-edge technology such as iPS cells and antibody drugs. Oh-Ebashi also has attorneys who were members of research ethics review committees. It can therefore adequately address not only intellectual property issues but also the latest issues facing this industry, including issues concerning statutory regulations and ethical requirements of regenerative medicine, genetic medicine and bio technology, as well as the handling of data and personal information.

Dispute resolution: Oh-Ebashi is experienced in litigation and arbitration cases in both Japan and abroad, ranging from anti-trust, corporate, product liability, intellectual property, administrative and tax cases, to general civil, labour and commercial cases. It handles cross-border arbitration cases before various local and international organisations for alternative dispute resolution, such as the AAA, ICC, JCAA, CIETAC, HKIAC, SIAC and LCIA.

Competition and antitrust/consumer protection: To meet the increasingly active enforcement of antitrust law both in Japan and overseas, companies must be well prepared and equipped to comply with antitrust laws. Oh-Ebashi’s antitrust law practice group consists of members with experience working at the Japan Fair Trade Commission as well as studying law overseas, including the US and Europe, enabling it to provide highly-specialised and premium advice to its clients concerning a wide range of areas of antitrust law.

Tax: Oh-Ebashi provides highly specialized legal services on complex tax disputes, making use of its abundant expertise and experience in handling cases involving a broad range of areas under tax law for clients in various business fields in Japan and abroad.

China/Asian desk: Oh-Ebashi has always been very active in China-related transactions and dispute resolutions. Oh- Ebashi handles all types of matters such as trade, alliances/business ventures, disputes with Chinese companies, inbound/outbound investments, intellectual property protection, management or litigation, assessment/establishment of internal control systems and business restructuring or liquidation. In addition to China-related matters, Oh-Ebashi also has lawyers who are qualified to practice in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Thailand, and has several lawyers with substantial legal experience of practicing in various jurisdictions in Southeast Asia.