Withers Japan, Zeirishi Houjin

Private Client & Tax

Partner

Eric focuses on international business and individual taxation.

Eric leads our Tokyo office and also our international corporate tax practice in the Asia-Pacific region from our Singapore office.

His practice involves advising clients on a broad range of international tax planning and corporate tax advisory matters including investment funds, M&A, cross-border transactions, real estate investments, data centres, renewable energy projects and technology matters. He specializes in structuring investment funds focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, and has significant experience in structuring funds to invest into the Asia Pacific region. Eric has advised clients in over $60 billion of international corporate, real estate and private equity transactions.

In addition, he regularly advises ultra high-net-worth individuals on Japan income and inheritance tax planning and is particularly knowledgeable in the taxation of and use of foreign trusts in regard to Japan.

His clients include leading global investment funds sponsors, investors, MNCs, technology companies, enterpreneurs and ultra high-net-worth individuals.

Having worked in Asia for over 25 years, he is well-versed in the taxation of cross-border transactions involving the US, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, New Zealand and China.

Eric graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois, College of Law, where he ranked first in his class. Eric is qualified as a foreign licensed lawyer in Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom, and is a Singapore Accredited Tax Adviser. Eric is also licensed as a CPA in Illinois and Hawaii.

Prior to joining the firm, he headed the tax groups in Asia for Morrison & Foerster and White & Case.

Chambers' Asia-Pacific guide says about him, Eric is the "go-to lawyer on high value projects that need to be closed within a tight deadline and when challenging issues require the greatest level of expertise from a tax standpoint". Chambers has ranked him in Band 1 for Tax for 16 years and has also ranked him in Band 1 for Private Wealth Law. Euromoney has listed him in its World Leading Tax Advisors guide for 20 years in a row. He is also recognised as a Highly Regarded Tax Expert in Japan in WorldTax from 2021 to 2024.

The Japan tax practice has regularly been recognised as a market leader in Japan by legal, tax and ranking guides. In 2016, International Tax Review selected the group as the Japan National Tax Firm of the Year and in 2020, Asian Law Business selected the group as the Tax and Trust Law Firm of the Year.

English

University of Hawaii , BBA University of Illinois College of Law, summa cum laude, Order of the Coif, JD