Hiroaki Takagi > Latham & Watkins LLP > Singapore, Singapore > Lawyer Profile

Latham & Watkins LLP
9 RAFFLES PLACE
#42-02 REPUBLIC PLAZA
SINGAPORE 048619
Singapore

Position

Hiroaki Takagi advises Japanese and international companies and private equity firms on complex M&A transactions with a Japan nexus.

Dual qualified in Japan and the US, Mr. Takagi draws on more than two decades of experience advising clients on:

    • Cross-border and domestic M&A transactions
    • Japanese and US securities regulations
    • Data privacy
    • Corporate governance and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters
    • Trade control
    • Other regulatory and general corporate law matters

He distills the complexities of Japanese market norms and regulatory frameworks into commercially focused legal advice for international clients. Mr. Takagi leverages his extensive experience navigating cross-border M&A to guide Japanese clients in transactions globally.

Mr. Takagi brings an in-depth understanding of public company law garnered from his secondment experience with the Civil Affairs Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Justice. In this role, he helped to oversee a major reform of the Companies Act in Japan, which passed into law in 2014.

Mr. Takagi is a member of the Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association in Japan and the New York State Bar Association. He is Chairman of the Legal Education Committee of the Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association and has served as a visiting professor at Gakushuin University Law School, where he lectured on M&A law. Mr. Takagi also actively participates with the Inter-Pacific Bar Association and serves on the Organizing Committee for its annual conference in Tokyo.

Lawyer Rankings

Japan > TMT: International firms and joint ventures

Latham & Watkins Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise’s data and technology transactions group handles a wide range of complex deals in the TMT space, acting for e-commerce, fintech, start-up, and MedTech clients, among others. Hiroaki Takagi regularly advises Japanese and international companies and private equity firms on tech-related M&A with a Japan nexus. Yohei Nakagawa assists tech clients in connection with outbound and inbound M&A, strategic investments, and international joint ventures. Benjamin Han advises tech and telecoms clients on a variety of IP and commercial matters. Former practice head Stuart Beraha retired from practice in December 2023.

Japan > Corporate and M&A: International firms and joint ventures

Latham & Watkins Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise has a longstanding presence in the Japanese M&A market, with leading clients in the automotive, tech, semiconductor, life sciences, and financial services sectors. Ji Liu leads the firm’s regional corporate group from Hong Kong. Hiroki Kobayashi has a wealth of experience in advising major Japanese and international companies on a wide range of corporate transactions with a Japan nexus. Hiroaki Takagi’s client base includes leading companies and private equity firms, both domestic and global, while Yohei Nakagawa is noted for his experience in the tech, life sciences, and media sectors. Ivan Smallwood has retired from practice.