Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)‘s ’very responsive‘, ’professional‘ and ’adaptable‘ finance and projects department is especially known for its acquisition finance advice, as well as its deep experience with securitisations, real estate finance, and bridge credit facilities. Shinichiro Kitamura, who is adept at advising clients on both domestic and inbound leveraged and acquisition finance, leads the Tokyo-based team, which also consists of Gavin Raftery, Kosuke Suzuki, and Naoaki Eguchi. Raftery is a key name for finance issues spanning Australia, Japan, and the UK; Suzuki is complimented for his ’strengths in ECA financing‘; and Eguchi is a key contact for project finance and renewable energy infrastructure. Other names to note within the team include Tsutomu Kobayashi and Haruhiko Ogasawara.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The team is very responsive and adaptable. We rely on BM to speak directly to our business people in Japanese, and the feedback from the business is that they are always available.’
- ‘Gavin Raftery is always quick to pick up on any outstanding matters and offer bespoke solutions. It gives us confidence someone is overseeing our whole book of work.’
- ‘The teamwork is quite strong with the leadership and the partner is really engaged and committed.’
- ‘Shinichiro Kitamura is reasonable and can handle deals by considering both legal and practical aspects.’
- ‘Kosuke Suzuki is our contact point, and he devotedly listens to our requests and connects us to the experts in the firm. He himself has strength in ECA financing and can give clear abvice.’
- ‘We value their services based on in-depth insights on relevant regulatory knowledge being reflected in legal documentations to protect their clients, and holistic review approaches rather than specific points to answer.’
- ‘They are very professional and work as a team. They always try to respond as soon as possible, and their advice is very useful.’
- ‘In particular Naoaki Eguchi is in frequent touch with policy makers and proactively helping developers like us to push Japan towards renewables and energy independence.’
Key clients
- Air Trunk
Work highlights
- Advised AirTrunk, a hyperscale data centre specialist, on all aspects of the development and landmark green loan financing of its second data centre in Japan, a 110+MW facility strategically located in western Tokyo.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading associates: Bengoshi
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Haruhiko Ogasawara
Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)Leading partners: Bengoshi
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Shinichiro Kitamura
Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)Naoaki Eguchi
Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Shinichiro Kitamura