Kaori Yamada

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has advised Nippon Express Holdings, Inc. (‘Nippon Express’) on the acquisition of the global logistics group Cargo-Partner, headquartered in Austria and consisting of 63 target companies around the world, for a total consideration of up to €1.4bn. The deal was signed on 12 May 2023. Nippon Express is a Japan-based logistics company with a global reputation. The company began working as a logistics provider more than 80 years ago and its global network, today comprising over 739 locations, allows it to smoothly connect the world through advanced logistics. Cargo-Partner has a strong logistics business platform in the Central and Eastern European region, which has attracted attention as an industrial base for Europe. The company operates its air and sea forwarding business across Europe, Asia and North America in the automotive, electric and electronic pharmaceutical and medical industries. This transaction marks a significant step towards Nippon Express’ objective of becoming a global logistics company that supports its customers’ global expansion plans by providing supply chain solutions across the world. It is the latest in a number of cross-border M&A transactions that Nippon Express has executed as part of this vision. The Freshfields team advising on the transaction is led by Global Transactions partners Tomoko Nakajima, Jochen Ellrott, Takeshi Nakao and Konrad Groeller and includes Hugh Goodwin and Stephan Roedler, both as joint lead associates. Partner Kaori Yamada is advising on antitrust issues. Partner Katharina Kubik and senior associate Anna Binder-Gutwinski are advising on tax matters. Partner Karin Buzanich-Sommeregger is advising on employment matters. The transaction leads are supported by a large, multidisciplinary team spanning Freshfields offices in Asia, Europe and the U.S. About Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is a global law firm with a long-standing track record of successfully supporting the world's leading national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments on groundbreaking and business-critical mandates. Our 2,800-plus lawyers deliver results worldwide through our own offices and alongside leading local firms. Our commitment, local and multinational expertise, and business know-how means our clients rely on us when it matters most.

May 17

2 min

Global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) is advising Nippon Express Holdings, Inc. (‘Nippon Express’) on the acquisition of SH HoldCo GmbH (‘Simon Hegele’), a German-based logistics provider with a global footprint and over 35 target companies for healthcare, industrial and retail clients. This all cash deal for 100% of the shares of Simon Hegele from private equity firm EMZ Partners and current and former management-affiliated entities was signed on 30 September 2024. Nippon Express is one of the largest logistics companies in the world. The company began working as a logistics provider more than 80 years ago and its global network, headquartered in Japan and today comprising over 900 locations, allows it to seamlessly connect the world through its advanced logistics services.  The company has continued to expand its global operations in recent years through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, including its acquisition in January 2024 of the global logistics group Cargo-Partner, based in Austria, and consisting of approximately 63 target companies around the world, for a total consideration of up to €1.4bn, which Freshfields also advised. Simon Hegele has over 50 locations across Europe, the Americas and Asia.  The company has particular strengths in contract logistics using its state-of-the-art technology to provide logistics and adjacent services to a variety of clients globally, with a particular focus in Germany.  This transaction allows Nippon Express to further strengthen its overseas operations, especially in Europe, and expand into the healthcare sector where Simon Hegele has significant expertise in. The international Freshfields team advising on the transaction was led by Global Transactions partners Tomoko Nakajima (Tokyo) and Philipp Pütz (Düsseldorf) and included Vasco Ollero (Hamburg) and Arnold Itagaki (Tokyo), both as lead associates, and associates Henri Conze, Anna Eichner (both Düsseldorf) and Burak Firat (Berlin). Kaori Yamada (Tokyo) is the lead partner on antitrust issues. Philipp Redeker (Düsseldorf) is the lead partner on tax matters. The transaction leads are supported by a large, multidisciplinary team spanning Freshfields offices in Asia, Europe and the U.S.

Sep 30

1 min

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has guided Nippon Express Holdings, Inc. (‘Nippon Express’) to the closing of its acquisition of the global logistics group Cargo-Partner, headquartered in Austria and consisting of 63 target companies around the world, for a total consideration of up to €1.4bn. The transaction was announced in May 2023, and closed on 4 January 2024 following the receipt of regulatory approvals. Nippon Express is a Japan-based logistics company with a global reputation. The company began working as a logistics provider more than 80 years ago and its global network, today comprising over 739 locations, allows it to smoothly connect the world through advanced logistics. Cargo-Partner has a strong logistics business platform in the Central and Eastern European regions, areas that have attracted attention as an industrial base for Europe. The company operates its air and sea forwarding business across Europe, Asia and North America in the automotive, electric and electronic pharmaceutical and medical industries. This transaction marks a significant step towards Nippon Express’ objective of becoming a global logistics company that supports its customers’ global expansion plans by providing supply chain solutions across the world. The Freshfields team advising on the transaction was led by Global Transactions partners Tomoko Nakajima, Jochen Ellrott and Konrad Groeller and included Hugh Goodwin as the lead associate, with support from Global Transactions partner Takeshi Nakao and associates Martin Zankl, Wataru Shono, Haley Zhang and Vincent Ko. Partner Kaori Yamada advised on antitrust issues supported by senior associate Lena Boucon and associate Hitoshi Nakajima. Partner Katharina Kubik and senior associate Anna Binder-Gutwinski advised on tax matters. Counsel Felix Neuwirther and principal associate Can-Michael Nural advised on real estate issues. Partner Karin Buzanich-Sommeregger advised on employment matters and counsel Gernot Fritz advised on data privacy IT and IP related matters. The transaction leads were supported by a large, multidisciplinary team spanning Freshfields offices in Asia, Europe and the U.S..

Jan 11

1 min

Global law firm Freshfields has advised Colt Data Centre Services (“Colt DCS”) on a joint venture with ESR to develop the first phase of a 130 MW hyperscale data centre site in Osaka, Japan. The first phase, comprising 65 MW, will be designed and built by the ESR–Colt DCS joint venture and operated by Colt DCS. Colt DCS is global provider of hyperscale, AI and large enterprise data centre solutions while ESR is an Asia-Pacific focused real asset owner and manager. The partnership brings together Colt DCS’ proven operational excellence and over 25 years of development experience in Japan with ESR’s strong in-market development expertise and supply chain partnerships to provide high-quality data centre solutions for customers. Our team advising on the transaction included partners Tomoko Nakajima and Simon Weller, counsel Daniel Boyle, senior associate Junya Suzuki and associate Kevin Fan. Regulatory advice was provided by partner Kaori Yamada, counsel Laurent Bougard and associate Hitoshi Nakajima. Tax advice was provided by partners Peter Clements and Claude Stansbury and senior associate Melissa Pear. IP and data privacy advice was provided by associate Harshavardan Ganesan.

Jan 22

1 min

Global law firm Freshfields is advising Kirin Holdings Company Limited (“Kirin Holdings”) and its subsidiary, Kyowa Hakko Bio Co. Ltd. (“Kyowa Hakko Bio”), on the sale of the international business of manufacturing and selling certain amino acids and Human Milk Oligosaccharide (“HMO”) operated by Kyowa Hakko Bio to Meihua Holdings Group Co Ltd, a China-based company principally engaged in the production and distribution of biological fermented products, including amino acid-related products. Kirin Holdings is a Japanese company with a diverse business portfolio that spans food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, and health science. Kyowa Hakko Bio is a leading company in the research, development, and production of innovative bioactive ingredients. The Freshfields team advising on the transaction was led by partners Takeshi Nakao, Gordon Palmquist and Kaori Yamada in Tokyo with support from senior associates Naoki Matsushita, Chiyokazu Shindo and Emily Seo and associates Seira Shin-Clayton, Takahiro Sato, Yusuke Kanbayashi and Shunsuke Fukuda. US Partners Nabeel Yousef, Stephanie Cripps, Aimen Mir, Nicole Foster and Claude Stansbury, senior advisor Brian Reissaus, counsel Jeremiah Nelson, senior associates Noah Lipkowitz and Andrew Leeds, and associates Andrew Gabel and Casey Hagen are providing US law advice. The Freshfields team also includes Hong Kong Partner Richard Bird, Shanghai Partner Alan Wang, Beijing counsel Ya Ma, Singapore Counsel Cedric Lindenmann, London senior associate Joshua Critchlow and Shanghai associate Tracy Gu.

Nov 26

1 min