Takeshi Nakao

Global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (“Freshfields”) is advising The Yokohama Rubber Company, Limited (“Yokohama”) on its acquisition of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s (“Goodyear”) off-the-road (OTR) tire business for $905 million in cash, subject to customary adjustments. The OTR business being acquired by Yokohama is engaged predominantly in the manufacture and sale of tires for mining and construction machinery. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals. Read more about this transaction here. The Freshfields team is led by partners Paul Tiger and Sebastian Fain in New York and Takeshi Nakao and Noah Carr in Tokyo. They are supported by a large cross-border, multidisciplinary team including counsel Enrique Dancausa, senior associates Max Sanders, Marissa Yu and Hugh Goodwin.

Jul 22

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 Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has advised the US technology group 3M on the spin-off of its healthcare division. The business is now listed on the NYSE under the name Solventum. The transaction involved the legal separation and reorganisation of the healthcare business with a turnover of US$8.2bn in over 90 jurisdictions. A large international Freshfields team as well as numerous law firms from our Stronger Together network, helped by the Freshfields Hub and the Freshfields Lab who provided tailored legal tech solutions were at play to achieve this tremendous result on time. The core team included: Partners: Barbara Keil, Elizabeth Oberholzer (both Global Lead, Corporate Law, Munich), Thomas Granetzny (Employment Law), Theresa Ehlen (IP/M&A, both Düsseldorf), Michael Ramb (Regulatory, Berlin), Christian Sistermann (Tax, Munich), Peter Niggemann (Antitrust, Düsseldorf), Gerrit Beckhaus (Real Estate, Hamburg/Berlin), Takeshi Nakao (Tokyo), Dirk-Jan Smit (Amsterdam), Miriam Pérez-Schafer (Madrid), Luigi Verga (Milan), Dr Farid Sigari-Majd (Vienna), Fares Al-Hejljalan (Riyadh), Vincent Macq (Brussels), Stephen Hewes (London; all Corporate Law) Counsels: Christine Laciak (Antitrust/Foreign Investments, Washington), Philipp Lehmann, Stefan Bajohr (Düsseldorf, both IP/M&A), Dr Martin Rehberg (Tax, Munich) Principal Associates: Katharina Reinhardt (Dispute Resolution, Berlin), Elisabeth Wulf (Corporate Law), Nina Gissinger (Real Estate Law, both Hamburg), Julian Siller (Tax, Munich), Sarah Rohmann (Employment Law, Düsseldorf) Associates: Julius Röck, Jan Postweiler, Philipp Schneider, Stefan Aust, Julius Raddatz (all Munich), William Björklund (Berlin; all Corporate Law), Benjamin Blum (Dispute Resolution, Frankfurt), Ilko Trenn (Tax), Julia Kilp (Employment Law, both Munich) Freshfields Lab: Gerrit Beckhaus (Co-Head Lab, Hamburg/Berlin), Lucas Treichl (Co-Head Lab, Vienna/Berlin), Blagoy Penchev (Lead Legal Solutions Engineer, Berlin), Marvin Hartmann (Legal Solutions Engineer, Düsseldorf) Transaction Lawyers/Paralegals: Lisa-Marie Woschniak (Munich), Chelsia Tai (Frankfurt), Vielka Hernandez Ceballos, Maria Konstantinou, Vitalii Ushakov (both Frankfurt), Ekaterina Chepurnaya (Munich)

Apr 8

1 min

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has appointed Noah Carr and Gordon Palmquist as partners. Both will join the firm’s Tokyo office. Noah Carr joins from Latham & Watkins’ Tokyo office and has also worked as a partner at Morrison & Foerster in the city. He advises on complex public and private acquisitions, carve outs, private equity and growth capital investments, joint ventures and strategic alliances, serving a variety of Japanese corporates and investors as well as international financial sponsors. He has over a decade of experience in Japan. Gordon Palmquist joins from Mayer Brown in Tokyo, where he was a partner in the M&A practice after previously working for Shearman & Sterling in the city. He advises Japanese trading houses, corporates, and financial services institutions on outbound M&A, carve-outs and sales of businesses, corporate governance and private equity, real estate, infrastructure and venture capital investments. He speaks fluent Japanese and has lived in Japan for more than 22 years. Noah and Gordon are both US-qualified and registered foreign lawyers ('gaiben') in Japan. Both have broad experience of advising clients on complex cross-border transactions, including those involving the US, where we are continuing to see increased client demand. Noah and Gordon will work closely with our existing Tokyo-based M&A, antitrust and disputes teams and colleagues from across Asia, the US and Europe to service our clients’ evolving needs, with Japan playing an increasingly important role in our clients’ global strategies. “Our partners are pleased to welcome Noah Carr and Gordon Palmquist to Freshfields,” said Thomas Ng, Regional Managing Partner, Asia at Freshfields. “Both are highly regarded by their peers, with strong track records of advising some of Japan’s most recognised companies and leading international investors on a range of business-critical transactions and other matters. Their hires represent the latest step in our growth drive in Japan and their impressive cross-border Japan–US credentials will strengthen our respected Tokyo team and grow our M&A business even further.” “I am delighted that Noah and Gordon have taken the opportunity to join Freshfields,” said Freshfields’ Tokyo Managing Partner Takeshi Nakao. “Their deep experience of the Japan market, together with our fully-integrated team of Japanese and international lawyers – all backed by a world-class, full-service offering and network – will prove a winning combination for our team, our clients and our business. It is an exciting time for our Japan practice, and I look forward to working with our new partners.”

Nov 1

2 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