Masahiro Tanabe | People | Baker McKenzie

Biography

Masahiro Tanabe is a member of the Finance & Projects Group at the Firm's Tokyo office. He has over 15 years of legal experience in Japan and overseas. Masahiro is admitted to practice law in both Japan and New York. He was raised in the United States and is fluent in English. He was recognized by Legal 500 (2021 edition) as a “Rising Star” for Projects and Energy in Japan.

Practice Focus

Masahiro’s practice focuses on matters relating to power, gas and renewable energy. He regularly assists clients with electricity-related regulatory and transactional work, corporate PPAs (power purchase agreements), battery energy storage systems (ESSs), data centers, offshore wind projects, solar projects, project acquisitions and developments and LNG-related work. He acted for the first foreign electricity retailer to obtain an electricity retail license in Japan and advised on one of the first onsite corporate PPAs in Japan.

Representative Legal Matters

Acted for the first foreign electricity retailer to obtain an electricity retail license in Japan.
Advised a foreign energy company on one of the first onsite corporate PPAs in Japan.
Acted for an international sponsor on the development of one of the first stand-alone battery ESS projects in Japan.
Acted for a leading global data center operator on the development of a hyperscale data center in Japan, including negotiating a power supply agreement with a Japanese supplier.
Advised multiple foreign electricity retailers and wholesalers on their electricity supply agreements in Japan.
Advised multiple foreign energy companies on the establishment of their Japanese electricity trading desks, including providing detailed advice on Japanese electricity regulations.
Advised multiple foreign and Japanese companies on their rooftop solar corporate PPA businesses within Japan and abroad.
Acted for a global offshore wind developer on its joint venture with a Japanese energy company to develop offshore wind projects in Japan with a combined capacity of approximately 600 MW.
Advised multiple foreign offshore wind developers on the development of offshore wind projects in Japan, including providing detailed advice on Japanese offshore wind regulations.
Advised a major Japanese utility on one of the first Japanese-language LNG sale and purchase agreements.

Professional Associations and Memberships

Daini Tokyo Bar Association - Member
New York Bar Association - Member
Japan Wind Power Association - Member
Asia Wind Energy Association - Member

Admissions

New York~United States (2008)
Japan (2004)

Education

Georgetown University Law Center (LLM) (2007)
Kyoto University (LLB) (1999)

Languages

English
Japanese

Publications & articles

Co-author, Forthcoming legislation could spur development of Japanese offshore wind projects, Offshore Wind Journal, February 2018, Language: English
Co-author, Japan's retail electricity market: frequently asked questions from foreign entrants, Baker & McKenzie, August 2017, Language: English
Co-author, Snapshots of Key Asia Pacific Power Markets (providing an overview of the electric power sector in 11 major and developing economies in the region), Baker & McKenzie, 2016, Language: English and Japanese

Presentations

Speaker, "Corporate PPA's in Japan - regulations and contracts," Japan Planning Institute Special Seminar, Japan Planning Institute, May 2020 - May 2022
Speaker, "Ramping up Capacity - What Policy and Regulatory Challenges Remain and What Progress Can We Expect in 2022?" Japan Offshore Wind Updates 2022, Leader Associates, April 2022
Panelist, "Japanese offshore wind first round auction results: update and discussion on implications for the industry," Baker McKenzie, March 2022

Speaker, "A Global Buyers' Guide to PPAs in Emerging Markets," Corporate PPAs: 2021 and Beyond, Baker McKenzie, March 2021
Speaker, "Incorporating Energy Storage into your Rooftop Solar Asset in Japan," SolarAPAC Digital, Leader Associates, April 2021
Speaker, "Japan's Market Landscape for Offshore Wind Power Auctions," Japan Wind Energy 2021, Leader Associates, March 2021
Speaker, "Corporate PPA's in Japan - learning from EFET's standard contract," Kinyu Facsimile Shimbunsha Seminar, FN Communications, February/March 2021
Speaker, "Corporate Sourcing of Renewable Energy: Japan," Corporates in the Global Energy Transition webcast series, GWEC and RE100, October 2020
Speaker, "Japanese Offshore Wind Market: Recent Developments and Opportunities for German Companies," German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan, February 2020
Speaker, "Virtual power plants in Japan - a bright future ahead?" 2nd Japan Solar + Energy Storage, Leader Associates, October 2019
Panelist, "The Outlook for the Energy Resource Aggregation Business in Japan," IPFA, September 2019
Speaker, "Grid connection issues for offshore wind projects in Japan," Renewable Energy in Germany and Japan: Solutions for Offshore Wind Energy Projects, German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan, June 2019
Speaker, "Japanese Offshore Wind Market: Recent Developments and Opportunities for German Companies," East Asia Wind Energy (Hamburg, Germany), German Asia-Pacific Business Association, May 2019
Speaker, "Japanese Offshore Wind Market: Grid Connection Issues," Offshore Wind Power Japan 2019, Centre for Management Technology, May 2019
Speaker, "New Japanese Offshore Wind Law and its impact on contract practice," Kinyu Facsimile Shimbunsha Seminar, FN Communications, January 2019
Speaker, "New Japanese Offshore Wind Bill - a comparison with the UK offshore wind regulations," Japan Planning Institute Special Seminar, Japan Planning Institute, November 2018
Speaker, "New Japanese Offshore Wind Bill - the proposed scheme and its impact on contract practice," Kinyu Facsimile Shimbunsha Seminar, FN Communications, August 2018
Speaker, "Japanese Offshore Wind Market - Legal Background and Recent Developments," Asia Offshore Wind Roundtable (Singapore), Asia Wind Energy Association, April 2018
Speaker, “Drafting Cross-Border Patent License Agreements - from the basics to the latest US court decisions,” Global Course: International Contracts Practice, Japan Intellectual Property Association, January 2015 - December 2021