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Toyokawa Jiro

Jiro Toyokawa

Partner
Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)

Biography

Jiro Toyokawa heads the Firm's Corporate/M&A practice group in Tokyo and he has over 20 years of experience in legal practice. He has been listed as a leading individual in Japan for Corporate/M&A in Chambers Asia-Pacific for a decade (2010-2020). Prior to joining Baker McKenzie, he was a partner at Linklaters.

Practice Focus

Jiro's practice focuses on M&A (especially both inbound and outbound cross-border M&A) and joint ventures. He is also well-versed in M&A-related matters, including employment and merger control issues, and has experience advising on a variety of commercial transactions involving license agreements, venture capital funds, stock options, securitizations and litigation stemming from corporate reorganizations. Jiro routinely handles matters related to corporate law, securities law (including stock exchange regulations), employment law, antitrust law and foreign exchange law. He has assisted many clients seeking to expand overseas and has advised numerous corporations in the insurance, IT and industrial sectors. Jiro has also advised Japanese companies on their outbound investments in the US, the UK, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Türkiye, Australia, Poland, Singapore and Thailand, among others.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Acted for Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company on its acquisition of 100% share in StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. a US listed insurance company.
  • Acted for The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited on its acquisition of 100% share in Protective Life Corporation, a US listed insurance company.(Best FIG Deal by FinanceAsia Japan 2014/15)
  • Acted for Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited on its acquisition of First Capital Insurance Limited, one of Singapore’s largest non-life insurers.
  • Acted for a US private equity firm on its investment in the convertible preferred shares in a Japanese theme park.
  • Acted for an Asian private equity fund on its acquisition of a minority interest in a Japanese insurance business.
  • Acted for Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited on its agreement with Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A., an Italian insurance company, on arrangements in conjunction with closure of Generali Japan branch including comprehensive transfer of Generali Japan branch's insurance contracts to MSI.
  • Acted for Getronics N.V. on the sale of 70% of its share capital in Getronics Japan, Ltd. to NTT Data Corporation, accompanied by the formation of a joint venture.   
  • Acted for Man Financial Japan Ltd on the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of FXA Securities Ltd., a regulated Japanese online foreign exchange broker.
  • Acted for a European financial instruments broker on its 90% share acquisition in a Japanese FX broker.
  • Acted for a Japanese food manufacturer on its third party allotment to a Japanese trading house, accompanied by a business alliance.

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Dai-Ni Tokyo Bar Association - Member

Admissions

  • Japan (1999)
  • New York~United States (2005)

Education

  • Columbia Law School (LLM) (2004)
  • The University of Tokyo (LLB) (1997)

Languages

  • English
  • Japanese

Co-author, "Legal systems for insolvency and corporate acquisition in Germany,” Weekly Kinyu Zaisei Jijo May, 13 2013 issue (vol. 3024), Kinzai, May 2013

Co-author, "World Legal & Business Guide No.22 Italy," Business Law Journal, LexisNexis, January 2013

Co-author, "World Legal & Business Guide No.20 Germany," Business Law Journal, LexisNexis, November 2012

Co-author, “The Reform of the Commercial Code and Practice of Corporate Governance,” Nihon Keizai Shinbunsha, March 2003

Co-author, “The Reform of the Commercial Code and Practice,” Nihon Keizai Shinbunsha, March 2002