Professional Summary
Byron Frost is a member of the Corporate/M&A group of Baker McKenzie’s Tokyo office. Byron is also a member of the Tokyo office’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications industry group steering committee. Prior to joining the Firm, he worked at a major law firm in Australia.
Practice Focus
Byron’s practice focuses on cross-border M&A and joint venture transactions, with a particular focus on transactions in the technology and consumer industries. Byron also regularly works on transactions in the hotel, finance, energy and manufacturing industries.
Byron has extensive experience in all aspects of M&A transactions, including transaction planning, domestic and multijurisdictional due diligence, agreement drafting and negotiation, procurement of W&I Insurance policies, managing closing processes and post-merger integration activities.
Representative Clients, Cases or Matters
- Acted for Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation on its agreement to acquire Colonial First State Global Asset Management from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia for approx. AUD 4 billion.
- Acted for Yildiz Holding and GODIVA Chocolatier on the sale of its retail and distribution operations in Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
- Acted for a leading Japanese technology company on multiple transactions, including the acquisition of engineering technology solutions companies in the US and India, an advertising joint venture and a drone airspace management joint venture.
- Acted for Pacifico Energy on its sale of a majority stake in its offshore wind business to SSE Renewables.
- Acted for Wyndham Vacation Resorts on its acquisition of Resort Frontier Co., Ltd. — manager of the Sundance Resort Club — as well as its portfolio of 16 resort properties in Japan and its outstanding inventory.
- Acted for a multinational household appliance manufacturer on its joint venture transaction with a Japanese company for a global appliance business.
- Acted for a listed Japanese company on its acquisition of a large fiber-glass manufacturing business in Europe and the US via two separate carve-out transactions.
- Acted for a US-based manufacturer on its acquisition of a majority stake in the battery separator business of a listed Japanese company.
- Acted for a US-based global energy company on the restructuring of its alliance arrangements in Japan, including its lubricants business.
- Acted for a US-based multinational food and café business on the establishment of a joint venture in Japan, along with associated intellectual property licensing matters.
Publications, Presentations and Articles
Articles
- Author, “Will streaming services end piracy?” Australian Media, Technology and Communications Law Bulletin, Lexis Nexis Australia, August 2015.
- Author, “Net Neutrality – Overseas Experiences and Australia,” Communications Law Bulletin, Communications and Media Law Association, June 2015.
- Co-author, “Tell me your location! Geo-tagging on the rise,” Australian Media, Technology and Communications Law Bulletin, Lexis Nexis Australia, April 2015.
Admissions
- Foreign Registered Lawyer (gaikokuho jimu bengoshi), Japan (2022)
- High Court of Australia, Australia (2013)
- Supreme Court of Queensland, Australia (2012)
Professional Association and Memberships
- Queensland Law Society – Member
- Tokyo Bar Association – Member
- Japan Federation of Bar Associations – Member
Education
College of Law (Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice) (2012)
Bond University (LL.B.) (1st Class Honours) (2011)
Corporate responsibility
Worked with the Queensland Public Interest Law Clearing House, including its Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic in Brisbane, Australia.
Languages
English, Japanese