Professional Summary
Jiro Toyokawa brings over 20 years of experience to his leadership of the Firm’s Corporate/M&A practice group in Tokyo. He has been listed among the region’s most eminent Corporate/M&A practitioners in Chambers Asia-Pacific numerous times over the last decade, most recently as a leading individual in Japan in 2024.
Practice Focus
Jiro’s practice is focused on M&A (especially 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 M&As and 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, Turkey, Australia, Poland, Singapore and Thailand, among others.
Representative Clients, Cases or Matters
- Acted for Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company on its acquisition of 100% of StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. a US-listed insurance company.
- Acted for The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited on its acquisition of 100% of Protective Life Corporation, a US-listed insurance company (Best FIG Deal, 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 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 p.A., an Italian insurance company, on arrangements related to the closure of Generali’s Japan branch, including comprehensive transfer of the 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 acquisition of 90% of the shares 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.
- Acted for TDK on its public takeover of Epcos AG in Germany.
- Acted for Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. on its acquisition of Germany-based power tool specialist Metabo AG from a European equity fund.
- Acted for MS&AD Insurance Group on the dissolution of its joint venture with MetLife in Japan.
- Acted for Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company on its strategic alliance with Talanx AG in Germany, accompanied by a minority investment.
- Acted for a Brazilian bank on its acquisition of the Japanese branch of another Brazilian bank.
- Acted for Sumitomo Life Insurance Company on its acquisition of an approximately 40% interest in PT BNI Life Insurance to form a joint venture partnership with PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk.
- Acted for Nikkiso Co., Ltd. on its acquisition of Baxter Healthcare Corporation’s Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) business.
- Acted for Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. on its acquisition of ASX-listed HR services provider Chandler Macleod Group Limited through a scheme of arrangement.
- Acted for Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. on its acquisition of Peoplebank Holdings Pty Ltd, the largest technology recruitment firm in Australia, from private equity firm Navis.
- Acted for a Japanese food company on its acquisition of 100% of the shares in a leading beef slaughterhouse in Uruguay.
- Acted for a Japanese food company on its formation of a JV company with a leading poultry company in Thailand.
Publications, Presentations and Articles
- Co-author, “Legal systems in Germany for insolvency and corporate acquisition,” 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, “Reforms to the Commercial Code and Corporate Governance Practice,” Nihon Keizai Shinbunsha, March 2003
- Co-author, “Reforms to the Commercial Code and Commercial practice,” Nihon Keizai Shinbunsha, March 2002
Admissions
- New York, United States (2005)
- Japan (1999)
Professional Association and Memberships
- Daini Tokyo Bar Association – Member
Education
- Columbia Law School (LLM) (2004)
- The University of Tokyo (LLB) (1997)
Languages
Japanese
English