Cross-Cultural Connection

Japanese clients benefit from our thorough understanding of the business culture and decision-making processes that are important in executing both inbound and outbound legal transactions.

McCarthy Tétrault has well over three decades of experience in servicing Japanese clients, and our results-oriented approach and relentless drive allows us to deliver expertly tailored legal solutions. Despite time zones and distance, we frequently act as a trusted adviser for many of our clients in Japan, adapting to their business environments. With the Trans-Pacific Partnership coming to effect, we can assist our clients with taking full advantage of new and liberalized rules governing services, investment protection and market access as between Canada and Japan.

Our industry expertise combined with our global network are also crucial when bridging transpacific legal matters and cultural differences in business. We have relationships with law firms in Japan and have worked collaboratively to ensure clients’ needs are satisfied.

McCarthy Tétrault has an extensive track record of representing Japanese clients, and domestic and foreign clients doing business with Japanese companies, in complex large-scale international legal matters. Our team has represented clients across wide range of industry sectors, including: financial services, oil & gas, power, technology and manufacturing.

International Expertise

Notable mandates include:

• A syndicate of lenders led by MUFG Bank, Ltd., Canada Branch on the project financing of the development, construction and operation of a 102 MW natural gas powered cogeneration facility owned by Fengate Capital Management Ltd.
• A consortium of buyers including Mubadala Capital, ParkJockey and Softbank (through a significant investment in ParkJockey), in the acquisition of the Impark from a subsidiary of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board
• Nemaska Lithium in the C$99 million private placement of subscription receipts with SoftBank Group to fund the Whabouchi lithium mine and Shawinigan electrochemical plant
• Shire Plc., as competition counsel, in its US$62 billion acquisition by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd.
• Sony Corporation in various litigation matters, including anti-trust, privacy and product liability matters
• Greenfire Oil & Gas Ltd. in the acquisition of Hangingstone Demo asset from Japan Canada Oilsands
• Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as underwriter, in the private placement of US$270 million of senior notes issued by Manulife Financial Corporation to purchasers located in Japan, as part of its first private placement offering into Japan
• Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Macquarie Infrastructure Partners III, L.P. in the transfer of a minority share of one of NYK’s subsidiary companies for ¥34.5 billion
• A Japanese bank sued in an Ontario class action following the collapse of the “Mt. Gox” bitcoin exchange
• Suzuki Canada Inc. in its standardization of its Dealer Agreements with its approximately 300 motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and marine engine dealers
• Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Siemens Financial, and Laurentian Bank of Canada in connection with Gosfield Wind Financial's C$130 million wind farm refinancing
• Medicago in its C$357 million acquisition by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation
• Takata Corporation, a major automobile parts manufacturer, and its US subsidiaries, TK Holdings and Highland Industries in multiple Canadian class actions concerning allegedly defective airbags and the subsequent bankruptcy recognition proceedings
• Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ as lead arranger in the financing of the acquisition and development of four wind and solar renewable generation projects in Canada
• The borrowers in the project financings led by Mitsubishi UFG for the construction of the Southgate Solar LP and Windsor Solar LP 50 MW solar power projects in Ontario
• Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings in its US$654.9 million acquisition of Qualicaps
• The syndicate of lenders including the Japan Bank of International Cooperation, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho Corporate Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation of Canada, in GDF SUEZ Canada’s reorganization and project financing for a portfolio or renewable power generating facilities
• Toyota Tsusho in its $602 million acquisition of a 32.5% interest in Encana's coalbed methane and shallow gas assets in the Wheatland Area of Alberta
• Kobo in its US$315 million acquisition by Rakuten
• Chubu Electric Power Company and Toyota Tsusho Goreway Netherlands, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota Tsusho Corporation, in their acquisition of the 875 MW Goreway Power Station
• Goreway Station Partnership, comprised of Chubu Electric Power Company and Toyota Tsusho Corporation, in its C$832 million refinancing of its gas-fired combined cycle power generation facility in Brampton, Ontario
• WENCO International Mining Systems in its acquisition by Hitachi Construction Machinery Co.