Bernard Nelson retired from the partnership in June 2008. He was the Office Managing Partner of the Tokyo office, with a practice that focused on international capital markets transactions, including structured finance. In addition, he had substantial experience advising companies on tax sensitive corporate transactions, project finance transactions, investment funds, lease financings and derivatives.
He represented the major US and English insurance companies in connection with their cross-border financings, and represented the US institutions purchasing debt securities in the first cross-border private placements done between the United States and Belgium, Italy, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway and the first private placement by a UK investment fund in the United States.
Mr. Nelson began his career as an associate with White & Case in 1975. From 1977 to 1980, he was resident in the firm's Paris office, and he became a partner in 1984. Mr. Nelson was a partner in White & Case's London office from 1988 until he left to become a partner with Latham & Watkins in 1997. He had been in the Tokyo office since 2006 as Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi (registered foreign lawyer).