EXPERIENCE

Hiroaki’s experience includes representing:

Public Transactions

• Ares Management Corporation on the US$3.7 billion acquisition of GCP International, the international business (excluding operations in Greater China) of GLP Capital Partners, an alternative asset manager
• Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. on multiple repurchases of shares with an aggregate value of approximately ¥180 billion from Renault S.A. that were being held in trust by Natixis S.A. in connection with the parties’ rebalanced and restructured alliance
• Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., a leading Japanese automotive group listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, on the negotiation of the new framework agreement between Nissan and Renault Group that includes a three-dimension program to maximize value for all stakeholders of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
• ARA Asset Management in its US$1.3 billion joint buyout, together with Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing, of Kenedix, one of Japan’s leading real estate fund managers, a transaction that was awarded ALB Japan Law Awards’ Real Estate Deal of the Year
• DXC Technology Japan, a subsidiary of DXC Technology, on the sale of its 54% majority stake in Japan Systems, a Japan-based provider of system solutions for enterprises and public services, to Longreach
• Houlihan Lokey in its US$591 million acquisition of GCA Corporation, an M&A advisory firm listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, in a two-step merger including a tender offer and statutory squeeze-out
• Minerva Growth Capital, a growth investment business for late-stage private startups in Japan, on the share acquisition of Roland, a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment, and software
• Syntiant Corp. on its acquisition of the consumer MEMS Microphones business of Knowles Corporation, a provider of high-performance capacitors, radio frequency (RF) filtering products, advanced micro-acoustic microphones, and balanced armature speakers
• A major Japanese pharmaceutical company in its ¥28 billion 2019 tender offer*
• A major Japanese real estate company in its ¥10 billion company split*
• Several top-tier Japanese companies in connection with shareholder activism matters*

Private Transactions

• Nippon Life Insurance Company on its acquisition of a 21.6% equity interest in Corebridge, a retirement solutions and insurance products company, for approximately US$3.84 billion
• Advent International on the acquisition of DSM Engineering Materials, a subsidiary of Royal DSM that provides high-performance specialty materials, through a joint venture with LANXESS
• Aspex on the equity investment in Visional, a Japan-based human resources technology business
• Block in the Series D financing of Kyash, a leading Japanese fintech platform
• Landon Capital Partners and Nova Capital Management on the acquisition of Walbro Co., a Japan-based manufacturing company
• Oravel Stays (OYO), a unicorn company in India, forming a joint venture with Yahoo Japan*
• Park 24 in its acquisitions of:
  • National Car Parks in the UK*
  • Secure Parking in Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia* 
• A major Japanese financial services company in its business alliance with an Indian tech research company to sell its products in Japan*
• A major Japanese food company in the acquisition of four US flour-milling plants from a US-based global food corporation*

Data Privacy and Corporate Governance

• A leading technology and internet group on data privacy compliance in Japan for cross-border products, including in the social media and gaming industries
• A major Japanese trust bank in implementing directors and employees stock remuneration plans for more than 150 Japanese companies, including a multinational pharmaceutical company, a trading house, and an engineering/electronics company, using a trust scheme*
• Major Japanese companies, including a mega financial group, an electronics/semiconductor company, a petrochemical company, and a food company, in implementing directors’ stock remuneration plans using a trust scheme*

Capital Markets

• Deutsche Bank, as lead initial purchaser, in a 144A/Reg S offering of bonds by Softbank Group
• Farfetch, an online luxury fashion retail platform, in an equity investment by Alibaba Group and Richemont in Farfetch and Farfetch China, a new joint venture that includes Farfetch's marketplace operations in the region
• GigaCloud Technology in its initial public offering of 3,381,000 Class A ordinary shares listed on Nasdaq

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham