Yoshiyuki Asaoka | Lawyers

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Japan

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Mainstream Corporate

“I have significant experience of advising on clients’ strategically important corporate and M&A transactions often at the board level, as well as on corporate governance and corporate litigation both in Japan and internationally. I bring a strategic, financially literate sensibility underpinning my legal expertise, as well as being calm and approachable even in the most challenging of situations.”

Overview

Yoshi is widely regarded as one of Japan’s leading corporate and M&A lawyers. He advises on both cross-border and domestic transactions for private equity firms, global financial institutions, tech giants and major corporates across many industries and sectors. He is co-head of the firm’s Corporate practice in the Tokyo office.

Yoshi has advised on many complex and innovative transactions, including transactions that have set the precedent for future similar deals. These include advising Japanese pharma company Takeda’s acquisition of international biotech Shire, and the business integration between LINE and Z Holdings (Yahoo Japan), two of the market leaders in the Japanese tech space.

Among the range of transactions for PE clients, Yoshi has advised on LBO, MBO, PIPE, carve-out deals and growth investments. He also has expertise in corporate governance and M&A-related litigation.

Work Highlights

Toshiba Corporation on its going-private deal sponsored by Japan Industrial Partners*
Kito Corporation on its business combination with the Crosby Group, a portfolio company of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts*
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group on the sale of MUFG Union Bank to U.S. Bancorp (USB) for US$5.5bn and shares in USB*
Carlyle on its acquisition of JAG Kokusai Energy and Kokusai Kogyo*
NAVER Corporation on the business integration of Line Corporation and Z Holdings Corporation*
Takeda Pharmaceutical on its acquisition of Shire, which involved unprecedented legal, regulatory, accounting and tax issues and a change of law in Japan*
Toshiba Corporation on the sale of Toshiba Memory Corporation (current Kioxia) to a consortium led by Bain Capital*

* experience prior to joining Linklaters

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Beyond the Office

Yoshi is a leading legal writer. He wrote For Further Utilization of Mixed Consideration in M&A - significance and institutional issues (2022) and is the author and editor of Corpus Juris M&A - Completely Revised Edition (first and second volumes), published by Shojihomu Co.

Education and Qualifications

Yoshi studied law at the University of Tokyo and holds a master’s in law and finance from the University of Oxford. He also holds an LLM in corporate law from the New York University.

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Overview

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Beyond the Office

Education and Qualifications

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Overview

Work Highlights