Six lawyers from Atsumi & Sakai joined Mori Hamada & Matsumoto as of today.

Message from Mr. Hiroshi Maeda

I am honored to be joining Mori Hamada & Matsumoto.

After completing five years of overseas training in April 1990 I returned to Japan, and worked on matters such as the drafting of agreements relating to a program for securitization of receivables for Japanese banks. I also worked on project finance arrangements in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East (such as the Pagbilao Power Station in the Philippines in 1994, and the Ras Laffan LNG Project in Qatar in 1997), where country risk was still high at the time, following export and investment insurance revisions in October 1993, which allowed banks to satisfactorily cover emergency risks.

From the mid-1990s, along with system reforms for developing venture businesses, I was involved in the introduction of SME investment limited partnership agreements and stock options, and I am currently still a member of the Assessment Committee for Proposed Investee Companies for Fund Investment Business of the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Japan. In addition, from 2021, I have been serving as a legal advisor for the “Project for the Creation of an Industry-Academia Nexus,” which aims to develop venture businesses in three prefectures in the Hokuriku region.

Since the enactment of the PFI Act in 1999, I have been involved in new public procurement methods and public-private partnership projects as a member of the Assessment Committee for PFI/PPP projects and as legal counsel on the client side. In addition, I have been a member of the Japan Australia Business Co-operation Committee since 2009 (and Vice-Chairman of the Infrastructure Subcommittee from October 2011 to 2015), and following the signing of an MOU in November 2019, I have been involved in urban development projects around the new Western Sydney Airport and other projects as an overseas expert and legal advisor for UR, of which overseas operations are now permitted following the enactment of the Overseas Infrastructure Development Act in August 2018.

At Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, I look forward to leveraging my experience to date, and will strive to further develop my professional expertise to support our clients.

January 2022
Hiroshi Maeda, Attorney-at-Law

 

Message from Ms. Yuko Nihonmatsu

I am honored to be joining Mori Hamada & Matsumoto.

In the 20 years since I was admitted to the Japanese bar in 2001, I have had the opportunity of working at several law firms, advising on a diverse and wide range of domestic and international legal matters, with a focus on general corporate law and finance. I also worked at the Litigation Department of Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice for two years from 2011 as a government litigator, handling civil disputes and administrative disputes related to the interests of the government. I served as a civil conciliator (part-time judge) at the Tokyo District Court for four years from 2015, presiding over mediation procedures related to civil mediation, including construction cases, IT-related cases, and real estate-related cases, where I gained experience in the field of contentious litigation and dispute resolution.

At Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, I look forward to leveraging my experience to date, and will strive to further develop my professional expertise to support our clients.

January 2022
Yuko Nihonmatsu, Attorney-at-Law

 

Message from Ms. Mihoko Shima

I am honored to be joining Mori Hamada & Matsumoto in January 2022.

After being admitted to the Japanese bar in October 2003, I worked at Nishimura & Asahi for 15 and a half years and at Atsumi & Sakai for just under three years. During my time at those law firms, I also worked part-time as an in-house lawyer at a Japanese bank for twelve of those years, where I worked on legal matters related to overseas project finance, natural resources and energy projects, and overseas infrastructure projects.

I have extensive experience working on matters from the viewpoint of the public sector (employers) and private sector (operators and lenders) in a variety of sectors, including natural resources, LNG, electric power, airports, ports, waste treatment, treated water and reclaimed water, and urban development. I have gained experience in various stages of legal practice, from providing support to national and local governments on examination of structuring and preparation of bidding documents for PPP/PFI projects in Japan and overseas, to feasibility studies/legal system studies, negotiations and contract drafting related to the formation of consortia and coordination among members, structuring and execution of financing and loans, and implementation of management and restructuring negotiations during the financing period and exit strategies. I always strive to achieve “win-win” outcomes by taking a broad view and keeping in mind what each stakeholder is aiming to achieve, while balancing those stakes.
I also actively participate in committees and study groups, and am involved in formulating new policies and implementing initiatives that go beyond the framework of existing legal systems.

During this current period of change where it is difficult to foresee what lies ahead, with issues such as the declining birthrate and aging population in Japan, carbon neutrality challenges, the disruption of global supply chains due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the digital transformation wave, I will seek ways to be of service to society by making the most of my experience and the resources of Mori Hamada & Matsumoto.
​
January 2022
Mihoko Shima, Attorney-at-Law

 

Message from Mr. Tomoya Yura

I am honored to be joining Mori Hamada & Matsumoto.

Since being admitted to the Japanese bar in 2009, I worked at a leading Japanese law firm where I advised on finance matters, with a focus on project finance (including PFI), and also worked on matters in the areas of resources and energy, and infrastructure. Recently, I have also been focusing on providing legal advice related to the tourism industry and regional development.

At Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, I look forward to assisting our clients by providing prompt and accurate advice based on market practices.
​
January 2022
Tomoya Yura, Attorney-at-Law

 

Message from Mr. Motoki Imai

I am honored to be joining Mori Hamada & Matsumoto.

After being admitted to the Japanese bar in 2011, I joined Atsumi & Sakai, where my main areas of focus were general corporate law and finance-related matters. I was also seconded to the PPP/PFI Promotion Office of the Cabinet Office for about two years from 2016, where I was able to gain an in-depth knowledge of systems and laws related to PPP/PFI by working on revisions to PFI laws and regulations, revisions of guidelines, and consulting on individual matters.

At Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, I look forward to leveraging the experience I have gained to date, and will strive to further develop my professional expertise to support our clients.

January 2022
Motoki Imai, Attorney-at-Law

 

Message from Mr. Mitsuyuki Okuyama

I am honored to be joining Mori Hamada & Matsumoto.

Since being admitted to the Japanese bar in 2012, my areas of strength have been legal practice related to construction and real estate, by utilizing my qualification as a registered architect, and I have also gained considerable experience focusing on infrastructure/PPP, dispute resolution, and corporate matters. I was seconded to the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for about two years starting in 2018, where I also worked on legal matters related to the outsourcing of airport operations to the private sector.

At Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, I look forward to leveraging the experience I have gained to date, and will strive to further develop my professional expertise to support our clients.

January 2022
Mitsuyuki Okuyama, Attorney-at-Law