Masato Hayakawa is a partner in the Technology Transactions Group of Morrison Foerster’s Tokyo Office. Prior to joining the firm’s Tokyo Office, he practiced in the San Francisco Office for several years. His practice is concentrated on transactions and counseling involving intellectual property, including structuring and negotiating license agreements, technology transfers, adversarial patent litigation settlements, outsourcing arrangements, joint development agreements and other intellectual property matters relevant to technology companies.
Masato is also very experienced in the intellectual property aspects of mergers and acquisitions. He advises clients, both emerging and established companies, from a range of industries. For example, Masato has counseled companies in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, semiconductor technology companies, financial institutions, and multinational technology conglomerates. He has extensive experience in cross-border transactions, having worked on major transactions in the United States, Asia, and Europe, and he is fluent in Japanese.
The 2021 edition of Chambers Asia-Pacific noted that “In addition to deep experience and unsurpassed knowledge as an IP practitioner, he brings a deal lawyer's approach to the negotiating table.”
Experience
Represented Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TYO: 4536) in its $225 million acquisition of all outstanding shares of Eyevance Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc., a Texas-based distributor of ophthalmological medicines, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Santen.
Represented Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China Ltd. in its US$780 million collaboration with Japanese pharmaceutical company Shionogi & Co., Ltd., to develop and distribute new drugs and healthcare products throughout China and Southeast Asia.
Represented Fujifilm and Fuji Xerox, a joint venture between Fujifilm and Xerox, in connection with the acquisition by Fujifilm of Xerox's stake in Fuji Xerox and the related arrangements to use the Xerox brand, cross license technology, and establish a long term procurement and services relationship.
Represented Taisho Pharmaceutical in the purchase of French-based pharmaceutical manufacturer UPSA from Bristol-Myers Squibb for $1.6 billion, including the transfer and licensing of trademarks, marketing authorizations, and other intellectual property.
Represented Renesas Electronics Corporation on the IP and commercial aspects of its $6.7 billion acquisition of NASDAQ-listed Integrated Device Technology (IDT), a market-leading analog mixed-signal company, to create market-leading embedded solution capabilities.
Represented Elixirgen, a Maryland-based biotechnology start-up focused on stem cell related technologies, in its strategic business partnership with Ricoh to co-develop cell-based nano-printing technology to support drug discovery. As part of the partnership agreement, Ricoh will acquire a 34.5% stake in Elixirgen.
Represented Fujitsu in its strategic partnership with Ericsson to develop, manufacture, commercialize and deliver end-to-end 5G network solutions and related services to major telecom service providers.
Represented Nissan Motor on the IP and commercial aspects of the sale of its electric battery operations and production facilities to Envision Group, a Chinese renewable energy firm. The transaction included the sale of Nissan’s lithium-ion battery joint venture with NEC Corporation, Automotive Energy Supply Corporation, along with Nissan’s battery manufacturing operations in Japan, the U.S. and the UK.
Represented Nissan Motor in its initiative with DeNA to develop, field test, and manufacture self-driving vehicles and launch Easy Ride, a driverless mobility-as-a-service business.
Represented Renesas Electronics Corporation on the IP and commercial aspects of its $3.2 billion acquisition of listed U.S. semiconductor developer Intersil Corporation, a leading supplier of semiconductors to the automotive industry.