Morrison & Foerster Further Strengthens Cross-Border Corporate Capabilities with New Tokyo Partner

TOKYO (November 21, 2019) – Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that Nozomi Oda has joined its Tokyo office as a partner in the Corporate Department. Ms. Oda, admitted in Japan (bengoshi) and New York, brings to the firm extensive experience in a wide variety of transactions. Her arrival further strengthens Morrison & Foerster’s position as the top international law firm in Japan.

Ms. Oda’s practice spans cross-border public and private M&A transactions, joint ventures, strategic investments, and capital markets transactions. She has a particular emphasis on advising private equity and life sciences clients. Ms. Oda also regularly advises on a wide range of Japanese regulations, including securities regulations, financial regulations, fund regulations, merger review, and healthcare and life sciences regulations. In addition to her work in private practice, Ms. Oda previously spent two years with Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) as a deputy director of the corporate disclosure department — a role in which she participated in the drafting of the FSA’s regulations on disclosures regarding private placement offerings and director compensation.

“Nozomi joins us at a time when the Japanese M&A market is buoyant,” said Ken Siegel, Managing Partner of Morrison & Foerster’s Tokyo office. “Nozomi’s outstanding M&A experience, as well as her strong regulatory securities background, will help us further meet our clients’ growing cross-border needs. In this context, we also look forward to welcoming U.S.- and Japan-qualified M&A partner Yasuhide Watanabe — a former colleague of Nozomi’s — to our Tokyo office in the near future, as he relocates from New York.”

Ms. Oda’s recent notable matters include representing Daiichi Sankyo in its $6.9 billion global drug development and commercialization agreement with AstraZeneca; C.R. Bard in its acquisition of Medicon, a Japan-based distributor of medical equipment; Nissan Motor in its $2.3 billion acquisition of a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors; and Starbucks Coffee in its buyout of the remaining 60.5% share of Starbucks Coffee Japan. Ms. Oda has also advised a wide variety of private equity clients throughout her career. 

“Nozomi will be an excellent personal and strategic fit for the Tokyo office and for the firm,” said Masahiro Shiga, Managing Partner of Morrison & Foerster’s registered associated offices of Ito & Mitomi. “We continue to see increasing demand from private equity clients, on their inbound deals in particular, and are confident that Nozomi, together with our existing partners, will be key to our continued support of this increasingly active group of clients.”

Ms. Oda’s joining Morrison & Foerster further builds on the firm’s strong corporate practice in Japan, as our Tokyo-based attorneys continue to advise on industry-changing deals and win external recognition. This includes recently representing FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation and Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (FX) in connection with Fujifilm’s acquisition of Xerox’s 25% stake in FX for $2.3 billion.

“Morrison & Foerster has a strong global platform and highly impressive Japan and U.S. law capabilities,” said Ms. Oda. “I am excited to join Morrison & Foerster’s premier Tokyo office and to also have the opportunity to work again with some former colleagues. I look forward to advising the firm’s clients on their inbound and outbound transactions, and to counseling them on Japanese regulations.”

Ms. Oda holds an LL.B. from the University of Tokyo and earned her LL.M. from Harvard Law School. She is admitted to practice in Japan (bengoshi) and New York, and is a member of the Daiichi Tokyo Bar Association.