Seiji Tomimoto

Partner

Corporate / M&A, Employment & Compensation

Professional Summary

Seiji Tomimoto is a Partner of the Corporate/M&A Practice Group at Baker McKenzie’s Tokyo office. He has worked on a variety of domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, joint ventures, employment matters, and commercial contracts. Seiji has experience working as in-house counsel for Morgan Stanley, where he assisted with internal legal matters and M&A transactions. Prior to joining Baker McKenzie, he worked as an associate at a prominent multinational law firm headquartered in London in their Tokyo and London offices. Seiji was seconded to Baker McKenzie’s Istanbul office (Esin Attorney Partnership) between January 2016 and August 2017. He serves as the head of the Firm’s Japan – Turkey Desk.

Practice Focus

In relation to M&A and corporate matters, Seiji advises on the Companies Act, TOB regulations, the Data Protection Act and the FEFTL. He acts for various Japanese and non-Japanese clients on employment issues, such as redundancies and dismissals, and advises on consultation procedures in connection with company splits. He also assists Japanese companies operating in developing countries, including Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries, in developing global strategies and forecasting risks.

Representative Clients, Cases or Matters

Turkey/Middle East

Acted as the lead associate in representing Marubeni Corporation in its acquisition of 49% of the shares of Turkey-based Temsa Is Makinalari Imalat Pazarlama ve Satis A.S.
Acted as the lead associate in representing Hitachi, Ltd. in its acquisition of 75% of the shares of Kurt & Kurt, a Turkish medical device manufacturer and healthcare services provider.
Acted as the lead associate in representing Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc. in its acquisition of BCS, a Turkish broadcasting equipment business, as a consolidated subsidiary.
Acted as the lead associate in representing a major Turkish home appliance manufacturer in its potential acquisition of a major Japanese home appliance manufacturer.
Represented Acibadem Healthcare Group, a Turkish healthcare institution, in its acquisition of a hospital business in Bulgaria from Tokushukai Group.
Advised various Japanese corporations considering Turkish market entry on the establishment of companies, branch offices and representative offices, as well as the formation of joint ventures.
Advised various Japanese corporations operating in Turkey on labor issues.
Advised various Japanese corporations operating in Turkey on agency and distributorship agreements.
Advised Japanese financial institutions operating in Turkey on financial regulations.
Advised Japanese corporations operating in Turkey on exit procedures including corporate liquidation and the closing of representative offices.
Provided Japanese corporations operating in Turkey with compliance training.
Advised Japanese corporations on the effects of the relaxation of economic sanctions on Iran.
Advised a Japanese listed wind/water power equipment manufacturer on its establishment of an Abu Dhabi office.
Advised a Japanese listed corporation on anti-bribery regulations in the UAE.
Advised a Japanese listed corporation on its establishment of a branch office in Egypt and on potential contract production.
Advised a Japanese listed corporation on agency laws in Egypt.
Advised a major Japanese manufacturer on anti-bribery regulations in Saudi Arabia.
Advised a Japanese listed corporation on agency laws in Qatar.

Other regions

Acted as the lead associate in representing Dentsu Inc. in its JPY 390 billion acquisition of Aegis Group PLC, a UK listed media planning firm.
Acted as the lead associate in representing MS&AD Insurance Group in its acquisition of 100% ownership of a Japanese joint venture with MetLife.
Acted as the lead associate in representing Sumitomo Life Insurance Company in its acquisition of 40% of the shares of Indonesia-based PT BNI Life Insurance.
Acted as the lead associate in representing Nissha Printing Co., Ltd. in its acquisition of AR Metallizing Group.
Acted as the lead associate in representing Next Co., operator of the real estate portal site “HOME’s,” in its acquisition of Trovit, a Spanish company.
Acted as the lead associate in representing KISCO Ltd. in its acquisition of US-based Specialty Coating Systems Inc.
Acted as the lead associate in representing en-japan inc. in its acquisition of New Era India Consultancy in India.
Acted as the lead associate in representing TDK in its public takeover of Epcos AG in Germany for approximately JPY 200 billion.
Acted for Rakuten, Inc. on its acquisition of play.com, a UK-based e-commerce company.
Acted for Schneider Electric SA in France on its establishment of a joint venture in Japan with Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
Acted for Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company on its joint acquisition of Warta, a Polish Insurance Company, with Talanx AG, its strategic partner in Germany.
Acted for Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company on its joint TOB for Europa Group, a Polish listed insurance group, with Talanx AG, its strategic partner in Germany.
Acted for a major Japanese financial institution on its acquisition of a minority stake in a UK-based investment management business with a Japanese subsidiary.
Acted for various foreign-affiliated companies, including a major auditing firm, film company and engineering trading company, on corporate reorganizations in Japan.
Advised a variety of domestic and international companies on labor issues.

Publications, Presentations and Articles

Publications

Co-author, “Legal Considerations for Doing Business in Egypt,” Commercial Law A2Z, DAI‐ICHI HOKI CO.,LTD., March 2018, Language: Japanese
Co-author, “Bankruptcy Laws and Corporate Takeover Laws in Germany: Civil and criminal liabilities imposed on boards of directors in the event of worsening business conditions and hostile takeovers,” Weekly Financial Affairs, Kinzai Institute for Financial Affairs, Inc., May 2013, Language: Japanese
Co-author, “World Legal & Business Guide No. 21 France,” Business Law Journal, LexisNexis, December 2012, Language: Japanese
Author, “International Contracts” (ongoing email newsletter), Dai-Ichi Hoki Co., Ltd., Language: Japanese
Author, “Corporate Legal Practice A-to-Z” (discontinued email newsletter), Dai-Ichi Hoki Co., Ltd., Language: Japanese

Presentations

Speaker, “Cross-Border M&A legal practice,” Executive Management Program at the University of Tokyo, School of POSTEMP, April 2018
Speaker, “Legal considerations for investment and M&A in Turkey,” Panel Discussion: Business Opportunities and Business-related Considerations in Turkey, Seminar: Turkish Business and Investment Environments, Baker McKenzie, Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey (ISPAT), EY Turkey, March 2018
Speaker, “Legal considerations for investment and M&A in Turkey,” Seminar: Interpreting Economic Transition-related Potentiality and Investment Opportunities in Turkey, MUFG Bank, Ltd., November 2017
Speaker, “Legal considerations for investment and M&A in Turkey,” Seminar: Investment and M&A in Turkey, Baker McKenzie, Mizuho Bank, Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey (ISPAT), JETRO, and PRAGMA, February 2017
Speaker, “Study Group on Foreign Competition Laws – Competition laws in the Middle East: Turkey, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel and Jordan,” Japan Fair Trade Commission, December 2015
Speaker, “Asia Focus Group Seminar Series: the Philippines,” Baker McKenzie, December 2014

Media

Quoted in, “Japonya’nın develeri Türk şikret avında,” Ekonomist, 9 April 2017
Quoted in, “Turkish referendum: The President’s risky appeal to patriotism,” The Nikkei Online Edition, 6 April 2017