Professional Summary
Masayoshi Kobayashi is a senior associate at Baker McKenzie’s Tokyo office and a member of both the Finance & Projects group and the Restructuring & Insolvency team. Starting in 2020, Masayoshi has been listed as a “Rising Star” and “Leading Associate” for Restructuring and Insolvency (International Firms and Joint Ventures) by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific for seven consecutive years. He was also recently listed among the “Ones to Watch” for Banking and Finance Law in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Japan™ (2027).
Practice Focus
Masayoshi provides legal support for domestic and international finance transactions, including project finance, acquisition finance, leveraged finance, structured finance, syndicated loans, ECA and trade finance, lease financing, factoring, rescue finance and various other finance transactions. He is also very experienced in working with Fintech, financial regulations and PFI/PPP projects. In addition to his finance work, Masayoshi advises on domestic and cross-border restructuring, insolvency, out-of-court workouts and debt collection for debtors, creditors, sponsors and third-party funders.
Representative Clients, Cases or Matters
Finance/Major Projects
- Represented financial institutions and business operators in project finance transactions in connection with large-scale coal- and LNG-fired thermal power generation projects and renewable energy power generation (e.g., solar, wind, biomass and battery energy storage system) projects.
- Represented business operators, financial institutions and the public sector in a number of PFI/PPP transactions, such as concession projects (at airports, cruise terminals, MICE facilities, sports facilities and other locations) and PFI projects (for harbor facilities, waste disposal facilities, schools and school lunch centers, etc.).
- Represented financial institutions (senior/mezzanine lenders) and sponsors in acquisition finance transactions in connection with leveraged buyouts.
- Represented export credit agencies (ECA) including JBIC, other commercial banks and Japanese exporters in finance transactions for Japanese companies exporting their goods and services.
- Advised foreign financial institutions on financial regulations applicable to their services in Japan.
- Advised a major US IT company regarding the lease for its head office in Tokyo.
Restructuring/Insolvency/Debt Collection
- Representing Takata Corporation with respect to its civil rehabilitation proceeding and advised the company in relation to US Chapter 11, Chapter 15 and other proceedings related to the company group’s global insolvency and restructuring.
- Acting as Japanese legal counsel for Westinghouse Group in connection with its global insolvency and restructuring project.
- Advised a European subsidiary of a major Japanese electronics manufacturer on litigation, international arbitration, provisional remedies, enforcement and other dispute resolution proceedings in various European countries in connection with the company’s debt collection project and advised the company on the legal systems of said countries.
- Represented a Japanese subsidiary of a European company in relation to civil rehabilitation, bankruptcy, litigation, provisional remedies, enforcement and other Japanese dispute resolution proceedings against a Japanese obligor.
- Advised a major Japanese healthcare company in connection with the dissolution of its joint venture with a foreign partner and the recovery of shareholder loan receivables, including advice on the joint venture and shareholder loan agreements, and represented the client in collateral enforcement procedures and settlement negotiations.
- Assisted a Japanese auto parts manufacturer in the sale of its European subsidiary, a Japanese hotel operator in the sale of its hotel business in the Asia-Pacific region and other Japanese companies in the withdrawal, liquidation and sale of overseas businesses and subsidiaries.
Publications, Presentations and Articles
Publications and articles
- Co-author, Japan part of Asia Pacific Guide to Lending and Taking Security Fourth Edition, Baker McKenzie, May 2026, Language: English
- Author, “International: Insights from INSOL London 2026,” Baker McKenzie, May 2026, Language: English
- Contributor, “Study Group on Sample Forms for Enterprise Value Charge Trust Agreements, etc.: Meeting Summary and Sample Forms,” Financial Services Agency of Japan, March 2026, Language: Japanese
- Author, “International: Insights from INSOL Hong Kong 2025,” Baker McKenzie, May 2025, Language: English
- Co-author, “Japan: International Arbitration Update No. 20; Navigating Third Party Funding — An Opportunity for Japanese Businesses,”Baker McKenzie, December 2024, Language: English
- Co-author, “The Enterprise Value Charge: Japan’s New Floating Charge-Like Security Interest,” INSOL Restructuring Alert, November 2024, Language: English
- Co-author, “Japan to reform secured transactions law for the first time in 120 years,” Baker McKenzie, April 2023, Language: English
- Co-author, “Regulatory and Enforcement Framework for Unfair Trading and Other Misconduct Involving Digital Assets,” Report on International Regulatory Trends, Enforcement Cases by Regulatory Authorities and Analysis of Market Challenges Relating to Unfair Trading and Other Misconduct Involving Digital Assets, in contribution to a Financial Services Agency of Japan-commissioned research project (contractor: EY Strategy and Consulting Co., Ltd.), April 2023, Language: Japanese
- Co-author, “Outline of Debt Governance in the United States,” Business Restructuring Practice in the United States, European Countries and Singapore, Shojihomu, March 2023, Language: Japanese
- Contributor, “Report of the Study Group on Financing and Business Restructuring Practice Utilizing All-Assets Security,” a Financial Services Agency of Japan-commissioned research project (contractor: Japan Institute of Business Law), March 2023, Language: Japanese
- Co-author, “Japan to introduce long-awaited majority voting rule for out-of-court workouts,” Singapore Global Restructuring Initiative (SGRI) Blog, February 2023, Language: English
- Author, “INSOL London 2022: Developing a Rescue Finance Market – Straight from the Investor’s Mouth,” Baker McKenzie, June 2022, Language: English
- Co-author, “Inherent Conflict between Arbitration and Bankruptcy – US/UK’s Endeavors towards Harmonization and Their Practical Implications for Japanese Law,” JCA Journal Vol. 68 No. 8, Japan Commercial Arbitration Association, August 2021, Language: Japanese
- Co-author, “Global Restructuring and Insolvency Guide – Japan,” Baker McKenzie, May 2020, Language: English
- Contributor, “Doing Business 2020: Comparing Business Regulation in 190 Economies,” World Bank Group, October 2019, Language: English
- Contributor, “Doing Business 2019: Training for Reform,” World Bank Group, October 2018, Language: English
- Co-author, “An Overview of the Spanish Insolvency Law,” Turnaround & Credit Management No. 161, Kinzai Institute for Financial Affairs, July 2018, Language: Japanese
- Contributor, “Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs,” World Bank Group, October 2017, Language: English
- Contributor, “Doing Business 2017: Equal Opportunity for All,” World Bank Group, October 2016, Language: English
- Contributor, “Doing Business 2016: Measuring Regulatory Quality and Efficiency,” World Bank Group, October 2015, Language: English
Presentations
- Speaker, “Recent Legal Reforms Relating to Finance Transactions and Practical Points to Note,” 2025 Asia Pacific Banking & Finance University: Advanced Course, Baker McKenzie, April 2025
- Speaker, “Closure and Restructuring of Overseas Subsidiaries and Businesses,” INSOL Future Leaders of Japan, November 2024
Admissions
Japan (2014)
Professional Association and Memberships
- Tokyo Bar Association – Member
- Insolvency Law Study Group, Tokyo Bar Association – Member
- The East Asian Association of Insolvency & Restructuring (EAAIR) – Member
- INSOL International – Member
- Japanese Federation of Insolvency Professionals (JFIP) – Member
Professional Honors
- Leading Associate, Restructuring and Insolvency: International Firms and Joint Ventures, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2025 – current)
- Listed as one of “Ones to Watch” for Banking and Finance Law in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Japan™ (2027)
- Rising Star, Restructuring and Insolvency: International Firms and Joint Ventures, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2020 – 2024)
Education
- The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London (International Financial Law LLM pathway) (2019-2020)
- Chiba University Law School (JD) (2013)
- The University of Tokyo (LLB) (2011)
Languages
Japanese, English