Professional Summary
Shinichiro Kitamura heads Baker McKenzie’s Finance & Projects group in Tokyo. He has over 20 years of legal experience, including secondments with the legal departments of two foreign financial institutions in London and Tokyo.
Shinichiro is listed as a Leading Lawyer for Banking and Finance: Domestic, Japan in Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific 2023 and a Leading Individual for Banking and Finance in The Legal 500 2023.
Practice Focus
Shinichiro focuses on inbound and domestic leveraged finance, outbound acquisition finance, inbound and domestic project finance, and other structured finance transactions. The latter includes real estate finance, ship finance and other asset finance. His practice also covers general banking transactions, including multijurisdictional syndicated loans, lease transactions and regulatory matters.
Representative Clients, Cases or Matters
- Represented the arrangers and senior lenders on CVC Capital Partners’ acquisition of Shiseido’s Personal Care Business.
- Represented the arranger and lender on its bridge loan to finance a part of Z Holdings Corporation’s take-over bid for ZOZO Co., Ltd.
- Represented the arranger and lender on its JPY 1 trillion bridge loan to finance part of Softbank Group’s GBP 24 billion acquisition of ARM Holdings — the largest cross-border acquisition ever by a Japanese company.
- Represented the arranger and lender on its USD 12.5 billion loan facility to Suntory Holdings in connection with its USD 16 billion acquisition of Beam Inc. This transaction was named as an ASIAN-MENA Counsel Deal of the Year for 2014 and was awarded 2014 Japan Deal of the Year by FinanceAsia and the Debt Market Deal of the Year, M&A Deal of the Year and overall Japan Deal of the Year at the ALB Japan Law Awards 2015.
- Represented the arrangers and lenders on their JPY 1.65 trillion loan to SoftBank in connection with its USD 21.6 billion acquisition of Sprint. This transaction was awarded the Debt Market Deal of the Year, M&A Deal of the Year and TMT Deal of the Year at the ALB Japan Law Awards 2014.
- Represented the arrangers and lenders on their loans to Bain Capital in connection with its acquisition of Skylark. This transaction was awarded the Debt Market Deal of the Year at the ALB Japan Law Awards 2012 and was named Best Private Equity Deal in Japan for 2011 by FinanceAsia.
- Represented various Japanese and international financial institutions as well as private equity firms in inbound and domestic leveraged finance transactions.
- Represented various Japanese financial institutions in outbound M&A finance transactions.
- Represented various international and domestic clients in renewable energy projects and other project finance transactions.
- Represented various international and domestic clients in multiple asset-backed loan transactions, real estate finance and acquisition transactions, and securitization transactions.
- Represented various international and domestic clients in general banking transactions, including multijurisdictional lending transactions and trade finance.
Publications, Presentations and Articles
- Co-author, “Getting the Deal Through – Acquisition Finance 2016 – Japan Chapter,” Law Business Research Ltd, May 2016, Language: English
- Co-author, “Global Acquisition Finance Guide – The Essentials 2015 Edition – Japan Chapter,” Baker McKenzie, April 2015, Language: English
- Co-author, “M&A Handbook on Conducting Business Practically,” Chuokeizai-sha, June 2010, Language: Japanese
Admissions
- New York~United States (2006)
- Japan (2000)
Professional Association and Memberships
- New York State Bar Association – Member
- Tokyo Bar Association – Member
Professional Honors
- Leading Lawyer in Banking and Finance, Domestic in Japan, Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific 2013 -2021
- Leading Individual in Banking and Finance, The Legal 500 2021
Education
- Boston University School of Law (LLM in Banking & Financial Law) (2000)
- Waseda University (BA) (1997)
Languages
Japanese
English