JAPAN Trends and Developments
Trends and Developments Contributed by: Takeshi Iitani, Reid Monroe-Sheridan, Takahito Fujii and Akira Kawashiro southgate
southgate is a boutique cross-border transactional firm based in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 2016 as a true partnership of Japanese and foreign lawyers, the firm’s practice focuses on cross-border M&A, joint ventures, corporate governance, and venture capi - tal financings; southgate blends the experience and standards of a large international law firm with the responsiveness, flexibility, accessibility and personal
attentiveness of a boutique. The firm’s team of Japa - nese and US lawyers combines strong Japanese law capabilities with an international approach and a deep understanding of overseas business practices to deliver the level of service global clients expect for their most challenging cross-border matters. The firm and its attorneys are recognised by Chambers in M&A as well as by numerous other publications.
Authors
Takeshi Iitani is the managing partner of southgate and focuses on domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures, strategic alliances and start-up investment, while also handling corporate governance,
Takahito Fujii is a partner at southgate and focuses on domestic and cross-border M&A, strategic alliances, corporate, and securities matters. He combines his legal experience with strong business skills
securities, insolvency, competition, intellectual property, employment, privacy and other general corporate matters involving daily business operations. He also has extensive experience in dispute resolution. Takeshi served as a member of the study group on the development of the start-up ecosystem of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and participated in the preparation of the updated start-up investment agreement guidelines.
developed during a four-year secondment to the M&A advisory department of a major Japanese securities company and refined while employed for nearly three years in the business development team of a Tokyo-based global consumer products company, where he handled cross-border M&A and new investments.
Akira Kawashiro is a partner at southgate and focuses on domestic and cross-border M&A, start-up related matters, and disclosure regulations under Japanese securities laws. He is featured as an Up and
Reid Monroe-Sheridan is a partner at southgate and has experience spanning international M&A, venture financings, US securities law matters, and international commercial agreements such as core technology
Coming lawyer in Japan in the category of Corporate/M&A (Domestic) in the Asia-Pacific Chambers guide (2025–26), and also in the Global Chambers guide (2025-20–26). Akira began his career at Mori Hamada, where he engaged in domestic and cross-border M&A and antitrust matters. He has also been seconded to the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
licensing contracts. Fluent in Japanese, he regularly advises public and private Japanese and American companies in these areas. Reid received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and began his career at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York and Tokyo.
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