Japan
Our dedicated Japan Desk supports Japanese businesses investing in and operating across Australia.
The Australia-Japan relationship is entering a new era, evolving beyond a strong trading partnership into a deeply aligned strategic alliance, underpinned by shared values and a joint commitment to regional stability, security and sustained economic growth.
As a leading independent Australian law firm, we act as trusted advisers to Japanese clients across a range of industries, including Japanese-headquartered businesses, trading houses (総合商社/sogo shosha), financial institutions and investors on inbound investment, cross‑border M&A and Asia‑Pacific expansion.
Our team brings deep insight into Japanese business culture, governance and decision‑making, with experience inside leading Japanese organisations. We understand Japan’s market dynamics and risk frameworks, enabling us to deliver commercially aligned, culturally attuned advice on Japan-Australia transactions.
Our dedicated Japan Desk is a specialist Japan-Australia M&A and inbound investment practice, supporting Japanese clients, Japanese law firms and international investors on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic investments and complex cross‑border transactions in Australia.
We combine deep expertise in Australian law, FIRB approvals and regulatory frameworks with strong cultural alignment, established relationships across Japan and longstanding connections with Japanese law firms, global advisory networks and the Japanese business community.
Our fully integrated Japan Desk legal team brings together leading lawyers across corporate and commercial law, M&A, banking and finance, capital markets, real estate investment, infrastructure and construction, energy and resources, technology, healthcare, dispute resolution, employment and industrial relations, immigration and private client advisory.
Working closely with Japanese counsel and international partners, we deliver end‑to‑end legal support for Japan-Australia transactions – from market entry and structuring through to execution, integration and ongoing advisory ensuring speed, certainty and value creation.
How we help Japanese clients
- Cross‑border M&A: acquisitions, divestments, joint ventures and strategic investments.
- Japanese inbound investment: FIRB strategy, regulatory approvals, deal structuring and execution.
- Corporate establishment: market entry, governance, compliance and ongoing advisory
- Japan-Australia transactions: coordinated legal support across multiple jurisdictions.
- Sector expertise aligned to Japanese investment: energy and resources, infrastructure, real estate, technology, healthcare and agribusiness.
- Integrated legal delivery: corporate, tax, competition, employment, IP and disputes managed as one team.
- Market access in Australia: strong relationships across regulators, financiers, sponsors and industry.
What we deliver
- Investing in Australia: target identification, legal due diligence, transaction structuring, FIRB approval strategy and completion.
- Outbound investment to Japan: market entry, structuring, regulatory advice and partner negotiation.
- Japanese law firm collaboration: trusted Australian counsel working alongside Japanese and international firms on coordinated cross-border matters.
- Post‑deal integration: governance, compliance, risk management and long‑term value optimisation.
Our Japan experience
- Advised Tokyo Century Corporation on its acquisition of Bargain Car Rentals Australia, marking the Japanese group’s first international investment in the car rental sector and a strategic entry into Australia’s mobility market.
- Advised Isuzu Australia on the establishment of Isuzu Financial Services Australia – its first finance and leasing entity outside Japan – structured as a joint venture with Tokyo Century Corporation.
- Acting for a listed Japanese AI and data analytics company in relation to its Australian establishment.
- Acting for a bilateral Australia-Japan venture capital fund focused on innovation and technology and assisting with its funding and grant agreements.
- Advising a Japanese industrial technology and manufacturing group in relation to its governance requirements in Australia, including competition law compliance.
- Advised a leading Japanese automotive group on a cross‑border technology dispute with a global mapping provider relating to a connected vehicle platform deployed across its fleet.
- Advised Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on logistics agreements and other corporate matters.
- Acting for a peak industry body on complex trade mark proprietorship issues, trade mark infringement and enforcement matters, and trade mark licences in numerous foreign markets including Japan.
- Advised a leading Japanese automotive group on the procurement of an integrated SaaS platform and bespoke customer management system to support its Australian dealer network.
- Advised a leading Japanese automotive group on a complex, multi‑vendor ERP transformation across its Australian dealer network, including the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and associated platforms.
Contact
