Following international office launches in Singapore and Dubai in 2009, K&L Gates has announced the establishment of two further offices – in Tokyo and Moscow. Three new corporate partners – Ryan Dwyer, Takahiro Kawaguchi and Robert Melson – are joining the firm’s Tokyo office from Latham & Watkins, where they held the position of counsel.
“With our new Tokyo and Moscow offices, we will enter nations and parts of the world that are strategically important to K&L Gates’ global clientele,” said Peter Kalis, K&L Gates chairman and global managing partner. The Tokyo office will initially focus on corporate and international finance, M&A, banking, PE, real-estate acquisitions, licensing and distribution arrangements and general corporate and employment law areas.
All three partners leaving Latham & Watkins were looking to establish their own presence in Japan. K&L Gates offered the partners a perfect fit in terms of its global network and practice areas. Melson, in particular, was also keen to develop his aircraft and equipment leasing practice, and K&L Gates has an established practice outside of Japan which offers Melson the opportunity to reach out to a global network.
“The Japanese leasing companies are located here in Japan but the European and US financial institutions involved in the Japanese operating lease market tend to have their aircraft finance people for the region based in Singapore, although many of those people have previously been based in Tokyo and I have strong ties with them,” said Melson. “It makes sense to have me based part-time in Singapore and part-time in Tokyo so that we can develop the aircraft finance and leasing practice on a regional basis.”
Although the Tokyo office was only officially launched yesterday, the partners are busy with their existing clients and the team has already completed a refinancing of a mall in Japan by a European bank. K&L Gates will be making further moves to expand its presence in Tokyo and the partners are speaking with other partners, associates and legal assistants from various firms who have expressed an interest in joining their practice. “Our goal is to be a full-service firm in Tokyo,” said Melson.
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