Asialaw Profiles
The Guide to the legal markets of the Asia-Pacific

The banking and finance practice of TMI Associates was shaken a little when asset finance specialist Yutaka Sakai and a few other partners left to join Atsumi & Sakai in October 2010. But the firm’s foundation remains, and it manages to land mandates despite the departures. Some sample deals include advising Invoice as the borrower on the LBO financing for a management buyout in January 2011, and representing the arranger in arranging credit linked notes secured by JGBs.

TMI Associates suffered a blow in November 2010 when a team of seven partners left to join Atsumi & Sakai. To re-energise the practice, the firm poached Noriko Sakai and two associates from O’Melveny & Myers at the beginning of 2011. Although the past year might have been a bit rocky, TMI continued to land significant mandates. Some examples saw it advise Pacific Alliance Group on its acquisition of Secured Capital Japan, and represent Marunouchi Capital’s fund on the acquisition of a general supermarket chain. TMI also works closely with its joint venture partner Simmons & Simmons, and the two cooperated in the sale of Nowhere, the owner of the A Bathing Ape brand of streetwear, to the IT group.

The IP team of TMI Associates was bolstered by the joining of Tomokatsu Tsukahara, an ex-chief judge of Japan’s IP High Court, in September 2010. The team is well regarded for its contentious IP work and has always been a stable presence in the market. A number of litigation matters have been keeping the firm busy, such as defending the largest global contact lens manufacturer in a patent infringement case, and advising premium brands against counterfeiting and other trade mark infringements. Key partners Yoshiyuki Inaba, Mitsuko Muyagawa and Akihiko Eguchi are all recommended by peers and clients.