Ryoichi Kaneko

Ryoichi Kaneko has extensive experience in M&A, Private Equity, Emerging Growth/Venture Capital, and Competition law. Ryoichi’s professional experience includes stints with the Corporate, M&A and Competition law departments at Slaughter and May in London and Brussels, and Uría Menéndez in Madrid. Besides the depth and breadth of his experience, Ryoichi is also particularly noted for his ability to provide clear and highly effective bilingual advice to international clients on cross-border transactions involving Japan.

Ryoichi’s expertise in M&A encompasses the full spectrum, from buy-out acquisition, carve-out transactions, joint ventures, and minority investments, to private equity deals and venture capital. He is familiar with and often sought after for his practical and strategic advice on every stage of the transactional process, from deal structuring and due diligence to negotiations, completion and post-completion issues. He also has a thorough understanding of business alliances with Japanese corporations, and has assisted many foreign companies (including unicorn companies and emerging start-ups) and international private equity and venture capital firms on their expansion and/or investments into the Japanese market.

Additionally, Ryoichi advises his international clients on the regulatory aspects of M&A, including merger filing- and foreign direct investment-related regulations. Because of his time at some of the top-tier law firms in Europe, Ryoichi is also particularly appreciated for his knowledge and practical insights on the parallels and differences between the laws of Japan and those of other major markets.

Ryoichi has published extensively on major legal publications and speaks from time to time on his areas of expertise

● Chambers and Partners Expert Focus
- Rebound in Japanese M&A Volume in 2021
- Recent Regulatory Changes and Trends in Japanese M&A
- Shareholder Activism and Hostile Takeovers in Japan
● “A Comparison of M&A Laws: Japan” (Asia Business Law Journal)
● Mondaq Comparative Guides
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Merger Control
- Competition Litigation
● “Merger Remedies Guide - Fourth Edition (Japan chapter)” (Global Competition Review)
● “How to Bridge the Valuation Gap” (Panel Session at the Inter Asia-Pacific Bar Association Annual Conference 2023 in Dubai)