Koichiro Ohashi

Koichiro Ohashi is Co-Chair of the Japan Practice and focuses his practice on representing clients in a variety of financial matters, including cross-border and domestic banking, capital market transactions e.g. establishment of sponsored American Deposit Receipt programs, fund and investment management matters (private equities, hedge funds and REITs), and corporate matters (especially in mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring transactions). He is experienced in the Japanese domestic market and represents both Japanese and international financial institutions on numerous types of financial transactions, such as syndicated loans, securitization transactions, derivative transactions, PIPE transactions, mezzanine finance transactions and equity finance transactions.

Koichiro advises various international and domestic fund managers for private equities, hedge funds, and real estate funds in the registration of funds for distribution in Japan and frequently provides advice on the structure of both domestic and offshore funds to be distributed to Japanese investors. He also advises Japanese trust banks and pension funds on their investments into foreign funds and foreign investment regulations.

Koichiro advises clients on various financial regulatory matters, such as Japanese capital markets regulations including the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law, the Investment Trust Management Law, the Banking Law and the Insurance Business Law. He also represents foreign clients in applying for financial business licenses in Japan, such as Type 1 securities broker/dealer licenses, investment manager licenses and financial instrument exchange license. Recently he frequently advises global Fintech companies on Japanese Fintech regulations.

Koichiro also represents various clients in corporate matters, especially mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and corporate restructuring transactions. Due to his client base, he frequently represents private equity clients in merger transactions. Also, because of his wide-ranging work involving Japanese laws and regulations governing the financial industry, he has represented foreign clients in acquiring Japanese financial institutions (such as licensed investment managers, brokers and FX brokers). He has also represented creditors in major Japanese insolvency cases in Japanese insolvency proceeding and U.S. Chapter 15 proceeding.

Recognition & Leadership

Awards & Accolades

•Listed, Chambers and Partners 2019 FinTech Guide, Notable Practitioner, 2019-2020
•Listed,The Best Lawyers in Japan, 2016-2018
•Capital Markets Law, 2017-2018
•Investment and Investment Funds, 2016-2018
•Listed, Chambers Global, Capital Markets: Domestic (Japan), 2014-2016
•Listed, Chambers Asia-Pacific Guide, Band 3 - Capital Markets: Domestic (Japan), 2017
•Listed, The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific Guide, Structured Finance, 2014
•Listed, The Best Lawyers International, 2009