{"id":4062,"date":"2025-01-14T16:48:52","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T07:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southgate-law.com\/?page_id=4062"},"modified":"2026-04-17T10:50:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T01:50:15","slug":"akira-kawashiro","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/southgate-law.com\/en\/attorneys\/akira-kawashiro\/","title":{"rendered":"Akira Kawashiro"},"content":{"rendered":"

Akira Kawashiro<\/h1><\/div>
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Admissions<\/strong><\/td>\nJapan Bar, 2013
\nIllinois State Bar, 2021<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Education<\/strong><\/td>\nLL.M., Duke University School of Law, 2020
\nJD, University of Tokyo, School of Law, 2012
\nLLB, Waseda University, 2010<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Languages<\/strong><\/td>\nJapanese, English<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Practice Experience<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Publications<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Speaking Engagements<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Awards<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Practice Experience<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>

Akira Kawashiro focuses on domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures, start-up related matters, disclosure regulations under Japanese securities laws, and other general corporate matters. He is recognized in the categories of Antitrust\/Competition Law, Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions Law, International Business Transactions and Private Equity, Private Funds and Venture Capital Law in the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers awards for Japan, he is featured as an Up and Coming lawyer in Japan in the category of Corporate\/M&A (Domestic) in the Asia-Pacific and Global Chambers guides (2025-26), and he is highlighted in the TMT ranking (2023-24) and the Corporate\/M&A ranking (2025-2026) of Legal 500 as a key lawyer. Clients describe him as \u201ca very competent and high-performing lawyer<\/em>\u201d (Asia-Pacific Chambers guide 2026).<\/p>\n

Akira began his career in 2013 at a major Japanese law firm, where he engaged in domestic and cross-border M&A and anti-trust matters. He has also been seconded to the Tokyo Stock Exchange.<\/p>\n

Akira is currently an outside audit & supervisory board member of Gojo & Company, Inc., and he is\u00a0a statutory auditor of Qualicaps Co., Ltd.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Publications<\/h3><\/div>
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  • Co-author, \u201cTrends and Developments chapter for Japan,\u201d in the Corporate M&A 2025 guide published by Chambers and Partners<\/em>, May 2025<\/li>\n
  • Co-author, \u201cVenture Capital Investment in Japan,\u201d as part of\u00a0Lexology<\/em>\u2019s Getting the Deal Through series, March 2023<\/li>\n
  • Co-author, \u201cVenture Capital Investment in Japan,\u201d in the Japan M&A Practice Guide published by\u00a0Lexology<\/em>\u00a0as part of this Getting the Deal Through series, May 2021 and May 2022<\/li>\n
  • Quoted in an article in the May 19, 2021\u00a0Nihon Keizai Shimbun<\/em>\u00a0\u201cthe U.S. Federal Trade Commission\u2019s unusual reaction to Seven & i Holdings\u2019 acquisition of Speedway\u201d<\/li>\n
  • Quoted in an article in the January 13, 2021\u00a0Nihon Keizai Shimbun<\/em>\u00a0\u201cthe Softbank Group\u2019s sale of Arm, a British semiconductor design giant\u201d<\/li>\n
  • Co-author, \u201cHandbook for Capital and Business Alliances,\u201d\u00a0Shoji Homu<\/em>, February 2020 (in Japanese)<\/li>\n
  • \u201cAkron v. Fresenius<\/em>: US Court Allows Termination of Purchase Agreement based on MAE,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0in the December 2018 issue of\u00a0Mergers & Acquisitions Research Report<\/em>,\u00a0December 2018 (in Japanese)<\/li>\n
  • \u201cKey considerations when making timely disclosures \u2013 from the perspective of the stock exchange,\u201d\u00a0Securities Analyst Journal<\/em>, March 2016 (in Japanese)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
    <\/div><\/div><\/div>

    Speaking Engagements<\/h3><\/div>
      \n
    • \u201cLearning the basics of startup financing through a term sheet,\u201d seminar hosted by Tokyo Women in VC, December 2024 (Tokyo)<\/li>\n
    • \u201cCorporate Venture Capital (CVC) Practice \u2013 Points to keep in mind as a CLO,\u201d webinar hosted by Japan Association for Chief Legal Officers (JACLO), April 2023 (in Japanese)<\/li>\n
    • \u201cInvestment Practices of Corporate Venture Capital,\u201d webinar sponsored by Financial Management Forum, 3-4 presentations per year, since 2021 (in Japanese)<\/li>\n
    • \u201cThe Basics of M&A and Joint Ventures,\u201d webinar sponsored by Global Business Knowledge Supply, January 2021 (in Japanese)<\/li>\n
    • \u201cBest Practices in Establishing and Operating Japanese-German Joint Ventures in Germany,\u201d webinar sponsored by the Japanische Industrie- und Handelskammer zu D\u00fcsseldorf e.V. (JIHK), November 2020 (in Japanese)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
      <\/div><\/div><\/div>

      Awards<\/h3><\/div>
        \n
      • Asian Legal Business Japan Law Awards<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 Finalist in Young Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm), Japan, 2024<\/li>\n
      • Best Lawyers<\/em> \u2013 Ones to Watch: International Business Transactions, Tokyo, 2023-2027<\/li>\n
      • Best Lawyers<\/em> \u2013 Ones to Watch: Antitrust\/Competition Law, Tokyo, 2024-2027<\/li>\n
      • Best Lawyers<\/em> \u2013 Ones to Watch: Corporate\/M&A Law, Tokyo, 2024-2027<\/li>\n
      • Best Lawyers<\/em> \u2013 Ones to Watch: Private Equity, Private Funds and Venture Capital Law, Tokyo, 2025-2027<\/li>\n
      • Chambers Asia-Pacific\u00a0<\/em>\u2013 Up and Coming: Corporate\/M&A: Domestic, Japan, 2025-26<\/li>\n
      • Chambers Global\u00a0<\/em>\u2013 Up and Coming: Corporate\/M&A: Domestic, Japan, 2025-26<\/li>\n
      • The Legal 500 Asia Pacific<\/em> \u2013 \u201cRecommended Individuals\u201d in Corporate and M&A: Independent Local Firms, Japan, 2022<\/li>\n
      • The Legal 500 Asia Pacific<\/em> \u2013 \u201cOther Key Lawyers\u201d in Corporate and M&A: Independent Local Firms, Japan, 2025-2026<\/li>\n
      • The Legal 500 Asia Pacific<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 \u201cOther Key Lawyers\u201d in TMT: Independent Local Firms, Japan, 2023-2024<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
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