Global law firm White & Case LLP won four awards at the Asian Legal Business (ALB) Japan Law Awards 2020 held virtually on September 24. The awards pay tribute to the outstanding performance of private practitioners and in-house teams in Japan and around the region.
The awards won by White & Case were:
"Banking and Financial Services Law Firm of the Year"
Based on achievements of the White & Case Debt Finance Practice in Japan, the firm was named Banking and Financial Services Law Firm of the Year.
"We were honored to have accepted this award and appreciate being recognized for our team's accomplishments over the past year," remarked partner Zenya Onishi (Tokyo). Examples of the practice's accomplishments include representation of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) on its US$1 billion loan facilities for SMBC Aviation Capital Ltd. (SMBCAC) (press release here) and the mandate on the ¥1 trillion refinancing of the leveraged facilities for Bain Capital's acquisition of Toshiba Memory, which won "Debt Market Deal of the Year."
"Debt Market Deal of the Year"
White & Case advised Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, MUFG Bank, Ltd. and Mizuho Bank, Ltd. as mandated lead arrangers on the ¥1 trillion refinancing of the leveraged facilities for Bain Capital's acquisition of Toshiba Memory. The new financing was used to refinance loans for the 2018 leveraged buyout of Toshiba Memory Corporation by K.K. Pangea, a special-purpose company formed by a consortium led by Bain Capital Private Equity. The team that advised on the transaction comprised partner Zenya Onishi and associates Yoshiko Kawanami and Tomoyuki Susukida (Tokyo).
"M&A Deal of the Year (Premium)" and "Technology, Media and Telecommunications Deal of the Year"
White & Case advised the special committee of LINE on the sale process of LINE in its take-private by Naver Corp. and SoftBank Group Corp. (through its affiliate Z Holdings Corp.), to be followed by a merger between LINE with internet portal Yahoo Japan Corp., in a transaction valuing LINE at approximately US$12 billion. The team that advised on the transaction comprised partners Brian Strawn, Jun Usami and Nels Hansen (Tokyo); partners Denise A. Cerasani and Andrew Hammond (New York); and associates Lorraine Yip and Zoey Zhu (Tokyo).
