Ippei Takushima is a co-founder of Kimura Takushima & Yamaguchi. Ippei spent 5 years of his early childhood in the U.K., later moving back to Japan. He graduated from University of Tokyo with LL.B. in 1998 and completed the LL.M./Kellogg program at Northwestern University School of Law with honors in 2005.

Prior to co-founding Kimura Takushima & Yamaguchi in 2011, he worked for 10 years as an attorney at TMI Associates, one of the leading law firms in Japan.

Ippei specializes in providing legal advice on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital investments and other commercial transactions including technology and brand licensing, distributorship, services and investments, with a particular emphasis on cross-border transactions. He also frequently represents both domestic and foreign-based companies in dispute resolution matters relating to such transactions. From 2009 to 2010, he taught civil law, including contract and tort laws, as a lecturer at the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law.

From 2020, he teaches drafting international contracts at Keio Law School as a part-time co-lecturer.

Languages:

Japanese
English

Bar Admission:

Japan
New York

Noteworthy Projects/Experience:

Represented Japanet Broadcasting Co., Ltd. in the acquisition of shares of STAR CHANNEL, INC.
Represented the sellers in the sale of shares of Asahi Sunac Corporation to Nippon Mirai Capital Co., Ltd.
Represented the sellers in the sale of shares of Rhythm Japan to evo
Capital and Business Alliance between EASY PRODUCTION K.K. and Nippon Television Network Corporation
Represented New Horizon Capital in its investment in ReachLocal Japan, a subsidiary of ReachLocal Inc.
Represented the sellers in the sale of shares of Itty, Inc. to J-STAR
Represented Ascot Corp., an issuing company, in the sale of its shares to Ping An Insurance Group
Represented the sellers in the sale of shares of John Masters Organics Inc. to Permira
Represented Moritex Corp. in the sale of its shares to CITIC
Advised the board of directors of Macromill as independent committee member on the sale of its shares to Bain Capital
Represented the sellers in the sale of shares of Styla Inc. to Rising Japan Equity
Represented Styla International Inc. (n/k/a John Masters Organics Group, Inc.) in its acquisition of John Masters Organics Inc.
Advised the board of directors of Goodman Japan as an independent committee member on the sale of its shares to Macquarie Goodman Japan
Advised the board of directors of Sanjo Machine Works, Ltd. as an independent committee member in a management buyout and delisting
Other domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisition transactions
Venture capital investments (primarily representing the VCs; domestic and cross-border)
Establishment and dissolution of international joint ventures
Cross-border brand licensing; technology licensing
Represented a Chinese company in an international commercial mediation at the Japan Commercial Arbitration Association (JCAA)
Represented a Japanese company in an international commercial arbitration at the Japan Commercial Arbitration Association (JCAA)
Represented a Japanese company in an international commercial mediation at the Centre for Mediation and Arbitration of Paris (CMAP)
Provided legal support to a major Japanese manufacturer in connection with litigation before the courts of California
Advising foreign start-ups and early stage firms starting and expanding business in Japan (including incorporation, day-to-day contracts, and employment matters)

Publications:

"Report on Foreign Laws and Statistical and Economic Analysis Related to Mergers and Acquisitions", Nippon Research Institute, 2006 (co-author; authored the United States section)