Withers has bolstered its Tokyo office with the addition of a projects and energy team comprising three lawyers from Baker McKenzie and Morrison & Foerster: Partners Ean MacPherson (L) and Fumihiko Hori, and special counsel Keisuke Misuda.
MacPherson, who will head the practice for Asia and be based across Withers’ Tokyo and Singapore offices, joins from Baker McKenzie’s Tokyo office where he co-headed the renewable and clean energy group.
With over 20 years of experience across the Asia Pacific region, he advises on renewable and conventional energy power projects, including offshore wind, solar and biomass, as well as data centres and joint ventures. He spent the entirety of his three-decade career at Baker McKenzie across its Bangkok, Sydney, and Tokyo offices.
Hori joins from Morrison & Foerster’s Tokyo office, where he spent 17 years. He brings expertise in Japan’s energy regulatory landscape, green transformation initiatives, national security regulations, and telecommunications matters for digital and advanced technology sectors.
Misuda, also from Baker McKenzie in Tokyo, focuses on project finance and real estate transactions, including large-scale solar and wind projects, asset securitisation, and structured finance.
“Ean, Fumihiko and Keisuke together represent one of the most accomplished renewable energy teams in Asia,” said Jeremy Wakeham, CEO of Withers’ business division, in a statement. He added that their combined expertise positions Withers “at the forefront of the region’s growing clean energy market.”
Withers now has seven partners in Tokyo. Last year, it lost investment funds partners Koji Yamamoto and Yoshiyuki Omori to DLA Piper, and real estate partners Gerald “Jerry” Fujii and Naoki Ueyama to Morgan Lewis & Bockius.
AloJapan.com