Two Firms Bolster Japan Finance Groups

Morrison & Foerster and White & Case have bolstered their Tokyo offices with new finance hires. Japanese-qualified lawyer Masahiro Shiga joins Morrison & Foerster as a partner from Skadden, where he headed the Japan real estate practice. Timothy Jaffares joins White & Case as an of counsel from Clifford Chance.

Tom Brennan

2012-10-05 12:00:00 AM

Morrison & Foerster and White & Case have bolstered their Tokyo offices with new finance hires.

Masahiro Shiga, a Japanese-qualified lawyer, or bengoshi, joins Morrison & Foerster as a partner from the Tokyo office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where he was also a partner and headed the Japan real estate practice.

Shiga has advised on the purchase of over $12 billion in Japanese real estate, as well as the issuance of more than $7 billion in real estate securities.

Morrison & Foerster has one of the largest Japan offices among Western firms, with 125 lawyers, including 50 bengoshi.

White & Case, also one of the largest foreign firms in Japan with over 100 lawyers, has added Timothy Jaffares as an of counsel in Tokyo.

Jaffares was head of Clifford Chance's Tokyo office from 2004 to 2008, when he relocated to the firm's Frankfurt office.

Like Shiga, Jaffares also focuses on real estate finance and securitizations. He also handles syndicated loan deals and leveraged finance transactions.