New York, NY – November 6, 2008 – The international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP today announced that it has formed a new structure for its Tokyo office (“Greenberg Traurig Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi Jimusho,” or Greenberg Traurig Registered Foreign Lawyers’ Office), for the purpose of better establishing a long-term and independent presence in this important world market. The firm is also pleased to announce that Go Hashimoto has joined the Tokyo office as a shareholder and qualified Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi (registered foreign lawyer) in the Corporate and Securities practice. For the past five years Hashimoto was a partner in Bingham McCutchen’s Tokyo office.
Hashimoto joins Allison Rosenberg who relocated from Greenberg Traurig’s New York office to Tokyo earlier this year and recently became a registered foreign lawyer. In addition to her wealth of experience in the real estate and finance areas, Allison brings local knowledge from several years working at two major U.S. law firms in Tokyo.
This move into Tokyo follows the opening of Greenberg Traurig’s Shanghai office earlier this year which, under the leadership of managing shareholder Peter Neumann, has grown from one legal professional to 12.
In keeping with the firm’s recent strategic moves in the region, in particular its first location in China, today’s announcement is evidence of Greenberg Traurig’s long term commitment to Asia in its strategic positioning. Japan enjoys the world’s second largest nominal GDP and remains one of the economic hubs in Asia and the world. Tokyo in turn serves as Japan’s gateway to the world and its focal point of business. For these reasons, Greenberg Traurig has been steadily but conservatively enhancing its presence in Japan, building for the long term, originally through a strategic alliance with the Hayabusa Asuka law firm, then by placing Rosenberg in Tokyo and now with the new independent office offering, including Hashimoto and others going forward.
Today’s announcement confirms that Greenberg Traurig’s enhanced capability in Tokyo will provide a new dimension to its Tokyo office, enabling it to work seamlessly with multilingual and multicultural colleagues firm-wide to serve its U.S., Japanese, Chinese and other international clients and to handle complex cross-border transactions in Asia.
“We are delighted to establish a registered foreign lawyers’ office in Tokyo with Allison and Go residing there,” said Richard A. Rosenbaum, President of Greenberg Traurig. “We are totally committed to a regional, team-oriented approach in Asia, across cities and countries. There will be an increasing number of transactions originated by or involving Japanese government and enterprises under the current economic conditions. Working closely and seamlessly with our Shanghai and other U.S. and international offices, our Tokyo office, with Go’s addition, will be able to counsel our clients with the same high quality experience and service that they are accustomed to, within Asia and across the globe.”
Hashimoto brings to the firm more than ten years of legal experience in international business transactions and dispute resolution, in addition to his 4 1/2-year experience as an officer at Japan Finance Corporation/Japan Bank for International Cooperation (formerly known as The Export-Import Bank of Japan), and has worked with international institutions such as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank. Hashimoto has extensive experience counseling clients on corporate, finance and corporate restructuring transactions as well as international commercial litigation. He regularly counsels multinational corporations in U.S.-Japan cross-border mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures, business disputes, various regulatory and compliance matters and government relations. In addition, with his established contacts in the region, Hashimoto has been very active in recent years in business transactions within Asia, particularly in China, India and Vietnam.
“As a truly bilingual Japanese national who previously was a Japanese government officer, Go will play an integral role in our Asia strategy with his established networks in Japan and elsewhere in Asia,” said Rosenbaum.
“Allison and Go’s extensive work in both Japan and in the United States has afforded them a unique understanding of the cultures, communities and legal systems of both countries. With them as a starting point, our Tokyo office will grow as the gateway for businesses between Japan and the world, enabling us to provide the region the high quality services we provide in the U.S. and elsewhere,” Rosenbaum added.
Rosenberg earned her J.D. and LL.M from Duke University School of Law, and her M.A. and B.A. from Northwestern University. She is admitted to practice in New York and Connecticut, and is a registered foreign lawyer in Japan.
Hashimoto earned his LL.B. from the Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo, his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law and his LL.M. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He also has a master’s degree in international economic policy from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. He is admitted to the bar of the State of New York and is a registered foreign lawyer in Japan.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with more than 1,800 attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The firm was selected as the 2007 USA Law Firm of the Year by Chambers and Partners.
Greenberg Traurig serves clients from offices in: Albany, NY; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Morristown, NJ; New York, NY; Orange County, CA; Orlando, FL; Palm Beach County, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Sacramento, CA; Shanghai, China; Silicon Valley, CA; Tallahassee, FL; Tampa, FL; Tokyo, Japan; Tysons Corner, VA; Washington, D.C.; White Plains, NY; Wilmington, DE; and Zurich, Switzerland. Additionally, the firm has strategic alliances with the following independent law firms: Olswang, London, Brussels and Berlin; Studio Santa Maria, Milan and Rome; and Hayabusa Asuka Law Offices in Tokyo.
For additional information, please visit the firm’s Web site at www.gtlaw.com.
