Tokyo, 1 March 2006 – LAWFUEL – The Law Firm News Network – Baker & McKenzie GJBJ Tokyo Aoyama Aoki Law office (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) announced today that David Deck has joined the Global Banking & Finance Practice Group as a partner in Tokyo. He comes to the Firm from Linklaters.
David Deck, a prominent banking and finance lawyer in Japan, has extensive experience in tax based asset financing, securitization and private equity transactions. He regularly represents major U.S., foreign and Japanese companies and financial institutions. Among many recognitions, Asia Pacific Legal 500 named Mr. Deck a “leading individual” in the fields of Asset Finance, Securitization and Private Equity. In addition, Chambers & Partners’ Guide to the World’s Leading Lawyers has named him a leading Capital Markets lawyer in Japan for the past eight years.
“David will be instrumental in developing our asset finance and securitization practices on the ground in Tokyo, one of the world’s key financial centers, and around the world,” said Jeremy Pitts, managing partner of Baker & McKenzie’s Tokyo Office, and head of the Firm’s Global Banking and Finance Practice Group. “It has been a priority for us to develop in these areas, and David’s talents will bring added depth to our rapidly growing practice — complimenting the recent hires in New York, London and other Firm offices.”
“I am pleased to be joining Baker & McKenzie, a fully developed international firm with a network of offices and depth of skill impressively capable of supporting the growing demand for securitization and asset finance expertise among the world’s largest public and private corporations,” said David Deck.
Mr. Deck joined Millbank in New York in 1988, and moved to Shearman & Sterling in 1993. He became a partner in the Tokyo office of Shearman & Sterling in 1998, and later became managing partner of that office. In 2003, he joined the Tokyo office of Linklaters as a partner.
Mr. Deck received his M.A. in East Asian Languages and Cultures from Columbia University in 1983. He received his JD from UCLA in 1988. Mr. Deck is admitted to practice in New York and is a member of the New York State Bar. He is also registered as a foreign lawyer in Japan (gaikokuho jimu bengoshi) and is a member of the Tokyo Bar Association.
As well as the hire of Mr. Deck in Tokyo, Baker & McKenzie has this week also announced the arrival of a leading french banking & finance partner from Herbert Smith – Clotilde Dirnat – to its Paris office.
Baker & McKenzie has been steadily building its banking & finance practice in the key financial centres during the last twelve months with a number of notable partner hires. This has included the high profile hire of the four partner structured finance team, who joined the London office from Norton Rose in the later part of 2005. Other key partner hires have included Nick Tostivin, who will join the London office from Linklaters in March, and Laurence Pettit, who joined the New York office from White & Case in August 2005.
“David brings a tremendous wealth of experience in the areas of securitization and asset financing,” Pitts said. “We are extremely pleased to have him join our Firm, and look forward to working with him as we continue to expand our practices in Tokyo, the Asia Pacific region and beyond.”
