Kentaro Suzuki
AREAS OF PRACTICE
Private equity, acquisition finance, corporate governance, general corporate/commercial matters.
Private Equity, leveraged Finance
Kentaro has represented both LBO sponsors and corporations in acquisitions (including rollup and co-investment), divestitures, joint ventures and financing. Target sectors include:
pharmaceutical;
IT and software;
luxury brands;
e-commerce;
public relations agency;
cosmetics;
foods; and
others.
Kentaro’s practice also focuses on representations of senior lenders and of mezzanine and private capital investors in debt and equity financings and refinancing, recapitalization and restructuring transactions.
Cross-border Transactions
Kentaro regularly advises on cross-border deals. Recent selected representations include:
- European private equity client’s acquisition of a Japanese company;
- Japanese corporate client’s investment in a US company; and
- Japanese corporate client’s joint venture project with a Spanish company.
Corporate Governance
Kentaro has served as a member of special independent committees formed by listed companies in connection with significant transactions including MBO and squeeze-out. He used to serve and currently serves as outside auditor for a listed company and J-REITs.
EDUCATION / PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2000｜ Keio University (LL.B.)
2001 - 2014｜Nagashima, Ohno & Tsunematsu
2006｜New York University School of Law (LL.M. in Corporation Law)
2006 - 2007｜Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (New York)
2007 - 2008｜Corporate System Division, the Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI), the Government of Japan
2009 - 2010｜Member of Enterprise Law as a Structure for Incentives at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI)
2014 -｜Co-founder/Partner at Shibata, Suzuki & Nakada
2014 -2016｜Statutory Auditor for DIAMOND ELECTRIC MFG. CO. ,LTD.
2014 - ｜Supervisory Director for Marubeni Private Real Estate Investment Trust
2016 - ｜Supervisory Director for Oedo Onsen Reit Investment Corporation
2017 ｜Member of the METI study group for Alliance between Venture Companies and Business Enterprises
2020｜Expert Judging Panel at the Japan M&A Awards 2020 by Acuris / Mergerｍarket