Simon Collins is an asset finance specialist with huge experience in the maritime and aviation sectors. He will be joined by a team of lawyers, most from the US firm White & Case.
In the beginning, Tokyo’s office will focus on aviation, maritime, and energy sectors, offering legal advice in both Japanese and English.
The Tokyo office launch follows the firm’s recent Seoul headquarters addition last February. The aim of this growth is to give clients and potential international investors the widest coverage in Asia, together with the firm’s network of offices throughout Europe, Australia and the United States.
María Pilar García Guijarro, managing partner of WFW’s Madrid office, comments: “The objective is for clients to have access to multidisciplinary teams of advisors who are experts in complex sectors such as energy, transport and infrastructure, wherever they may be located. Having the Tokyo team integrated into our company allows Spanish investors to see new business opportunities on the other side of the world and we are there to assist them.”
George Paleokrassas, WFW global senior partner, says: “With this new office, we will have a strong presence on the ground in the world’s third largest economy, further reinforcing our dominance in asset finance across Asia. In addition to our strong maritime practice, we now have the largest aviation finance practice in the Asia Pacific region. With our recent opening in Seoul, this latest expansion highlights the firm’s commitment to the Asia Pacific region and its importance to our business.”
