Atsumi & Sakai has bolstered its Tokyo office with the addition of three competition law practitioners, namely former Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) Secretary General Shuichi Sugahisa, as a Senior Consultant, and Junya Ae and Michio Suzuki as partners. Sugahisa has been engaged in competition law practice and policy, with a focus on the Antimonopoly Act and other related laws, for over 40 years since joining JFTC in 1983. During his tenure at JFTC, he worked on important regulatory reforms, and was also involved in major legislative efforts at the Consumer Affairs Agency. On the enforcement side, Sugahisa oversaw multiple cases with significant socioeconomic impact, such as large-scale cartel cases and merger control cases involving transactions between large companies. He served as Director General of the Trade Practices Department and of the Economic Affairs Bureau, and finally as Secretary General of JFTC. Sugahisa was instrumental in strengthening enforcement of the Antimonopoly Act, and worked vigorously on strengthening advocacy activities by JFTC. Before joining the firm, he was a member of the Antitrust / Competition practice group at Baker McKenzie’s Tokyo office until November 2025. On the other hand, Ae was the co-leader of the Antitrust / Competition practice group at Baker McKenzie’s Tokyo office until November 2025. He focuses on regulatory issues, especially in the areas of antitrust and competition law, and assists Japanese and international clients in international and domestic cartel investigations, multijurisdictional M&A transaction-related merger control matters, and compliance investigations. Ae also provides support during on-site investigations conducted by government bodies, and advises clients on distribution-related contractual and compliance issues. For his part, Suzuki was a member of the Antitrust /...

CMS INDUSLAW has added Mathew Thomas as an equity partner in the capital markets practice, along with his team. He will be based in the firm’s Mumbai office. Thomas has more than 15 years of experience in equity, debt and hybrid securities offering. He has advised domestic and international clients in capital markets-related transactions, including IPOs, rights offerings, qualified institutions placements. He has also worked on public offering and institutional placement of units and debt securities by REITs and InvITs. Prior to joining the firm, Thomas was with Saraf and Partners, and previously worked with JSA, Trilegal, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co and Khaitan &...

Trilegal has added Raya Hazarika as a partner in its corporate practice, further strengthening the firm’s deep bench of corporate lawyers and its long-standing expertise in complex transactions. Hazarika brings extensive experience in M&A deal-making. Her strong understanding of the infrastructure and real estate sectors will enhance the firm’s Private Equity and M&A practice. With over 12 years of experience, Hazarika advises clients on private equity investments, M&A, joint ventures, regulatory matters and corporate governance.  Her strong grasp of M&A and real-asset transactions, coupled with cross-sectoral expertise across real estate, logistics, data-centre and digital infrastructure, healthcare and technology, reflects her alignment with India’s evolving investment and regulatory landscape. Her appointment takes the firm’s equity partnership to...

Morgan Lewis has added A&O Shearman M&A and capital market partners Dr Sultan Almasoud and Sanjarbek Abdukhalilov in the firm’s newly-launched Riyadh Office. A renowned corporate and capital markets lawyer, Almasoud serves as Managing Partner of the firm’s Riyadh office, where he leads the firm’s Saudi practice. He previously served as co-managing partner of A&O Shearman’s Riyadh office and, prior to the combination, as managing partner of the legacy Riyadh office for more than a decade. Almasoud advises on M&A, corporate restructurings, IPOs, joint ventures, capital market transactions, private placements and a wide range of corporate and commercial legal matters across diverse industries. His practice also encompasses fast-evolving sectors, such as artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and data centers, where he regularly advises on regulatory, transactional and investment matters. With deep knowledge of Saudi Arabia’s legal framework and a nuanced understanding of local regulations and practices, Almasoud effectively represents a broad spectrum of clients, including sovereign wealth funds, multinational corporations, private equity firms, large family conglomerates and government entities. He is widely recognized for his role in supporting landmark transactions and strategic projects that align with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. Abdukhalilov, who helped build legacy Shearman & Sterling’s corporate practice in Saudi Arabia, joins as Partner in the firm’s Riyadh office. He has a broad corporate practice with a focus on M&A, joint ventures, capital markets, corporate restructurings, regulatory and inbound investments. With a broad knowledge across sectors, Abdukhalilov has experience focused in the financial services, retail, consumer, industrials and manufacturing, and real estate...

Trilegal has added distinguished tax practitioner Jitendra Motwani as a partner in its Taxation practice. This appointment reinforces the firm’s commitment to delivering top-tier, integrated tax solutions amid an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Motwani is a highly experienced disputes and tax practitioner, with over two decades of expertise in indirect taxation and Regulatory Litigation. His practice spans advisory and litigation across GST, Customs, Trade, Central Excise, VAT, Service Tax, Foreign Trade Policy and FEMA. Motwani regularly represents clients before the Supreme Court of India, various High Courts, Tax Tribunals, and other quasi-judicial authorities, bringing strategic depth and clarity to complex tax matters. He is known for his nuanced understanding of regulatory frameworks and his ability to deliver commercially sound, solution-oriented...