Watson Farley & Williams has opened its new office in Tokyo, Japan. Its 19th worldwide, the office will be led by Partner Simon Collins, who relocates to Tokyo from Hong Kong, and newly-arrived Partner Keisuke Imon. Counsel Shusuke Fukunaga and a team of associates and paralegals are also joining WFW Tokyo. The new WFW office will initially focus on asset and structured finance in the aviation and maritime sectors, offering both Japanese and English law capabilities. Japan is a key jurisdiction for those sectors, and the firm already has long-standing relationships there, providing an excellent starting point from which to develop a strong presence in the country. Registered locally as Watson Farley & Williams (Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo Horitsu Jimusho), it includes both Japanese qualified bengoshi and registered foreign gaiben lawyers. Simon, who is qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales, was an associate at WFW in London and Singapore before joining White & Case in 2005, and re-joining WFW in May 2022. Widely recognised as one of the top asset finance lawyers in the region, he advises clients on complex cross-border aviation and maritime finance transactions. Keisuke, who worked for Clifford Chance before joining White & Case, is qualified as a bengoshi, and has extensive experience in the Japanese market advising on a wide range of financing matters. He is also acknowledged as one of Japan’s top asset finance lawyers. Qualified both as a bengoshi and a solicitor in England & Wales, Shusuke advises on a broad range of banking and finance transactions. He advises on domestic and cross-border financings, with a particular focus on aircraft and ship...