Akira Kumaki

In recognition of Mr. Kumaki’s work, he was named a Next Generation Partner for Corporate/M&A & Joint Ventures in Japan by The Legal 500 in 2024. Mr. Kumaki is also ranked as a Highly Regarded lawyer for M&A in Japan by IFLR1000 2024.

Mr. Kumaki has represented various multinational clients in their transactions in and outside of Japan, including, among others:

• Advantest Corporation in its US$1.1 billion acquisition of Verigy Ltd.
• Aioi Insurance Company, Limited in its business combination with Nissay Dowa General Insurance Company, Limited and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.
• AirAsia Berhad’s investment vehicle in the formation of the joint venture AirAsia Japan with Rakuten, Inc. and others
• Baring Private Equity Asia’s fund in the sale of all stake in Net Japan to Orix Corporation’s SPV
• Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Inc. in its acquisition of a 19.9% strategic minority stake in Canyon Partners, LLC
• EnerNOC, Inc. in its demand response power joint venture with Marubeni Corporation
• Fujirebio Inc. in its business combination with SRL Inc. to form Miraca Holdings Inc.
• KDDI Corporation in its US$4 billion acquisition of a 37.8 percent equity stake in Jupiter Telecommunications, Co., Ltd. from Liberty Global
• Livedoor Co., Ltd. in its attempt to gain control of Nippon Broadcasting System
• Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. in its £3.46 billion acquisition of Amlin PLC
• Oji Paper Company in its attempt to acquire a controlling stake in Hokuetsu Paper Mills, Ltd.
• Pacific Industrial Co., Ltd. in its US$173 million acquisition of the Schrader valves business from Sensata Technologies Holdings plc
• Rakuten, Inc. in its proposed business combination with Tokyo Broadcasting Systems, Inc. (TBS) and in TBS’s US$540 million share buyback
• Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. (Japan) in the acquisition by its subsidiary, RGF Hong Kong Ltd., of the remaining shares of Bo Le Associates Group Limited (Hong Kong), an executive search company, that it does not already own
• Recruit Co., Ltd. (Japan) in its acquisition of Indeed Inc., an online provider of employment services
• Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. in its US$510 million acquisition of AIM Aerospace Corporation
• Seven Bank, Ltd. and its U.S. subsidiary, Financial Consulting & Trading International, Inc., in the acquisition by Financial Consulting & Trading International of Global Axcess Corporation’s ATM business pursuant to the asset purchase agreement under Chapter 11 Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (2013)
• Seven Bank, Ltd. in its acquisition of Financial Consulting & Trading International, Inc. Both parties are owners and operators of ATM networks
• Seven Bank Ltd. in its business alliance with Western Union with respect to its international wire transfer business
• Sharp Corporation (Japan) in its display technology agreement with Pixtronix Inc. and in a US$120 million equity investment by Qualcomm Incorporated
• Sprint Nextel Corporation in its US$21.6 billion sale of a 78 percent stake to Softbank Corporation (recognized as the “Global M&A Deal of the Year: Grand Prize” by The American Lawyer and in the Corporate & Commercial category in the Financial Times’ 2013 U.S. “Innovative Lawyers” report)
• Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in its HK$1.4 billion equity investment in The Bank of East Asia, Limited and its acquisition of a 24 percent stake in China Post & Capital Fund Management Co., Ltd. from Beijing Chang’an Investment Group Co., Ltd.
• Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. in their minority investment in and business and capital alliance with Moelis & Company
• Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group in connection with its US$7.8 billion acquisition of Nikko Cordial Securities Inc. and the domestic debt and equity underwriting business of Nikko Citigroup Limited; and with respect to the termination and restructuring of its joint venture in the area of principal investment business with Daiwa Securities Group Inc.
• Starwood Capital Group Global LLC in its successful application to obtain an injunction against the issuance of new investment units by FC Residential Investment Corporation, a listed JREIT
• Umicore S.A. in a catalyst joint venture with Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.
• Visa Inc.’s SPV on its acquisition of all remaining shares in GP Network Corporation from TSYS Japan LLC and other minority shareholders

Mr. Kumaki is fluent in Japanese and English. Prior to joining Skadden’s Tokyo office, he worked for the Tokyo office of an international U.K. law firm.