Atsumi & Sakai has moved to accelerate the growth of its international projects and M&A practice, strengthening the ranks of its foreign law partners with the addition of Alan Kitchin, formerly Ashurst’s Tokyo office managing partner.
“With the joining of Mr Kitchin our firm’s practice in international projects and project finance is further strengthened. This has been a consistent initiative of our firm to continually strengthen our capability in international projects, project finance and cross-border M&A transactions,” the firm said.
Based in Atsumi & Sakai’s Tokyo office, Kitchin is a registered foreign lawyer in Japan for UK laws and a solicitor of England & Wales who has been hired to lead the Japanese firm’s international projects and M&A practice.
Having joined Atsumi & Sakai from his own practice Simpson Kitchin in London, Kitchin founded the energy group of Ashurst in 1987 and established the UK firm’s Tokyo office in 1989. At Ashurst, he served as the Tokyo office managing partner for 15 years, and was also head of its Asian practice after the opening of its Singapore office. Prior to setting up his own law practice, he had also served as a senior partner at Clifford Chance’s Tokyo office.
For decades, the veteran lawyer has advised on global projects, project finance and international M&A, representing Tokyo-based Japanese clients including government-owned financial institutions, among them export credit agencies, as well as Japanese and foreign banks and trading houses.
