About the role
Finance Lawyer Opportunity | One of Japan’s Largest Law Firms | Tokyo
I am currently working on a particularly exciting opportunity with one of Japan’s largest and most prestigious law firms , which is looking to hire an Associate to Mid-Level foreign-qualified lawyer into its growing Finance practice in Tokyo.
This is a rare opportunity to join a highly established Japanese law firm that has significantly expanded its international capabilities in recent years and continues to grow its presence across the APAC region.
The Finance team advises a broad range of leading Japanese and international clients, including financial institutions, investment funds, sponsors, developers and corporates, on complex domestic and cross-border financing transactions.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work across areas including:
• Real Estate Finance
• Energy & Infrastructure Finance
• Project Finance
• Data Centers & Renewable Energy
• General Banking & Lending
• Structured Finance
- The firm is ideally looking for an Associate to Mid-Level lawyer within approximately 7 years’ PQE , although there is flexibility around seniority for candidates with particularly relevant experience.
- One of the key requirements for this search is strong hands-on experience drafting and negotiating LMA-based loan agreements, facility agreements and other credit documentation . Candidates should be comfortable taking ownership of drafting and supporting the management of financing transactions from an early stage through to closing.
- Importantly, Japanese language ability is NOT required for this position . The team already operates in a highly international environment and places significantly greater emphasis on legal and technical drafting ability in English.
- The firm is also open to considering candidates currently based overseas , including lawyers who have not previously worked in Japan but have a genuine interest in relocating to Tokyo. Strong technical drafting skills and solid transactional experience will be particularly important for overseas applicants.
Why consider this opportunity?
• Join one of the largest and most established legal platforms in Japan
• Work on sophisticated domestic and cross-border financing transactions
• Direct exposure to leading Japanese and international clients
• Opportunity to build expertise across fast-growing sectors including data centers, infrastructure and renewable energy
• International working environment where Japanese is not a prerequisite
• Strong long-term career prospects and potential progression within the firm
• Stable and collegiate culture with an increasingly international footprint
• Competitive compensation within the Japanese legal market
This could be particularly interesting for UK, US, Australian or other foreign-qualified lawyers currently working in Banking & Finance, Project Finance, Real Estate Finance, Energy or Infrastructure Finance who are interested in developing a long-term career in Tokyo.
Candidates currently based in London, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia or elsewhere internationally are also encouraged to get in touch.
If you would be interested in learning more about the opportunity, the team, compensation or relocation to Japan, please feel free to contact me directly for a confidential discussion.
Kota Yamamoto
Legal Recruitment | Morgan McKinley Japan
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