Leading international law firm Clifford Chance has advised Ascott Residence Trust (Ascott Reit) on its acquisition of a portfolio of 11 rental housing properties in Japan for JPY9.2 billion from ACRJ3 Pte Ltd, an 88.9% owned subsidiary of The Ascott Limited. The properties have a total of 959 apartments located across six cities in Japan.

Bingham McCutchen LLP expanded its 75-lawyer Tokyo office and bolstered its global cross-border capabilities in Japan and Asia with the addition of Christopher Wells and Tomoko Fuminaga as partners in Bingham’s Investment Management Group along with five additional lawyers, including Carol Tsuchida and Koji Yamamoto.

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance has advised MGPA on behalf of MGPA Asien Spezialfonds, which targets German-speaking institutional investors on two property investments in Japan. The investments comprise the acquisition of two Tokyo office buildings, South Shin Otsuka building in Otsuka and Shinjuku TX building in Shinjuku. These transactions are MGPA Asien Spezialfonds first investments in Japan with both transactions closing in March. The fund is launched on the administration platform of the German investment company Universal-Investment.

Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) advised Shinsei Bank on its  JPY 1.6 billion loan to JAG Energy Co.,Ltd. ("JAG"), a group company of Japan Asia Group Limited. JAG is constructing five mega solar power facilities in Hokkaido which can generate a total output of approximately 5.5 MW.