TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Davis Polk today announced that Ken Lebrun, a leading U.S. mergers and acquisitions lawyer, will join the firm as a partner in the Tokyo office. Mr. Lebrun’s arrival reflects Davis Polk’s long-standing commitment to Japan and further strengthens the firm’s position among U.S. firms in Tokyo.
Mr. Lebrun joins Davis Polk from Shearman & Sterling, where he was a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions practice based in Tokyo. His practice focuses on public and private cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances and private equity transactions. He has represented major Japanese companies and financial institutions on many of their largest and most significant transactions.
“With the addition of Ken, Davis Polk now has an unmatched combination of premier capabilities in both capital markets and M&A in Tokyo,” said Thomas J. Reid, Davis Polk’s Managing Partner. “Having someone of Ken’s caliber on the ground will further distinguish our practice in Japan, a vitally important market for us. We are thrilled to have him on board.”
Ken Lebrun said, “I am very grateful for my time at Shearman and my colleagues there. Davis Polk has an impressive and highly regarded team in Tokyo and a preeminent global M&A practice, and joining the firm is a truly exciting opportunity.”
“Ken is one of the foremost M&A lawyers in Tokyo and incredibly well-respected in the market,” said Jon Gray, head of Davis Polk’s Tokyo office. “He is an excellent fit for the firm and our clients, and will be a tremendous addition to our team.”
A Japanese speaker, Mr. Lebrun is admitted in New York and is a Registered Foreign Lawyer in Japan. He serves as Chair of the Foreign Direct Investment Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. Chambers Asia-Pacific has ranked him in Band 1 for Corporate/M&A: International – Japan for several years.
Davis Polk has been active in Japan for over 90 years, with an office in Tokyo since 1987. The firm’s Japan practice focuses on major cross-border transactions involving most sectors of the Japanese economy. Davis Polk’s lawyers in Tokyo advise a broad range of clients, including major Japanese banks and insurance companies, non-bank financial companies, as well as industrial, retail, technology and pharmaceutical companies. The firm also represents U.S. and other multinational corporations and financial institutions with regard to their Japan businesses.
About Davis Polk
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (including its associated entities) is a global law firm with offices strategically located in the world’s key financial centers. For more than 165 years, our lawyers have advised industry-leading companies and global financial institutions on their most challenging legal and business matters. Davis Polk ranks among the world’s preeminent law firms across the entire range of its practice, which spans such areas as capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, credit, antitrust and competition, litigation and enforcement, private equity, tax, financial regulation, investment management, restructuring, executive compensation, FinTech, intellectual property and technology, real estate, and trusts and estates. Davis Polk has more than 900 lawyers in offices located in New York, Northern California, Washington DC, São Paulo, London, Paris, Madrid, Tokyo, Beijing and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit: http://www.davispolk.com.
