Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu boosts the strength of its energy and infrastructure practice with energy and project finance specialist Tsutomu Kobayashi joining as a new counsel to its bench in Tokyo.
Kobayashi was most recently a Tokyo-based partner at Baker McKenzie, where he had practiced for close to 20 years.
Having made partner at Baker in 2016, he specialises in the development and operation of energy projects including solar, onshore and offshore wind and biomass. He has also been involved in infrastructure projects including public funding initiatives and public-private partnerships with expertise in project finance.
Last year, he co-led a Baker team involving both the Tokyo and Seoul offices in advising Patten Energy Group and its affiliate, Green Power Investment Corp, on project financing for the 112MW Ishikari Bay Offshore Wind Farm in Hokkaido. In a separate deal, he was one of the lead partners advising on the negotiation for matters including project finance-related turbine supply and service agreements for wind turbine foundations and onshore facilities for the 220MW Kitakyushu Hibikinada Offshore Wind Farm, Japan’s largest project of its kind to date.
Outside of his legal career, he has served as a member of a review task force at the Japan Wind Power Association on financing for offshore wind power projects and an expert member of the Private Finance Initiatives Promotion Committee at the Cabinet Office.
