Brian Strawn is co-head of the Tokyo Corporate/M&A practice and is the Executive Partner of the Tokyo Office of White & Case. He concentrates on international corporate, commercial and financial transactions, including cross-border M&A transactions, joint ventures, strategic alliances and reorganizations as well as general commercial transactions and corporate matters. He has extensive experience in assisting foreign companies with their operations in Japan, advising on company formation, regulatory and competition issues, structuring of distribution and licensing arrangements, and executive compensation and employment issues.

Mr. Strawn also has significant experience advising industrial and consumer products companies in relation to their global and domestic distribution, supply and procurement arrangements, and often advises on infrastructure development and construction projects.

Mr. Strawn is noted as a leading individual for international M&A in Japan in Asia Pacific Legal 500 2012 and Chambers Asia-Pacific 2011. Chambers comments that "Brian Strawn is appreciated for his ability to ‘assess the opposite side of a deal and judge the risk.’ Sources highlight his 'sound advice,' and that he covers a wide range of international corporate, commercial and financial transactions."

Prior to joining the New York office of White & Case in 1998, Mr. Strawn spent over a decade in business in Japan. He transferred to the Tokyo office of White & Case in October of 2001. In addition to his native language of English, Brian speaks and reads Japanese fluently.

Bars and Courts
Registered Foreign Attorney in Japan (Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi), 2002
New York State Bar, 1999

Education
JD, The George Washington University Law School, 1998
BA, Portland State University, 1994

Professional Associations and Memberships
New York Bar Association
Daini Tokyo Bar Association
American Bar Association
American Chamber of Commerce in Japan

Publications
Co-author of "Corporate and Project Finance" chapter, Japan Business Law, Kluwer Law International (2007)
Guide to Japanese Intellectual Property Law, AIPLA Quarterly Journal, Volume 26 No.1

Languages
English
Japanese

Citizenship
United States