“Clara is top-class and second to none; a great lawyer with a strong appreciation for commercial matters and the client’s key focus areas.”

Chambers Asia-Pacific 2022

Biography

Clara Shirota is a Partner in White & Case's Asia Debt Finance and Restructuring practice.

Clara has extensive experience advising private equity funds and other strategic investors on a wide range of complex financings, with a focus on leveraged acquisition and take-private finance, refinancings, dividend recapitalizations and restructurings, debt buy-backs and bank/bond transactions.

Prior to joining White & Case, Clara worked at a leading global law firm based in Hong Kong and Tokyo. She is admitted in New York, Hong Kong and England and Wales and is a Registered Foreign Lawyer in Japan (Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi) (Jurisdiction of Primary Qualification: [Hong Kong]).

Clara is a member of the Daini Tokyo Bar Association.

Experience

CVC Capital Partners in connection with the financing for its US$1.5 billion acquisition of the personal care business of Shiseido from Shiseido Company, Limited

Starwood Capital Group on its tender offer for Invesco Office J-REIT, Inc., a listed J-REIT in Japan, for ¥22,500 per investment unit (total equity value of approximately ¥198 billion, publicly reported debt of ¥126 billion, for an enterprise value of approximately ¥325 billion)

CVC Capital Partners on the acquisition financing comprising senior facilities and a mezzanine facility provided for CVC's investment in TRY Group, the largest one-to-one tutoring services provider in Japan.

CVC on the acquisition financings for Munchy Foods, Riraku, Nirvana Asia (Hong Kong take-private), EIC Group, Executive Centre, SPi Global, HKBN, South Beauty, KFC/Pizza Hut and Matahari*

Permira on acquisition financings for Arysta LifeSciences, Akindo Sushiro and John Master Organics and on the senior/mezzanine refinancing and restructuring for Asia Broadcast Satellite*

EQT on the financing for China F&B Group (franchise operator of Dairy Queen and Papa John’s Pizza) and the refinancing of facilities to PSM Investments Limited and subsequent trade sale exit*

Unitas Capital on the refinancing of Hyva's high yield bond and super senior revolving credit facility and subsequent self-arranged amendment and extension of its senior facilities*

*Experience prior to joining White & Case

England and Wales, Solicitor
Solicitor of the High Court of Hong Kong
New York
Registered Foreign Lawyer in Japan (Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi) (Jurisdiction of Primary Qualification: [Hong Kong])
Postgraduate Certificate of Laws
City University of Hong Kong
LLB
York University
MBA
York University
BSc
University of Toronto
English
Cantonese
Mandarin
Japanese

Leading Lawyer: Banking & Finance: International—Japan, Chambers Asia-Pacific 2022

One of the ALB Asia's Top 15 Female Lawyers, Asian Legal Business 2021

Next Generation Lawyer, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2018

Service areas