Europe

As of 2023, the nominal GDP of EU member states alone exceeded USD 18 trillion, making Europe one of the largest economic areas in the world. With its diverse markets and politically and judicially stable environment, Europe continues to be an attractive destination for business expansion and foreign direct investment.

The European Union (EU), comprising 27 member states as of 2024, is a unique supranational entity where member states have transferred part of their sovereignty to the EU based on foundational treaties. In the areas where authority has been delegated, the EU exercises legislative power on behalf of the member states. Consequently, the EU’s legal system is distinct from both international law and the domestic laws of its member states. While each member state retains its own legal system, a wide array of EU regulations and directives—ranging from consumer protection and product safety to data protection, antitrust and merger control, environmental law, and emissions trading—take precedence over national law. Furthermore, EU regulations are often stricter than those of Japan or the United States, and reflect the EU’s commitment to market integration, social welfare, and environmental protection. Due to the complex legal landscape and variation among national laws, there is strong demand for one-stop legal support that covers multiple jurisdictions.

Given this legal environment, companies operating or investing in Europe must carefully navigate a range of Europe-specific legal issues. It is essential to conduct detailed legal analyses and risk assessments to ensure successful business operations and corporate activities.

We offer legal advice to Japanese companies on a broad range of legal issues in Europe, with a particular focus on navigating complex regulations. We have a strong track record in matters such as M&A involving European companies—including those in the United Kingdom—compliance with data protection laws and other local regulations, and employment law matters.
In M&A transactions, our dedicated and experienced M&A team works closely with our partner firms in Europe to provide practical legal support across all stages of the deal. This includes regulatory matters such as merger control, foreign investment review, and foreign subsidies regulations; structuring and due diligence; drafting and negotiation of transaction documents (including share purchase agreements, shareholders’ agreements, and joint venture agreements); execution of the transaction; and post-merger integration (PMI) support.

Our European Practice Team is led by Hiroyuki Masuda, a partner with extensive experience advising Japanese companies on M&A and other legal matters across Europe, in collaboration with trusted local law firms in each jurisdiction. In addition, Yuko Haraguchi, a lawyer based in London, is part of our team and plays a key role in coordinating with lawyers across the region to provide timely and seamless legal support.