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9 Feb, 2021 Author Rebecca IsjwaraXiuxi ZhuFrancis Garrido
Southeast Asia, where the technology startup scene thrives on economic growth and a chronic need to boost financial inclusion, is fertile ground for acquisitions for listed blank-check companies in 2021, analysts say.
Special purpose acquisition companies, which are skeleton organizations that launch with the intention of buying and reverse merging with a private company, have become popular alternatives to traditional IPOs to take companies public. SPACs from around the world are mostly listed in stock exchanges in the U.S., where the listing rules require them to acquire private assets from any country within two years after debut. A surge of newly listed SPACs in 2020 suggests that more companies are on the hunt for deals before their two-year deadline is up.
In a pandemic-hit year when dealmaking was more of a challenge than usual, certain lawyers stood out for their innovation, determination and focus on client needs. In this annual feature, ALB spotlights some of the standout dealmakers in the year gone by.
SHINICHI ARAKI
Partner, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Araki, a capital markets expert, has more than two decades of experience. He represents numerous major Japanese financial institutions, manufacturers, technology companies and retailers. He also has a strong relationship with many major investment banks in Japan.
Araki has acted on numerous matters including, most recently, advising Nomura, Goldman Sachs and SMBC Nikko on the $3 billion global offering of common stock of ANA Holdings (holding company of the largest airline in Japan) in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. He also advised Goldman Sachs and other managers on $4.3 billion accelerated book-built offering (ABO) of Yahoo Japan’s stock by Altaba in 2018 as well a