Lovells

CORPORATE PARTNER RIKA BEPPU AND FINANCE PARTNER PHILIP HYDE JOIN LOVELLS AS PART OF CONTINUED STRATEGIC EXPANSION OF THE TOKYO PRACTICE

Leading corporate and finance partners Rika Beppu and Philip Hyde will join Lovells from Simmons & Simmons Tokyo office.  The addition of Rika and Philip follows on from the recruitment of bengoshi partner Eiichiro Kubota and his seven-strong team to the firm's Tokyo office in January 2008.

Rika Beppu, previously managing partner of Simmons & Simmons Tokyo office, has over 14 years experience advising on corporate transactions, including public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private equity transactions.  Recognised as a leading lawyer by the main legal directories, Rika advises both international and Japanese corporations and investments banks on their largest transactions.  Rika will become joint managing partner of the Tokyo office alongside existing managing partner Lloyd Parker.

Partner Philip Hyde, also joining with Rika, is widely regarded as one of the leading capital markets lawyers in Japan.  Philip's experience is primarily in advising leading investment banks on a wide variety of debt capital markets transactions, structured securities issues, derivatives and securitisation.  He has been based in Tokyo since October 1997, having joined Simmons & Simmons in 2003 after nine years as a finance lawyer with Clifford Chance.

David Harris, Lovells' Managing Partner, said:

"Japan is an important market for many of our international clients and we also have a very strong domestic client base there.  We've made our commitment to the market clear with these latest hires and the recent recruitment of Eiichiro Kubota and his team.  This enables us to deliver a broad range of high-quality corporate, financial and commercial services."

Rika and Philip's move to Lovells is an integral part of the firm's plans to broaden the Tokyo practice following on from the recruitment of the Kubota team in January.

Commenting on the moves, Asia regional managing partner Crispin Rapinet, said:

"Rika and Philip are both impressive lawyers who have built strong corporate and finance practices in Tokyo.  We are confident that they will be able to develop these practices further from the stronger international platform offered by Lovells and we look forward to having them assist us in servicing the needs of the strong Japanese client base that we have built up over the years.

ABOUT LOVELLS

With over 3,000 people operating from 26 offices in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States, Lovells is one of the world's leading international law firms. We advise many of the world's largest corporations, financial institutions and governmental organisations.  We regularly act on complex, multi jurisdictional transactions as well as some of the most high-profile commercial disputes. Lovells (the "firm") is an international legal practice comprising Lovells LLP and its affiliated businesses.  Lovells LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC323639.  Registered office and principal place of business: Atlantic House, Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2FG.

The word "partner" is used to refer to a member of Lovells LLP, or an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualifications, and to a partner, member, employee or consultant in any of its affiliated businesses who has equivalent standing.

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