Overview
Gordon Palmquist is a partner in Mayer Brown’s Tokyo office and a member of the Corporate & Securities practice. He advises Japanese corporations, insurance companies and financial institutions on outbound M&A, sales of subsidiaries, corporate governance and private equity, real estate, infrastructure and venture capital investments. He also regularly advises on fund formations and structuring for venture capital funds, private equity funds, REIT's and infrastructure funds.
He began his law career with Mayer Brown in Chicago. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Gordon worked in marketing at the Tokyo office of a global advertising agency and was the international sales manager for a US-based company with global distribution. Gordon has lived in Japan for over 18 years and is a fluent Japanese speaker.
Areas of Focus
Spoken Languages
- English
- Japanese
Experience
M&A and Corporate Experience
- A Japanese technology company in its sale of its US based subsidiary providing global energy storage solutions.
- A Japanese utility company in connection with its acquisition of a 30% stake of one of Vietnam’s largest renewable energy companies and negation of the shareholder agreement.
- A Japanese trading company and a Japanese telecommunications company on the purchase of a 30% interest in Netherlands-based HERE Technologies, a mapping technology company for autonomous vehicles.
- A Japanese trading company in its acquisition of a division of a PVC additives provider.
- A Japanese trading company in connection with its acquisition of a stake in a US mining operation including negotiation of the joint venture agreement with the other parties and a separate joint venture for marketing the offtake.
- A Japanese global fund in connection with its investment into a new technology platform in Vietnam and the related shareholders agreement.
- A Japanese multinational corporation specializing in measuring instruments and metrological technology in connection with the acquisition of a Hong Kong and Chinese distribution platform from a listed Hong Kong entity.
- A Japanese trading house in the formation of a joint venture with a Japanese food company and the acquisition by the joint venture of a US based food manufacturer.
- A Japanese manufacturer in the carve out and sale of a business unit to a US based global manufacturer.
- A Japanese insurer in connection with to the sale of its reinsurance subsidiary.
- A Japanese multinational personal care company in the US$485 million sale of its haircare subsidiary to a leading German chemical and consumer goods company.
- A Japanese management of a global technology consulting services company in a management buyout from private equity owners of the US, Japan and Belgian operating companies.
- A Japanese insurance holding company in the reorganization of its global businesses under a newly formed Bermudan holding company.
- A Japanese insurance holding company in its US$6.3 billion acquisition of an Bermuda-based insurance company.
- A Japanese financing company in numerous overseas investments including investments into two US power utilities, an investment in a US toll road operation.
- A Contract Manufacturing Organization in the sale of its operations in Denmark and the US to a Japanese global glass manufacturing company.
- A Japanese private equity company in its acquisition of two US based medical and haircare treatment companies.
- The indirect subsidiary of a Japanese private equity company, in its tender offer for the common stock and convertible bonds of a Japanese haircare company.
- A private equity and real estate investment firm in the purchase of a business process outsourcing services company headquartered in the US and with operations in the Philippines and Guatemala.
- A Japanese leading financial institution in many transactions, including its acquisition of an ownership interest in and alliance with a privately owned investment manager. and its purchase of HK$780 million of newly issued shares of a Hong Kong-based conglomerate holding company.
- A renewable energy company in connection with the sale of its Japanese solar power business to a Thailand-based energy company.
- A Japanese textile company in its acquisition of 51 percent of a German manufactured of carbon fiber reinforced plastics from an Austria-based industrial holding group.
- A Japanese multinational company in its acquisition of a manufacturer of innovative solutions for musicians.
- A Japanese telecommunications and information systems in its acquisition of a leading ATM manufacturer in Brazil.
- A multinational finance company in its investment in an India-based renewable energy company.
- A Japan-based securities financing business in its merger with another Japanese securities financing company.
- A Japan-based manufacturing company as international counsel in its acquisition of additional shares in a German-based machine tools manufacturer AG in exchange for shares in its US and Japanese subsidiaries.
- A Japanese manufacturer of optics and reprography products. in the sale of its subsidiary specialized in high-resolution CMOS imaging sensors to a Japanese multinational electronics company.
- A subsidiary of a Japanese trading company in its creation of a joint venture with a US company and construction of a new facility in the US.
- A Japanese trading company in its proposed creation of a joint venture with a Brazilian company.
- Caterpillar, Inc. in its US$8.6 billion acquisition of Bucyrus International, Inc. via a public merger.
- Progress Rail Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., in its US$820 million acquisition of Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. from private equity firms.
- The special committee of the board of directors of a publicly traded US company in the sale of the company to a private equity fund via a public merger.
Alternative Investments/Fund Formation Experience
Investor Matters
- A Japanese finance and insurance company on numerous co-investments with global funds.
- A Japanese technology company in relation to its fund investments in technology and venture capital funds.
- A Japanese governmental finance company in relation to numerous fund investments, club investments with funds and other co-investment structures and fund of fund arrangements.
- The technology fund of a Japanese mega bank in relation to numerous venture capital investments.
- The technology fund of a Japanese finance company in relation to cornerstone investments in venture capital and private equity funds
- A Japanese pension fund in connection with its infrastructure co-investment structure and the potential purchase of a large portfolio of alternative investments.
- A Japanese agricultural bank in relation to fund investments in infrastructure and REITs and co-investment structures with funds.
- A Japanese mega bank on dozens of private equity investments.
- A Japanese government finance company in connection with investments in venture capital and private equity funds.
- A Japanese company in connection with the establishment of numerous US subsidiaries and the formation of US fund vehicles.
- An Asian bank in connection with its cornerstone investment in a new private equity fund and acquisition of a portion of the general partner.
- An Asian sovereign wealth fund in connection with numerous fund investments and cornerstone investments in private equity and REIT funds.
- High net worth Japanese individuals in connection with their investments in private equity funds.
- A US based state pension fund on the structuring and investment of fund investments.
- A US based university pension fund in relation to its fund investments.
Sponsor Matters
- A Japanese private equity fund manager in connection with the formation of multiple Cayman and Irish funds structures for global investors in its funds and negotiation with the fund investors.
- A Japanese quasi-governmental finance company in connection with the establishment of US subsidiaries and the formation of US venture capital and fund structures.
- A global real estate company in connection with the formation and negotiations with investors in an Asian REIT.
- A Japanese based fund manager in connection with negotiation of fund investment structures for Japanese corporations.
- A global insurance company in connection with the formation and negotiation with investors of a Bermuda fund.
- A US based fund manager in connection with negotiations of co-investment and club investment platforms with investors.
- A Chinese sovereign wealth fund in connection with the formation of an Asian fund investment platform.
- Several global infrastructure fund managers in connection with the formation of new infrastructure funds and negotiations with investors.
- Numerous US, Cayman and other REIT fund managers in connection with the formation of new REIT funds and negotiations with investors
- A US based venture capital fund in connection with the formation of new venture capital funds and negotiations with investors
- A US based fund manager in connection with the formation and negotiation of a fund of one structure with a large investor.
Perspectives
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July 122023
Events
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November 10 – 112020
News
Education
University of Minnesota Law School, JD, magna cum laude
International University of Japan, MA
Saint Olaf College, BA
Waseda University, Tokyo, One-year Exchange Program
Admissions
- Illinois
- District of Columbia
- Japan (Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi)
- Highly Regarded - M&A, Japan – IFLR1000 (2023)
- Rising Star Partner - M&A, Japan –IFLR1000 (2022/23)
- Leading Lawyer - Rising Star, M&A, Japan – IFLR1000 (2021, 2022)
- Rising Star Partner - Insurance, Japan – IFLR1000 (2022/23)
- Rising Star Partner - Mining, Japan – IFLR1000 (2022/23)
- Rising Star Partner - Technology and Telecommunications, Japan – IFLR1000 (2022/23)
- Recommended - Corporate and M&A: International firms and joint ventures, Japan – The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2021-2023)
- Next Generation Lawyer: Foreign Lawyer - Corporate/M&A, Japan – Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2018)
- "I have been working with Gordon for almost three years dealing with our international M&A transactions. He is one of the best corporate lawyers in Tokyo. He has good knowledge of our industry and is excellent at sorting out facts and identifying issues in complicated situations. He also has great problem-solving skills. He is always responsive and offers all available feasible options to help our decisions. He speaks Japanese fluently and has a great communication skill. My colleagues and I enjoy working with him. Our finances and businesspeople trust him as well. With his help, we were able to successfully complete an M&A deal that was important to us." – IFLR1000 (2023)
- "Deep understanding in relation to legal knowledge and market practice in private equity area. Responsible and communicative both in English and Japanese." – IFLR1000 (2023)