Bird & Bird Welcomes Masahiro Tanabe as Corporate Partner
International law firm Bird & Bird has expanded its Tokyo office with the addition of Masahiro Tanabe as a Corporate Partner. He officially joined the firm on September 22, 2025.
Masahiro brings extensive experience across renewable energy and power markets, including battery energy storage systems (BESS), hydrogen, offshore wind, solar, power trading, retail, and corporate power purchase agreements (CPPA). He has advised on several first-of-a-kind energy transactions in Japan, further strengthening Bird & Bird’s ability to deliver innovative solutions in the region.
His appointment follows recent additions to the firm’s growing Japan practice, including Seiko Hidaka (Legal Director, IP Practice, London) and Yuka Yamada (Counsel, Corporate Practice, Tokyo) earlier this year.
Hiroyuki Iwamura (Tokyo Managing Partner and Corporate Partner) said, “Our Tokyo office goes from strength to strength as we respond to increasing client demand in a thriving market. Masa’s arrival not only bolsters our offering in Tokyo but also enhances our ability to mobilise a global team, ensuring our Japanese and international clients benefit from top-tier legal expertise in renewable energy, technology transactions, data and privacy, and cross-border M&A.”
Dr. Matthias Lang (Head of Bird & Bird’s International Energy & Utilities Sector Group) said, “Masa is one of the few Japanese attorneys specialising in international energy and projects matters, combined with strong regulatory expertise. His arrival complements our robust international energy practice, bringing significant benefits to clients across the Bird & Bird network.”
Masahiro Tanabe said, “I see a growing interest by Japanese companies in the crossover of energy transition and digital transformation, and this aligns closely with Bird & Bird’s strengths. I’m excited to join a firm with such a strong global platform and network, and to contribute my experience to support clients navigating the evolving Japanese energy sector.”
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