Nancy Yamaguchi

Nancy is ranked Band 1 for Corporate/M&A: Deals in Asia by Chambers and recognized by clients as having “a business mind and tremendous attention to detail." They commend her for being “excellent and speaking fluent Japanese but also able to translate the cultural context and is amazing when dealing with the Japanese government.” In addition, they note that “she is great at negotiation and everything legal and is extremely helpful in concluding multinational deals."

Nancy also advises clients on operations of technology businesses and technology assets around the world, including intellectual property, labor and employment, and litigation matters, collaborating with specialists in these areas.

Nancy is a member of Morgan Lewis's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) working group. CFIUS is a US government body composed of nine cabinet-level Executive Branch agencies reviewing foreign investments in US companies, especially from technology and data security perspectives. Nancy has experience advising both US and non-US technology companies with respect to their legal and regulatory compliance related to technology transfers, export controls, economic sanctions, data privacy, and cybersecurity. She is also a member of the firm’s Autonomous and Connected Vehicles Working Group and works closely with automotive OEMs and suppliers to support them on buy-side, sell-side and joint venture deals.

Before joining Morgan Lewis, Nancy was a partner at another global law firm, where she served as the head of its technology practice worldwide. Before that, she was the director of M&A for a public company and chief legal officer for a technology company, both based in Silicon Valley. Nancy’s combined business and legal involvement in the technology industry allows her to provide practical business solutions and customized legal advice and negotiate transactions that are specific and relevant to companies in that space.

ASIA

Japan

• Acquisition by UMC of Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Ltd., a subsidiary of Fujitsu, for approximately $510 million
• Acquisition by Kofu Hong Kong Holdings, a joint venture between Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Controls (YITOA) and G Tech Systems Group (GTSGI), of Pioneer MTC Technology, a subsidiary of Pioneer Corporation
• Acquisition by Yokogawa Electric of BioStinger, a Silicon Valley–based startup found by professors of University of California, Santa Cruz
• Acquisition by ACCESS Co., Ltd. and ACCESS Europe GmbH of NetRange Automobile GmbH in Hamburg, Germany
• Major technology transaction between MUFG Bank and Ripcord, a technology startup based in Silicon Valley, to support MUFG Bank in its digital transformation and digitalization of operations
• Series A investment by Kurita Water Industries, Ltd. in Fracta Inc., a Silicon Valley–based artificial intelligence company, and acquisition of a robotics startup by Fracta
• Joint venture between a major Japanese industrial company and a strategic partner in Italy 
• Strategic investment and an acquisition of a minority stake by a major Japanese company in a privately held Singapore company 
• Strategic investment and technology alliance between a leading financial institution in Japan and a fintech startup based in San Francisco
• Venture capital financing in a Japanese mobile communication company by H&Q Asia Pacific, Goldman Sachs, Sony, Motorola, Tokyo Electric Power, NTT DoCoMo, and other US and Japanese investors
• Technology collaboration and equity investments between ACCESS Co., Ltd. and Motorola/Freescale

China

• Approx. $100 million sale of semiconductor assets, real estate located in North Tyneside, United Kingdom, and UK subsidiaries to a leading semiconductor manufacturing company headquartered in Taiwan
• Private-label technology development and licensing partnership between a Silicon Valley–based semiconductor company and its strategic partner in Zhuhai, China
• Investment by investors in Shanghai in a semiconductor startup based in Silicon Valley for technology development in China    

NORTH AMERICA

United States

• Joint venture between a US automotive/industrial public company and a Japanese automotive/industrial public company spanning Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and India
• Acquisition of technology assets and real estate from a semiconductor R&D company through the assignment for the benefit of creditors process under California law
• $62 million acquisition of an Italian entity located near Rome from a US seller, and related technology agreements with Silicon Valley–based image sensor company 
• Majority shareholders in the minority buyout of an automotive company based in San Diego
• Spinoff of a high-voltage power device business by a Silicon Valley–based semiconductor company
• Acquisition of an LED company for a public company based in Silicon Valley 
• Lead investor counsel for the reorganization, bridge loan, and investment in a biotech/medical company
• Equity investments by a leading Silicon Valley–based venture capital firm in several US internet and ecommerce companies and biotech/medical companies based in San Diego and Silicon Valley 

EUROPE

Germany

• Acquisition of a technology startup based in Silicon Valley specializing in automotive applications for a German investor
• Sale of the WiMax business of a US public company to a major German technology company
• Sale of a German automotive business by a US technology company based near Stuttgart, Germany to a UK purchaser
• Purchase of an operational semiconductor fabrication facility and related assets by a technology investor and purchaser based in California
• Tax-driven restructuring of two business lines for a German semiconductor and technology development company