Japan

Freshfields has advised Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (KEPCO) on its majority investment in Simply Blue Energy (OSW) Limited (SBE), an offshore wind development company headquartered in Cork, Ireland. SBE is engaged and has extensive experience in multiple offshore wind projects, including floating offshore wind projects, primarily across Europe. The transaction is KEPCO’s first investment in an offshore wind developer and forms part of its expansion in renewable energy under the Kansai Electric Power Group Zero Carbon Vision 2050. Closing is expected to occur in late 2025.

Freshfields has advised Colt Data Centre Services (“Colt DCS”) on a joint venture with ESR to develop the first phase of a 130 MW hyperscale data centre site in Osaka, Japan. The first phase, comprising 65 MW, will be designed and built by the ESR–Colt DCS joint venture and operated by Colt DCS.

Freshfields has guided Toray Industries, Inc. (‘Toray’) to the closing of the sale of its interests in Hungary-based LG Toray Hungary Battery Separator Kft. (‘LTHS’) to LG Chem, Ltd. (‘LGC’). LTHS was a 50/50 joint venture between Toray and LGC, specialising in the manufacturing and sale of battery separator film for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in Hungary. The transaction occurred over the course of two separate closings for 20% and 30% of Toray’s interests in LTHS to LGC. Freshfields also represented Toray in connection with the initial formation of LTHS with LGC in June 2022.

Freshfields advised NEC Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries NEC Platforms, Ltd., NEC Europe Ltd., NEC Latin America S.A. and NEC Corporation of America in the sale of their cloud and on-premises unified communications business globally (excluding Asia and Oceania, which is retained by NEC). The carve-out sale was accomplished through a series of complex, distinct transactions involving separate buyers in each jurisdiction.