Tokyo Office of Baker & McKenzie Strengthens its Tax Group

Baker & McKenzie GJBJ Tokyo Aoyama Aoki Law office (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) announced today that Ryuta Takaku, a highly experienced adviser, joined the Tokyo Tax Practice Group as Special Transfer Pricing Adviser.

Through his career in public service, Mr. Takaku has gained significant experience in taxation of multinational corporations, particularly in transfer pricing, where he is widely recognized due to his long-term service with Japan’s competent authority.

“We are delighted to have Mr. Takaku join our Firm,” said Yukinori Watanabe, Partner in the Tokyo Tax Practice Group (pictured) . “His technical skills, more than 20 years of valuable government experience, and international practice will enhance the depth of our core international tax and transfer pricing practices.” In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Takaku lectures on International Taxation and Accounting Tax Theory as an Assistant Professor at Keio University, Faculty of Business and Commerce. In 2004-2006, he was a Professor of International Taxation at the National Tax College, Tokyo. He is also a former course planner for the General Tax Seminar held by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the National Tax Agency.

Mr. Edwin Whatley, head of the Tokyo Tax Practice Group, commented, “The arrival of Mr. Takaku in July and Mr. Ryutaro Oka in January of this year, both highly experienced advisers, is a significant enhancement to our practice. It is of great benefit to our clients to offer sophisticated economic and finance skills to support them in their global tax issues.”

With a worldwide team of more than 550 tax lawyers, economists and financial analysts, Baker & McKenzie’s Global Tax Practice is the largest tax practice of any law firm in the world. It ranks in 20 countries in the International Tax Review World Tax 2005. Thirty of our tax lawyers were named as leading individuals in their field. International Tax Review also voted us European Tax Firm of the year in 2005 and the Firm was awarded the Tax & Trusts Law Firm of the Year at the Asian Legal Business Awards 2005.