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Lukas Kratochvil 

Office Managing Partner, Tokyo Head of Legal Practice Asia

Team: Legal

Office: Tokyo

CONTACT: lukas@novara-law.com

Lukas leads Novara's Tokyo office (Novara Advisory Partners Law Firm Joint Enterprise). Educated at the University of Oxford and the College of Law, London, he has over 20 years' post-qualification experience as a corporate lawyer qualified in England & Wales, and has been based in Tokyo since 2006. He spent the majority of his career at Magic Circle firms and leading US law firms advising on cross-border M&A and complex international joint ventures across the energy and natural resources sector as well as the technology, steel and other industry sectors. He also completed a senior secondment at a leading global investment bank in Tokyo. Lukas is a registered Foreign Lawyer in Japan and is a native level speaker of English, German and Czech, with proficiency in Japanese.

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"Lukas Kratochvil brings technical expertise, excellent market knowledge and a tireless work ethic. Great lawyer." Legal 500

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"Lukas Kratochvil is exceptionally strong for complex energy projects and I would have no hesitation in recommending him for international clients on Asia energy deals, in particular Indonesia." Legal 500

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" Marked out by peers as being very strong on energy work."  Chambers

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LUKAS' EXPERIENCE INCLUDES ADVISING:

  • A major technology company on its acquisition of a controlling stake in a leading PC business from a Japanese conglomerate.

  • A member of the successful bidding consortium for a major Japanese technology company's memory business carve-out.

  • A Japanese company on its proposed acquisition of a portfolio of over 70 operating wind farm assets across four European jurisdictions.

  • A major global energy company on multiple acquisitions and disposals in the oil & gas sector totaling over USD 3bn.

  • A major global energy company on its first-of-a-kind solar project in the Middle East.

  • A sponsor client on a USD 13.8bn refinery and petrochemical complex project in Southeast Asia.

  • Cross-border M&A and joint ventures across the energy, natural resources, and steel sectors throughout his career in over 50 jurisdictions, with particular focus on inbound and outbound Japan transactions across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Africa.
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Marcus Wolter

Global Managing Partner & CEO

Team: Legal

Office: London, Tokyo and New York

CONTACT: marcus@novara-law.com

Marcus leads the Novara platform. Educated at Humboldt University Berlin and Harvard Law School, he spent over a decade at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Munich, London and Tokyo advising on landmark cross-border transactions - including Microsoft/Nokia, SoftBank/ARM, Starbucks' USD 1.3bn East China JV buy-out, and Yokohama Rubber/Trelleborg. He is fluent in English and German. Marcus focus on tech- and IP driven deals in the Tech, Lifesciences and FintechCrypto sector. With his blue-chip client based engaged in deals across the globe Marcus currently splits his time between our London, New York and Tokyo offices. Marcus is also a director of Novara Global Capital and on the board of advisors of National Diversified Funding Corporataion.

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"Always accessible" Legal 500

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MARCUS’ EXPERIENCE INCLUDES ADVISING:​

  • Eppendorf on its acquisition of Genie Inc’s lab automation system from a US founder group.

  • Eppendorf on the successful sale of Bio-ITech B.V. (eLabNext) and related US assets to SciShield Holdings Inc.

  • Nexo on the acquisition of Buenbit, a leading Latin American digital assets platform.

  • Decentralized Web3 Software Technologies Fund on its successful Series D investment in a next-generation gaming company integrating blockchain technology into games to create digital economies where players can own, trade, and monetize in-game assets.

  • Decentralized Web3 Software Technologies Fund on the recapitalization and exercise of its warrants in relation to a Chicago-based company operating an online marketplace.

  • Various Japanese listed and German companies on their growth equity and venture capital investments as well as on setting up their corporate venture capital programs.

  • Forterra, a leader in ground-based autonomous vehicle technology for defense and commercial markets, on the successful acquisition of goTenna, Inc. 

  • Tokyo and Bangkok based fintech unicorn Opn Holdings on its US$120 million Series C+ round and its acquisition of MerchantE.

  • Emerson (NYSE EMR) on its acquisition of FLEXIM Flexible Industriemeßtechnik GmbH, a global leader in clamp-on ultrasonic flow measurement for liquids, gases, and steam.

  • A major Japanese bank on its participation in a central bank backed utility settlement coin project.

  • A leading US technology company on its consortium bid led by Bain Capital for the acquisition of Toshiba Memory.

  • The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. on its acquisition of Trelleborg Wheel Systems Holding AB, the wheel systems business of Swedish listed Trelleborg AB, for an enterprise value of over €2 billion.

  • Toray Industries, Inc. on its joint venture with LG Chem, Ltd. in Hungary.

  • Lenovo on its PC joint venture with Fujitsu.

  • Ajinomoto, Japan’s largest food company, on its US$532 million acquisition of a 33.33% stake in Promasidor, a major seasonings and processed foods manufacturer operating in 36 African countries.

  • Ajinomoto on its sale of a feed use amino acid company in France.

  • Marubeni Corporation on its cooperation with GE to deploy artificial intelligence solutions for predictive maintenance and increased operational efficiency in Marubeni Corporation’s power plants.

  • Marubeni Corporation on its acquisition of Danish Salmon A/S together with Nippon Suisan Kaisha.
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