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Kenji Watanabe

Partner, Mercier & Valez

Tokyo, Japan

About me

Kenji Watanabe is a partner in the Corporate and M&A team in Tokyo. He advises Japanese corporates and trading houses on outbound acquisitions and joint ventures in the UK, Europe and North America.

Kenji spent two years in the firm's New York office and works closely with London and US colleagues on transactions where the cultural expectations of a Japanese buyer need to be reflected in the process and the documents.

A Columbia LLM graduate, he collects jazz vinyl and is a regular at Tokyo's jazz kissa.

Selected experience:
- Advised a Japanese industrial group on its acquisition of a UK automation business.
- Advised a trading house on a joint venture with a US renewables developer.
- Advised a Japanese buyer on its bid in a competitive UK auction process.

Education: LLB, Waseda University; LLM, Columbia Law School
Admissions: Japan; New York
Languages: Japanese, English
Interests: Jazz (vinyl collector, Tokyo jazz kissa regular)

10/6/2026 2:58:00 PM

Japanese Strategic Buyers Return to the UK Mid-Market: A Practical Guide for Sellers

By Kenji Watanabe Mei Lin Tan

Japanese corporates and trading houses remain among the most active strategic buyers of UK and European businesses. For sellers and their...