L. Mark Weeks

Mark Weeks is a Senior Counsel in Orrick’s M&A and Private Equity Group. He has practiced in New York and Tokyo for more than 30 years and served as office leader of Orrick’s Tokyo office from 2007 to 2017.

• Engagements

  Mark's representative transactions include the following.

  • Assisted a Japanese chemical company in its acquisitions of the plant health business from a leading animal health company.
  • Representation of a Japanese chemical manufacturer in the acquisition of a German insulation systems manufacturer.
  • Assisted Sharp Corporation in its transfer of all interests in its subsidiary, Recurrent Energy LLC to a Canadian solar energy company, Canadian Solar Inc.
  • Assisted Johnson Controls with its acquisition of a 60% interest in Hitachi Appliances’ global HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) business and the creation of a global joint venture with Hitachi to develop, manufacture and sell HVAC systems.
  • Assisted U-Shin, a Japan based car parts manufacturer, in its acquisition of a global car access mechanisms business from French company Valeo.
  • Assisted a Japan based global chemical company in its acquisition of a French chemical company through an auction.
  • Assisted a leading U.S. based diversified chemical company in its acquisition of a herbicide, fluthiacet-methyl, which is jointly owned by leading agricultural, pesticide and industrial chemical developers and manufacturers in Japan.
  • Assisted a Japan based global chemical company in its acquisition of the Tebufenozide insecticide business of a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company.
  • Assisted a Japanese publicly traded chemical company in the sale of its U.S. subsidiary through an auction.
  • Assisted a Japanese publicly traded manufacturer of GPS, sonar and radar devices in its acquisition of a U.S. GPS semiconductor company.
  • Representation of a trading subsidiary of the Toyota group in the $200 million sale of its more than 40 percent equity stake in a global agrochemical company to a group of investors led by Olympus Capital.
  • Representation of a Japanese trading and holding company in the sale of its equity stake in one of the world’s largest privately held crop protection and life sciences companies.
  • Representation of a Japan-based global manufacturer and distributor of food, drinks and seasonings in the negotiation and preparation of global research, development, commercialization and license agreements with Senomyx, a developer of flavor ingredients.
  • Representation of a Japanese bank in connection with the complex financing of the acquisition of a Japanese public company.
  • General representation of a biotech company in connection with M&A licenses and supply, manufacturing, collaboration and research and development agreements.
  • General representation of a Japanese agricultural chemicals company in connection with M&A, joint venture, asset transfer, supply, distribution and license agreements related to its fungicide, pesticide and herbicide businesses.
  • Representation of a Japanese cash management company in connection with the tender offer for a U.S. cash management company.
  • Representation of a Japanese food processing company in connection with the tender offer for a U.S. food processing company.
  • Joint venture between a Japanese company and a U.S. company to create a company to provide identity authentication, credit checks and reports in connection with online business-to-business transactions.
  • Representation of a Japanese retailer as creditor in connection with the reorganization of a large U.S. retail clothing store chain. This included establishing a joint venture to license a trademark in Asia and negotiating the terms of a subordinated note agreement, warrants and a stockholders’ agreement for the new stockholders of the reorganized entity.