Masahiro Tanabe

I am a corporate partner based in Tokyo who helps clients navigate the global energy transition. I regularly advise clients on their complex renewable energy projects in Japan and globally.

My focus spans a range of renewable energy projects, from offshore wind and solar to hydrogen and battery storage, where I bring first-hand experience across the full spectrum of new energy technologies. Another focus of my practice is power markets, with extensive experience in corporate PPAs, power trading and power retail, advising clients from both regulatory and transactional perspectives.

I have advised on a number of first-of-a-kind energy transactions, including representing the first-ever foreign company to obtain an electricity retail license in Japan. From these transactions, I have learned to take an innovative approach to finding solutions for the most complex legal challenges of our clients.

I have over 20 years of legal experience that covers a broad range of matters, including M&A, intellectual property, software, and dispute resolution, which gives me a comprehensive perspective on complex energy transactions.

Having been raised and educated in both Japan and the United States, I'm fluent in both English and my native language Japanese, which means I can work seamlessly across cultures and jurisdictions. I'm also dual-qualified to practice law in both Japan (as a bengoshi) and New York.

For multiple years, I have been ranked in Chambers Asia-Pacific for Projects & Energy: Domestic in Japan, and in The Legal 500 for Projects and Energy in Japan. I was also recognised as a stand-out lawyer by Thomson Reuters in 2024.

• Global offshore wind developer on the development of one of the first large-scale offshore wind projects in Japan
• Japanese developer on the development of one of the first standalone battery storage projects by a Japanese company in Europe
• Japanese utility on their corporate PPA business spreading across Southeast Asia
• Global energy company on the establishment of its power trading desk in Japan and on the drafting and negotiation of one of the first dual-language power trading contracts in Japan
• US power retailer to be the first-ever foreign company to obtain an electricity retail license in Japan
• *Above experiences are prior to joining Bird & Bird