Graeme Preston
Graeme leads the firm's Asia practice. A cross-border M&A practitioner, he regularly advises on the highest profile international transactions for global and Japanese clients.
Based in Japan for over 18 years, Graeme is an M&A practitioner with significant experience advising Japanese and international corporates on cross-border transactions.
He advises on M&A, divestments, joint ventures, and strategic alliances in Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, India and a number of other emerging markets.
Graeme is particularly known for his in-depth knowledge of technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) M&A and is also sought after for his M&A experience in pharmaceuticals, healthcare and industrials.
He provides clients with global experience and unique insights, having practiced at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer for over 25 years including in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and London.
Graeme has been recognised by Legal 500 as the leading individual (foreign lawyers) for TMT in Japan since 2016, and ranked since 2014 by Chambers Asia-Pacific: Corporate/M&A – Japan. He is known as "pragmatic, efficient and effective" and "is sharp and has great knowledge of his sectors, often being able to give advice off the cuff." (Chambers Asia & Pacific: Corporate/M&A 2025)
Experience & capabilities
Selected matters
- SoftBank Corp. in relation to its majority investment in Cubic Telecom, a leading global provider of software-defined connected vehicle solutions, headquartered in Dublin
- Sumitomo Corporation on its acquisition of leading parking provider Q-Park Operations B.V.'s Nordic businesses in Sweden, Norway and Finland
- Marubeni on its investment in Lunatus, a Middle East pharmaceutical/healthcare company
- Mitsui & Co., Ltd. on its strategic acquisition of a 10% interest in JSC R-Pharm, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Russia
- NTT Communications on its acquisition of a majority stake in Transatel, a French connectivity solution provider
- Bridgestone Corporation on a potential supply contract for FIA Formula E Championship
- SoftBank Group Corp. on numerous investments including its investments in GrabTaxi Holdings Pte Ltd., and its investments in Indonesian e-commerce marketplace PT Tokopedia
- Mitsui & Co., Ltd. on its multiple investments in healthcare provider International Columbia U.S. LLC
- Marubeni Corporation on its Investment into Vertex Master Fund III (VMF3), a Fund of Funds managed by Vertex Venture Holdings Ltd
- assisting a Japanese Pharmaceutical company with negotiating the terms of the collaboration agreement and investment in a British biotechnology company for development and commercialisation of products in Japan and Europe
- Bridgestone Corporation on the acquisition of a tyre monitoring system from Transense Technologies, and on the acquisition of Otraco, a specialist in off-the-road tire management
- ITOCHU Corporation on its joint venture arrangements with the Paul Smith group
- Sumitomo Corporation on its investment in Fleetdrive management Ltd., the leasing of commercial electric vehicles business
Sectors
Background
Graeme holds a master's degree in Modern History from the University of Oxford and a postgraduate diploma in law with distinction from Nottingham Law School.
He joined then Herbert Smith in 2000 as a trainee and was admitted in England & Wales in 2002.
Graeme is licensed to advise upon English law in Japan as a Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi.
