Our Approach to M&A

In recent years, M&A activity has been thriving worldwide, regardless of company size, and there are numerous cases where Japanese companies are acquired by overseas firms. At our group, including our international offices, we actively support M&A transactions across borders.

Sourcing of sell-side M&A opportunities

If you are considering acquiring a Japanese company but have not yet identified a specific negotiation partner, it will be necessary to search for Japanese companies that are open to a potential sale. While several major Japanese M&A brokerage firms have expanded overseas and are actively engaged in cross-border M&A, the number of Japanese players involved in international M&A is still limited.

We are an accounting firm with offices in Japan, Southeast Asia, India, and the United States. If you consult with us regarding the type of company you wish to acquire, we can introduce you to potential sellers by leveraging both our accounting and tax client base as well as our broader external network.

Business Valuation

One of the most critical aspects of M&A negotiations is business valuation. In Japan, common valuation methods include those based on net asset value and EBITDA. In addition to these approaches, we also provide valuations using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method.

Due Diligence (DD)

Due diligence (DD) is an essential part of any M&A process. DD is generally categorized into financial, legal, labor, and business due diligence. Among these, financial DD is typically conducted by major audit firms, tax corporations, and certain tax accounting firms.

We have extensive experience conducting financial due diligence both in Japan and overseas, and we can tailor the scope and depth of our work to match your specific needs. If you are planning to raise acquisition funds from a Japanese financial institution, a financial DD report prepared in Japanese will be required. We can provide financial due diligence reports in both English and Japanese.

Post-Merger Integration (PMI)

The process of integrating the cultures and operations of the selling and acquiring companies is the responsibility of the acquiring company. However, without sufficient knowledge or experience in post-merger integration (PMI), it can be challenging for the buyer to handle PMI alone. In such cases, PMI is often outsourced to external professionals.

Since it is most efficient and effective for the same firm that conducted the due diligence (DD) to also handle the PMI, we are well positioned to support you with both. If you engage us for DD, we can also assist with PMI.

Introduction of Our Specialists

Ito Tetsuo

Co-Founder & Group CEO/Managing Partner
Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Licensed Japanese Tax Accountant

In 1997, he joined KPMG Century Audit Corporation (currently KPMG AZSA LLC), where he was engaged in statutory audits under the Securities and Exchange Law and Commercial Code, primarily for financial institutions, as well as audits of companies registered with the U.S. SEC. He also provided consulting services for IPO preparation for venture companies, stock valuation, corporate restructuring advisory, and privatization support for public institutions.

In 2004, he joined KPMG LLP in New York as a locally hired professional, where he was involved in audits of both Japanese and U.S. companies.

In 2006, he founded the Phoenix Accounting Group.

He established the Singapore office in 2012 and the Malaysia office in 2017.

From 2013 to 2017, he served as CFO for a Singapore IPO project.

He has supported both Japanese and foreign companies in areas such as Singapore market entry, international accounting and tax advisory, cross-border M&A, and investment structuring.

Saito Yoshikane

Co-Founder & Group CEO/Managing Partner
Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Licensed Japanese Tax Accountant

In 1997, he conducted statutory audits at KPMG Century Audit Corporation (currently KPMG AZSA LLC), focusing on clients in industries such as advertising and foreign subsidiaries in Japan.

In 2000, he served as Head of the Accounting Department at a private company, overseeing internal accounting operations.

In 2004, he joined the Nihonbashi office of an audit firm, where he conducted statutory audits for clients in the manufacturing and real estate sectors.

In 2006, he co-founded Phoenix Accounting Group, followed by the establishment of Omotesando Tax Corporation in November 2009.

In 2011, he established APM Japan Consulting in Indonesia.

In 2017, he founded Phoenix Consulting Indonesia.

In 2020, he launched Phoenix Accounting Thailand.

He is currently engaged in accounting and tax services, international accounting and tax advisory, and cross-border M&A operations across Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Nakamura Daisuke

Head of Japan Office/Managing Partner
Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Licensed Japanese Tax Accountant

After graduating from university, he joined Hitachi System & Services, Ltd. (currently Hitachi Solutions, Ltd.), where he worked as a systems engineer, primarily engaged in building systems for financial institutions. He left the company at the end of 2004 to pursue a career as a Certified Public Accountant.

He passed the CPA examination in 2007 and began his career in auditing at Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC (formerly ShinNihon Audit Corporation) in December of the same year.

In 2013, he was seconded to Strike Co., Ltd., and formally transferred in 2016. For over 10 years, he was involved in M&A advisory services for small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan. In parallel, he actively promoted awareness of M&A practices by serving as a lecturer in training programs primarily for CPAs and tax accountants.

He joined Phoenix Accounting Group in January 2024, where he is engaged in accounting and tax services as well as providing M&A advisory.

Yamaguchi Hiroyuki

Global Tax Director
Licensed Japanese Tax Accountant/U.S. Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

After completing graduate school, he began his career at Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, where he was engaged in accounting operations for a listed company.
He then joined KPMG Tax Corporation, where he specialized in tax compliance and tax advisory services for both domestic and international financial institutions.
During his time at KPMG, he was seconded to MUFG Bank, Ltd. for two years, where he was involved in tax advisory services related to finance structures and participated in numerous large-scale domestic and international transactions.
In 2017, he joined Phoenix Accounting Singapore, where he supported Japanese companies expanding into Singapore, and provided local tax and accounting services as well as cross-border M&A support.
Since 2018, he has been based in the Tokyo office, working on both domestic and international tax matters.
In April 2024, he was appointed as Global Tax Director.

Oono Tadashi

Manager
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

After joining Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC in 2016, he was engaged in statutory audits in Japan, including audits of listed companies and pre-IPO companies.
He later transitioned to a domestic venture company, where he played a key role in strengthening accounting, business strategy, organizational structure, and financial operations from the perspective of an in-house CPA.

In July 2024, he joined Phoenix Accounting Group, where he provides services primarily in accounting issue analysis, tax compliance, and workflow improvement support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

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M&A Column (in Japanese)

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