Clairfield expands Asian presence with Shanghai office
At a glance
- Clairfield and YAMADA Consulting Group announce exclusive partnership in China.
Clairfield International, a leading European-based global corporate finance partnership, and YAMADA Consulting Group (YCG), a publicly listed consulting and M&A advisory firm active primarily in Japan and Southeast Asia, have extended their Asian partnership, with YCG becoming Clairfield’s exclusive partner in China. This expands on the existing partnership in Japan, Singapore, and across APAC. YAMADA Consulting Group based in Shanghai (YCG Shanghai) will use the Clairfield brand for non-Japanese clients.
This new agreement follows five years of close collaboration and crossborder cooperation between YCG and Clairfield and represents a significant step in their shared growth strategy. YCG brings coverage across Japan, China, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Clairfield’s presence in APAC also includes longstanding partners InterFinancial in Australia and 7i in India. Together the combined footprint spans nine countries and creates a midmarket corporate advisory presence in the region with over 270 advisors.
Track record in Asia
Clairfield has built a strong track record of successful transactions with Asian counterparties, including well-known names such as telecom company Huawei and industrial giants CRRC, Weichai, and SH-ABC. With increasing interest in inbound and outbound transactions, extending the partnership with YCG comes at an opportune time to strengthen Clairfield’s reach and client support in China.
About Clairfield in China
Established in Shanghai in 2012, YCG Shanghai is led by experienced dealmaker Takaaki Hirai and a team of 17 professionals. The firm provides comprehensive transaction services as well as advice on market developments. Through its extensive local network, YCG offers access to corporate investors, supporting both inbound and outbound M&A activity.
Asia is key to future strategy
The announcement came during Clairfield’s Global Partners Meeting held in November in Tokyo, where more than 50 partners gathered to discuss crossborder M&A developments. Hosted by YCG, the meeting provided the backdrop for presenting the expanded China partnership as a milestone for the APAC region and a key part of YCG’s strategy for the next decade.
“We are delighted to be cementing our presence in China with a fully exclusive partner office,” says Alexander Klemm, executive chair of the Clairfield board of directors. “This new development further builds on our long-standing and successful China desk and reflects our growing presence in Asia, allowing us to deliver even greater value to our clients.”
“We welcome the further strengthening of Clairfield’s presence in Asia with YCG as a dedicated partner in China. In the last two years alone, we have seen deal opportunities between Australia and Asia grow significantly, particularly involving Chinese and Japanese counterparties. Having a genuinely embedded advisory presence across the region is unmatched in the middle market and will deliver real value to our Australian clients as well as others worldwide,” says Sharon Doyle, executive chair of InterFinancial, Clairfield’s partner in Australia.
“The combined forces of Clairfield and YCG create a midmarket advisory powerhouse in China,” says Takaaki Hirai, the head of YCG Shanghai. “Expanding our corporate finance and M&A advisory offering is at the core of our growth strategy. The Chinese M&A market continues to be driven by industrial consolidation and outbound diversification by leading corporates. It’s an exciting time for Chinese M&A.”
