Yuki Sato - So & Sato - Innovative Lawyers

Yuki Sato has represented both domestic and foreign companies in various types of M&A transactions, cross-border investments, joint venture and many projects by providing legal advice on structuring, due diligence, drafting and negotiating relevant contracts. She has also represented both issuers and investors in complicated equity financing including private equity funds and venture capitals. She advises companies on commercial and corporate matters. She has extensive experience assisting foreign companies with their operations in Japan, advising on company formation, regulatory and competition matters as well as employment issues. Her clients are diverse; among them were financial institutions, listed Japanese manufacturers and information technology start-ups.

Practice Areas

Capital Markets and Investment Funds, Regulatory and Compliance, M&A, General Corporate

Languages

Japanese, English

11/2021 -	Outside Director at coconala Inc.
06/2020 -	Legal Professional Corporation So & Sato Law Offices(Representative Partner)
01/2019 -	So & Sato Law Offices (Partner)
10/2018	Director and Member of Auditing Committee at Net Protections Holdings Inc.
12/2016 - 12/2018	King & Wood Mallesons Tokyo Office Foreign Law Joint Enterprise (Partner, December 2016 - December 2018)
09/2016 -	Member of Auditing Committee at DLE inc.
06/2016 - 06/2021	Member of Auditing Committee at Zuu Co., Ltd.
03/2015 -	Member of Auditing Committee at Hatena Co., Ltd.
03/2015 - 03/2017	Member of Auditing Committee at save the Children Japan
09/2014 - 03/2015	Part Time Lecturer at Rikkyo University
10/2013 - 11/2016	Namura & Partners Legal Professional Corporation (Toranomon Chuo Law Firm Legal Professional Corporation from December 2014 to November 2016) (Partner)
09/2011 -12/2012	White & Case LLP, Singapore Office (Foreign Associate)

05/2011	University of Southern California Gould School of Law (LL.M., 2011)
03/2000	Hitotsubashi University (LL.B., 2000)

04/2024	Recognized for Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions Law by Best Lawyers in Japan 2025
01/2024	Recognized for Investment funds Practice by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024
04/2023	Recognized for Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions Law by Best Lawyers in Japan 2024
01/2023	Recognized for Investment funds Practice by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023
04/2022	Recognized for Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions Law by Best Lawyers in Japan 2023
01/2022	Recognized for Investment funds Practice by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022

10/2005 -	Japan Federation of Bar Associations
	Daiichi Tokyo Bar Association
2007 -	Corporate Law Committee at Daiichi Tokyo Bar Association
04/2012 -	New York State Bar Association
11/2017 -	Information Technology Laws Committee at Daiichi Tokyo Bar Association

12/2020	“Japanese Start-Up Financing Documents: Annotated Model Contracts” published in December 2020 (Shojihomu Co., Ltd.).
11/2020	“How to use the Personal Data Trust Bank – Overview of the new system to handle personal data”published in the November 2020 (The Journal of Information Science and Technology Association)
05/2020	“Legal and tax affairs of Investment Limited Partnership (revised version)” published in May 2020 (Zeimukeiri Kyokai Co.,Ltd.)
04/2020	Yuki Sato contributed to “Q&A on Amendments of Companies Act of Japan in 2019” edited by Company Act Research Committee of Daiichi Bar Association and published in April 2020 (Shinnippon-Hoki Publishing Co.,Ltd.).
2019	Chambers and Partners Global Practice Guide FinTech 2019 - Japan Chapter
08/2019	Legal Considerations for the Acquisition and Utilization of Information from Information Banks (co-author) (BUSINESS LAW JOURNAL 2019 No.139)
07/2017	Regulation on Handling of Personal Information (Nihon Horei k.k. 2017) (co-author)
07/2017	Regulations on Handling of Personal Information in Cross Border M&A, Junkan Shouji Houmu No. 2136 (June 15, 2017), Japan Institute of Business Law (Shouji Houmu Kenkyu Kai), 2017 (co-author)
07/2017	Answers to questions from various types of organizations; Best Practices on How to handle Social Security and Tax Number, Seibunsya, 2016 (co-author)
03/2016	Guide to Handling Personal Information during M&A process; Contract Negotiation to Post-Merger Integration Junkan Keirijouhou No. 1435, Chuokeizai-sha, 2016
	Legal and Tax Issues of Two-Step Takeover (Example of Eikoh Holdings Inc. Case) , Junkan Keirijouhou No. 1423, Chuokeizai-sha, 2015 (co-author)
06/2015	The latest information- Q&A for Social Security and Tax Number, Nihon Horei, 2015 (co-author)
03/2015	Incubation by Venture Capital Funds, Legal and Compliance of Banking Business (Ginko Houmu) 21 No.783, (March, 2015) Keizaihorei Kenkyukai, (co-author)
	Entrepreneurial Environment and Incubation System, Legal and Compliances of Banking Business (Ginko Houmu) 21 No.783 (March, 2015), Keizaihorei Kenkyukai
	Legal and Tax Q&A for Real Estate SPCs by TK-GK structure, Zeimukeiri Kyokai, 2014 (co-author)
12/2012	Legal and Practical Points of Consideration for Investing in Foreign Investment Funds, NBL No. 991 (December 15, 2012) (co-author)
09/2012	Legal and Practical Points of Consideration for Syndicated Loans, Legal and Compliance of Banking Business (Ginko Houmu) 21 No. 748 (September, 2012), Keizaihorei Kenkyukai
03/2010	Tax and Legal Issues in Investment Limited Partnerships, Zeimukeiri Kyokai, February 2010 (co-author).
12/2007, 12/2008	Financial Instruments and Exchange Act & its Impact on Fund Buisinesses 1-3, Finanical Affairs, December 10&17, 2007, January 7, 2008
03/2007	Problems of Japanese Companies Shareholder Meetings from Foreign Investors Perspectives, the Lawyers, March 2007

09/2022

GC Summit Japan event「Emerging Tech - Web3, AI, Metaverse, Robotics etc.」