So Saito

Yuki Sato

Managing Partner
Admitted in Japan and New York
y.sato@innovationlaw.jp
+81 3-6275-6080
Chiho Saito

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

6/2025- Director and Member of Auditing Committee at Qit Co.,LTD.
6/2025- Outside Director at GENOVA Inc.
4/2024 - Member of Auditing Committee at Topaz Regional Partners Inc.
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)
02/2025 Recognized for Investment funds Practice by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025
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.」