Profile
Yuko represents international and domestic private investment funds, pension funds, real estate asset managers, and real estate developers and investors in connection with structuring, negotiating, documenting and implementing complex real estate transactions, including non-recourse financing, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring and workouts.
Yuko is consistently recognized in numerous leading legal publications, including Chambers Asia-Pacific and Legal 500 Asia Pacific, for her real estate transactions.
Yuko also advises clients on energy projects and fintech, licensing, disputes (particularly involving foreign countries) and general corporate matters.
- Real estate construction and development projects
- Real estate finance including senior, mezzanine and preferred equity
- Cross-border transactions
- Asset and property management
- International disputes and compliance matters
- Fund vehicle formation and management
- Fintech compliance
Capabilities
Experience
- Represented an international real estate investment fund in connection with its acquisition of 29 hotels, acquired by special purpose companies formed by its Japanese affiliate, including the transfer of approximately 3,000 employees from the seller to its hotel operating company.°
- Represented an international financial services provider in connection with its approximately JPY 20 billion joint venture (JV) with a Japanese asset manager, including the JV’s acquisition of 9 assets located in major cities in Japan, being its first investment in multifamily assets in Japan.°
- Represented a joint venture entity, formed by a European pension fund and Japanese asset manager, in connection with its approximately JPY 70 billion acquisition of more than 60 multifamily properties.°
- Represented the U.S. real estate subsidiary of one of the largest Japanese conglomerates in connection with its major equity investment in an office building development in New York City, which high- profile project was the first full-block office development on Park Avenue in Manhattan in nearly 60 years.°
- Advised a consortium of developers, consisting of GE Energy Financial Services, Toyo Engineering Corp., and Kuni Umi Asset Management Co., in connection with the development of and project financing for the approximately 231MW solar facility in Setouchi, Okayama Prefecture, being the largest of its kind in Japan to date.°
- upon completion.°
- Advised a real estate broker and asset manager in connection with their structuring of crowd-funding investments in real estate properties.°
°The above representations were handled by Yuko prior to her joining Greenberg Traurig Tokyo Law Offices.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, Chambers Asia-Pacific, Real Estate: Bengoshi, Japan, 2021-2024
- Listed, Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Real Estate, Japan, Next Generation Partner, 2021-2024
- Listed, IFLR1000, Japan, "Notable Practitioner", 2022-2022
- Real Estate,2022-2023
- Real Estate Finance, 2022-2023
- Finalist, ALB Japan Law Awards, Woman Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm), 2020
- Listed, Best Lawyers in Japan, Real Estate Law, 2019-2025
- Listed, Who’s Who Legal: Japan, Construction & Real Estate, 2022
- Member, Tokyo Bar Association
- Member, New York State Bar Association
- Executive Committee Member and Council Member, Urban Land Institute (ULI) Japan
- Chair, Women’s Leadership Initiative of ULI
Credentials
- LL.M., Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
- M.A., Waseda University
- B.A., Sofia University
- New York
- Japan
- Japanese
- English