Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)’s real estate and construction team in Tokyo offers a comprehensive service to domestic and international clients, covering inbound acquisitions of and investments in office buildings, data centres, hotels, and nursing homes, among other assets, on the real estate side, and large-scale project developments on the construction front. With over 25 years’ experience in domestic and cross-border real estate transactions, development, and financing, including in TMK and GK-TK investment structures, Seishi Ikeda leads the real estate team. Construction head Ean Mac Pherson regularly advises both EPC contractors and project developers on renewable energy, data centre, and aquafarming construction projects. Taijiro Suzuki focuses on real estate finance. Maki Kawamura has experience in office, residential, retail, and resort projects. Chris Hodgens retired from practice in 2024.

Clifford Chance (Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo)’s real estate team in Tokyo offers broad expertise that encompasses asset acquisitions and divestments, developments, M&A, equity capital raisings, and joint ventures, among other matters. Practice head Yoshiaki Shimizu specialises in real estate finance, but also acts for financial institutions, real estate and sovereign wealth funds, developers, and trading companies in investments, developments, structured finance, and fund regulations. Leng-Fong Lai assists sponsors and financiers with various kinds of real estate investments and financings, including cross-border mezzanine loans. Yusuke Abe and Natsuko Sugihara are key contacts in the team.

Greenberg Traurig Tokyo Law Offices’s dedicated real estate practice in Tokyo has a strong reputation for advising major clients, including private equity funds, institutional investors, sponsors, and developers, in relation to inbound and outbound investments and real estate funds, with the hospitality and digital infrastructure sectors key growth areas for the team. With over 27 years of experience in the market, Joel Rothstein is managing partner in Tokyo and chair of the firm’s Asia real estate group. Mori Inada is adept at assisting private equity funds, asset managers, and financial institutions with cross-border real estate and construction transactions. Koichiro Ohashi advises private equity funds on real estate fund formation as well as downstream transactions. Yuko Ino focuses on cross-border investments, while Koh Ueda excels in real estate finance and securitisation. The group was further strengthened in January 2024 by the arrival of several lawyers from White & Case LLP - White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association), including Mizuho Yamada, who regularly advises international and domestic investors and investment fund managers, and Ayako Kawano, who specialises in M&A involving real estate companies.

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP‘s construction team in Tokyo offers a comprehensive service offering, continuing to impress particularly for its expertise in international arbitration proceedings. Elaine Wong stands out for her experience in international arbitration and litigation cases as well as investigations. She leads the department alongside Ben Jolley, who re-joined the firm after three years spent in-house at a major Japanese engineering and electronic equipment company, bringing with him considerable construction arbitration expertise. Disputes specialist David Gilmore is active in the construction sector. Andrew Blacoe, office managing partner in Tokyo, continues to bring to bear his varied experience handling energy, infrastructure, and mining development projects. Glenn Kembrey‘s experience includes construction-related international arbitration proceedings and regulatory investigations.

Morrison Foerster’s real estate group assists clients with all stages of the real estate investment cycle, from fund formation to portfolio sales, and in relation to a broad range of real estate asset types, including offices, department stores, and date centres. Noted for his considerable experience assisting both Japanese and international investors in the acquisition, financing, and disposition of real estate assets, Theodore Seltzer leads the team alongside Masahiro Shiga, who specialises in real estate finance and real estate investment trusts, among other areas. Joshua Isenberg’s broad real estate practice covers senior and mezzanine financings, acquisitions, sales, construction and development matters, joint ventures, and ground leases. These are also key areas of activity Junichi Kurokoshi, who focuses on commercial and residential properties in Japan and the US.

DLA Piper Tokyo Partnership Gaikokuho Kyodojigyo Horitsu Jimusho’s real estate group in Tokyo continues to assist domestic and international clients with acquisitions and disposals, investments, financings, commercial leases, project developments, and construction matters. Practice head Mitsuharu Kataoka advises on the full range of real estate mandates, including in relation to office, residential, retail, and digital infrastructure buildings. Beelian Tay’s varied practice encompasses M&A, joint ventures, and reorganisations in the real estate and construction spaces.

White & Case LLP - White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association)’s real estate team in Tokyo continues to advise major clients on a wide range of matters. Practice head Jun Usami has more than more than two decades of experience handling cross-border real estate transactions, including those involving large residential properties. He regularly advises leading real estate investors in Japan. The team was reinforced by the arrival of two practitioners in May 2024 from Linklaters: Eriko Sakata possesses considerable experience advising global asset managers and corporations on real estate investment fund formation, among other matters, while Sayako Shiraki stands out for her real estate M&A expertise. Mizuho Yamada and Ayako Kawano left the firm in January 2024.

Withers Japan, Zeirishi Houjin’s real estate practice remains active in the digital infrastructure space and continues to specialise in green financings. Gerald Fujii focuses on advising real estate investment funds, REITs, and lenders on cross-border acquisitions, financings, and development projects. Naoki Ueyama is noted for his experience acting for Japanese and international investors and financial institutions in real estate finance transactions. Toshihiko Tsuchiya’s practice covers the securitisation and liquidation of real estate assets, including TMK-structured development deals. Akinari Nakano is also a key contact in the group. Steven Wheeler left the practice in 2023.

Jones Day’s real estate team in Tokyo advises both domestic and international clients on inbound and outbound transactions in the sector. Practice head Katsumi Shirai focuses on downstream real estate acquisitions, particularly in relation to renewable energy projects.