Professional Summary
Seishi Ikeda is the head of the Real Estate Group at the Firm’s Tokyo office. He has advised investment banks, asset managers, listed companies and funds for more than 20 years. Seishi practiced with Aoki & Partners until 1999, Sidley Austin Brown & Wood in New York from 2000 to 2001 and Linklaters in London in 2001. He served as an in-house lawyer at a large European investment bank from 2002 to 2004.
Seishi is also admitted and registered as a real estate notary (Takken-shi; 2018), condominium manager (Manshon-kanri-shi; 2019) and master property manager (Kanri-gyomu-shuninsha; 2019).
Practice Focus
Seishi has recently focused mainly on domestic and cross-border real estate transactions, often involving TK-GK and TMK schemes. He frequently acts for asset managers, real estate companies, funds and data center operators where the underlying assets are commercial or residential buildings, hotels, logistics and data centers. He has advised various global companies in relation to office relocation, building construction, renovation and leasing as well. He also handles listing-related matters and IPOs, samurai bond offerings, investment funds, cross-border M&A deals, derivatives and general corporate law-related matters, including compliance issues.
Representative Clients, Cases or Matters
- Advised a US-based fund on its acquisition and exit from an international hotel and commercial facilities portfolio in Japan involving a TMK structure.
- Advised offshore funds and investors on their TMK-based acquisition and development of a ski resort in Niseko related to the development of a large hotel resort and related facilities.
- Advised an Asian fund on its acquisition of a commercial building and shopping center using a TK-GK structure.
- Advised a data center developer on data center use by global IT companies through a TMK structure.
- Advised a global IT company, an international apparel brand shop, a large automobile company and a religious entity, among others, on office relocation, construction of new buildings, renovation and leasing issues.
- Advised a real estate broker on the arrangement of offshore fund structures for investment in a Fund of Funds scheme.
- Advised large banks on financing for a hotel portfolio in Hawaii and California.
- Advised on a non-recourse loan for the acquisition of commercial and residential buildings through a TMK scheme.
- Advised on global, market-specific and domestic debt and equity offerings and listings as well as disclosure matters.
- Advised a listed company on shareholder-initiated litigation related to a loss of shares.
Publications, Presentations and Articles
- Author, “Future of Finance through the Law,” Crossmedia Publishing, January 2019, Language: Japanese
- Co-author, “2011 amendments to the Law on Securitization of Assets and their effects on real estate securitization practice,” NBL, Shojihomu, January 2012, Language: Japanese
- Co-author, “M&A Handbook on Conducting Business Practically,” Chuokeizai-sha, June 2010, Language: Japanese
- Co-author, “Q&A on the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law,” Sanseido, 2008
- Author, “Financial Instruments and Exchange Law,” Disclosure Standards, Nikkei Business Online, 2007
- Author, “The Emergence of New Trends,” International Equity Capital Markets Handbook 2005/06, Euromoney
Admissions
- New York~United States (2001)
- Japan (1994)
Professional Association and Memberships
- Japan Securities Dealer Association – Member of the working group on securities solicitation
- New York State Bar Association – Member
- Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association – Member
Professional Honors
- Best Lawyers, Real Estate Law category, Best Lawyers (2022-current)
- The A-List: Japan’s top 100 lawyers, Asia Business Law Journal (2020-current)
- Highly regarded lawyer, Capital markets: Debt and Capital markets: Equity, IFLR 1000 (2020)
- Leading Individuals: Bengoshi, Real Estate and Construction: International firms and joint ventures, The Legal 500 (2018-2023)
- Hall Of Fame, Real Estate and Construction: International firms and joint ventures, The Legal 500 (2024)
- Ranked Individuals: Real Estate: Bengoshi, Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific (2013-current)
Education
- Emory University (LLM) (2000)
- Legal Research & Training Institute of Supreme Court of Japan (1994)
- The University of Tokyo (LLB) (1991)
Languages
- English
- Japanese