What are the most significant cases or transactions that you have been involved in over the past year?

It is an exciting time to be in Japan – we are seeing a confluence of events including the government’s initiatives to drive corporate governance reform, the end of the decades-long deflation, and the bull run in the Tokyo stock market. Blackstone is one of the largest global investors in Japan, and we have significantly ramped up our activities across businesses in the last two years. Within just the past year, we announced four major transactions in Japan’s private equity market and made a number of investments and sales in real estate across sectors such as data centres, hotels, and residential. We also spearheaded innovative offerings for individual investors with the launch of Japan’s first public offerings in real estate, credit, and private equity, in partnerships with leading Japanese financial institutions. It has been an honour to be involved in these various milestones for our firm and the industry at large, collaborating across both the private and public sectors.
   
What innovations have you made to the way your legal team works in the past year? 

One of Blackstone’s priorities in Japan is supporting the government’s goal of helping Japanese households build lasting wealth through increased allocation into alternative investments. Blackstone has been a first mover in the private wealth space in Japan – over the past year, we partnered with leading Japanese financial institutions to launch three public offerings in real estate, credit, and private equity, for individual investors. My team has been closely integrated throughout the entire process, ensuring that everything we do align with local laws and regulations and that we support our teams in delivering innovative offerings for Japanese investors. 
  
Based on your experience, what is the key to collaborating successfully with business partners? 

Based on my experience, the keys to successfully collaborating with business partners – or anyone else – are effective communication and taking initiative. Effective communication entails not only expressing your interests or viewpoints, but also actively listening and understanding the counterparty’s needs and why they are taking certain positions. This is applicable to both transaction negotiations and international communications. Without understanding the underlying reasons for your counterparty’s requests or positions, it is impossible to develop a mutually workable solution. Taking initiative means going beyond merely following instructions – it is important to have the foresight on what the next steps are needed to bring a transaction or project across the finish line and proactively reach out to team members, business partners or other stakeholders by coming up with your well-thought out proposals.

Apart from legal matters, has the team worked on other company initiatives you would like to highlight? 

As a female professional in the legal field, being a mother to a daughter, I am passionate about promoting a supportive and inclusive environment that values the needs of women. Blackstone has global affinity networks including women’s, and working parents’ networks, which I’ve helped lead for our Tokyo office. Being in a fast-paced, demanding workplace can be challenging, especially when balancing family needs, but I have learned through personal experience how the understanding from senior leadership can make a significant difference. Whilst achieving a perfect work-life balance may not always be possible, being part of teams that understand your needs outside the workplace and value your contributions can motivate you to do your best. I am committed to continuing to support the women at our firm and help drive initiatives to recruit and retain talented women in the industry.