Hiroto Inoue

Hiroto joined Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu in 2000 and became a partner in 2009. Hiroto’s practice focuses on real estate related matters including real estate funds, real estate financing, real estate securitization and Japanese REIT (J-REIT) formation. He also has extensive experience in joint ventures and M&A transactions.

Hiroto has been involved in numerous high-profile transactions in the field of real estate, including but not limited to:
– Sale and lease-back of Dentsu Headquarters Building in 2021
– Acquisition of Mitsubishi Corp. – UBS Realty Inc. (J-REIT asset management company with AUM amounting to JPY 1,700 billion) by KKR in 2022

Hiroto has wide experience in advising non-Japanese clients in the Japanese market, including but not limited to:
– Representing a US bank in its long-term lease of data centers.
– Representing a US SaaS company in its lease of the head office of its Japanese subsidiary in Tokyo.
– Representing a bank in Singapore in its provision of a loan to a Japanese real estate investment vehicle.
– Representing a Chinese fund in its acquisition of real property in Japan.

Hiroto is recommended by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific as a leading individual in the field of real estate law in Tokyo. Hiroto has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers as one of the best lawyers in real estate law since 2014.

According to The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024, one client has praised Hiroto for having “varied knowledge and experience in our industry”. Moreover, it is stated that “his suggestions are always reasonable, and he can find hidden issues within the deal”.

Hiroto received an LL.B. degree from the University of Tokyo in 1998 and was admitted to the Japanese bar in 2000. He received an LL.M. degree from Columbia Law School in 2005 and an LL.M. degree in Banking Law and Financial Regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2006.

Hiroto has taught Civil Law at the University of Tokyo for 4 years.

Public Interest Activities:
2010-2013: Adjunct Lecturer (Civil Law), The University of Tokyo
2011-present: Contracts Supervisory Committee, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) (Serving as Chairperson from 2020)
2015-present: Contracts Supervisory Committee, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) (Serving as Chairperson from 2015)
2017: Model Agreement Review Committee, Value Management Institute, Inc.

Recognitions:
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 – Real Estate and Construction – Leading Individuals
The Best Lawyers in Japan (2025) – Real Estate Law in Tokyo
The Best Lawyers in Japan (2023) – “Lawyer of the Year” – Real Estate Law in Tokyo
The A-List Japan’s Top 100 Lawyers – July 2020