Partner at the Chicago office. Head of the Japanese Corporate Services Group. Provides legal services in a wide range of business and management-related fields to clients in a wide range of industries, from manufacturers of automobiles, steel, machine tools, oil, energy, and industrial products to banks, trading companies, and the service industry.
In 1989, when Japanese companies were expanding into the U.S., she joined the law firm Barnes & Thornburg as a coordinator for services to Japanese companies. She has contributed to the business development of many Japanese companies in the U.S., from the opening of a major automobile factory in the Midwest, to real estate acquisition and employment-related legal matters.
With a thorough understanding of the Japanese business environment, she provides a wide range of legal services in Japanese specifically tailored to Japanese companies operating in the United States.
She frequently serves as a lecturer in webinars and workshops for numerous Japan-US exchange organizations, including JETRO, the Chicago Chamber of Commerce, the Japan America Society of Chicago, the Indiana Japanese Association, and chambers of commerce throughout the US, particularly in the Midwest. She also provides numerous in-house training and compliance training for Japanese companies in the US and their headquarters in Japan. In recent years, she has lectured on topics such as "How to manage internal documents on a daily basis with US litigation in mind - 10 points to keep in mind to develop a mindset that can withstand e-discovery," "Corporate risk response during the COVID-19 pandemic," and "Global human resources and visa strategies."
Graduated from Ochanomizu University and the University of Wisconsin Graduate School. Studied abroad at Yale University in 1981. Received a JD from the Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis. Board member of the Chicago Chamber of Commerce, advisor to the Indiana Japanese Association and the Japan-America Society of Chicago. Registered attorney in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
