Ben Hirasawa

Practice Areas

Benjamin is the Founder and Managing Partner of BH2I and a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants.

He currently advises leading private equity, real estate and hospitality companies across the Asia Pacific, North America, and Middle East regions on foreign direct investment, mergers and acquisitions, development and operations, including private equity, property funds, timeshare, fractional ownership, REITS and branded residences, and has become the ‘go-to’ individual in Japan, ASEAN, Australia and various other jurisdictions for many of the world’s largest hospitality investors, operating companies and hotel owners.

Specialties: Specific expertise in the acquisition, development, operation, management and disposition of multi-jurisdictional mixed-use projects, integrated resorts, and master planned communities.

Ben has been recognized as a Global Leader in Who’s Who Global Hospitality, Who's Who Legal – Franchise, one of Thailand’s Top 100 Lawyers, an Acritas Star, and ranked numerous times in the corporate and real estate sectors in Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar by Chambers Asia Pacific and Legal 500 Asia Pacific. Ben was selected as 1 of the 10 Impactful Singaporean Real Estate Lawyers to Watch in 2023 and is recognized as Thailand’s Top 100 A List Lawyers by Asia Business Law Journal for both 2022 and 2023.

Ben led teams on aspects of hotel transactions that won Deal of the Year awards at HICAP 2019, 2020 and 2021 and was nominated for Practice Group of the Year by Legal 500 Asia Pacific. Ben also led BH2I on aspects of a Sydney, Australia hospitality development that won Deal of the year at HICAP 2023.

In less than 2 years after incorporation, BH2I has ranked practitioners and practices in Thailand and Singapore in Chambers and Legal 500, was nominated as a finalist for Rising Law Firm of the Year at the ALBJ Southeast Asia Law Firm Awards in 2021, received the Best New Firm award at the ALBJ Thailand Law Firm Awards in 2022, and Boutique Transaction Firm of the Year at the ALBJ Southeast Asia Law Firm Awards in 2022. BH2I was featured in Singapore’s Most Trusted Legal Consultant to watch in 2022 by APAC Business.

To start off 2023, BH2I was shortlisted for the Construction and Real Estate Law Firm of the Year in the Legal 500 Southeast Asia Awards 2023, was an award recipient at the Asia Business Law Journal 2023 Thailand Law Firm Awards recognizing its excellent performance in 2022 and ranking as a top firm in Thailand in the real estate market, and was selected as a finalist for the Real Estate Firm of the Year and Transactional Boutique Law Firm of the Year at the ALB Southeast Asia Law Awards 2023. BH2I was an award recipient of the Best Real Estate & Hospitality Law Firm in 2023 in Singapore by APAC Insider. One of BH2I’s Associates, Ms. Rima Neerasint, has been recognized as a Thailand Rising Star by Asian Legal Business.

WWL says: Benjamin Hirasawa is a standout name in the APAC region, where he routinely advises private equity firms and hotel operators on a range of complex real estate matters.