Masanori Sato

Ranked in 2 Practice Areas

Band 1

Banking & Finance: Domestic

Japan

10 Years Ranked

Band 1

Capital Markets: Domestic: Securitisation & Derivatives

Japan

14 Years Ranked

Ranked in Guides

Asia-Pacific 2025

About

Provided by Masanori Sato

Global

Practice Areas

Partner. Main areas of work are banking, structured finance, project finance, PPP, and sustainable finance. Acts for a number of banks, securities companies, insurance companies and other financial institutions.

Career

Qualified in Japan (1990) and in New York (1994). Joined Mori Sogo in 1990, becoming Partner in 1997. Seconded to Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, New York (1993-94) and Linklaters & Paines, London (1994-95). Member of the Financial Law Board of Japan from 1998. Board Member of Japan Association of the Law of Finance from 2015. Member of the Japan Branch Council of the International Project Finance Association from 2017. Professor at The University of Tokyo, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics from 2019 to 2022.

Professional Memberships

Daini Tokyo Bar Association. New York State Bar Association.

Publications

"The Public-Private Partnership Law Review, Edition 3 - Chapter12 Japan" (Law Business Research, 2017, co-author); "Infrastructure Investments by the Private Sector" (Nikkei BP, 2019, co-author); "Issues Regarding Changes in Reference Rates for Interest Rate Swap Transactions" (SHOJI HOMU, 2021, co-author); "Benefits and Limitations of Enterprise Mortgage Under Japanese Law - From the Perspectives of Financial Transactions" (KINYU HOMU JIJO, 2022).

Personal

Born November 1965. Graduated from the University of Tokyo (LLB, 1988) and University of Chicago Law School (LLM, 1993). Fluent in English. Lives in Tokyo.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Global

Banking & Finance: Domestic - Japan

Band 1

Individual Editorial

Masanori Sato heads the Mori Hamada & Matsumoto banking and finance practice group and is widely recognised in the market for his structured finance practice.

Learn more about this team❖View ranking table

Capital Markets: Domestic: Securitisation & Derivatives - Japan

Band 1

Individual Editorial

Masanori Sato is sought after by industry sources for his knowledge of transaction structuring and documentation. His work includes advice on derivatives transactions, regulatory issues and securitisation deals, including margin loans and receivables.

Learn more about this team❖View ranking table

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

"He is the top lawyer in the finance field in Japan. When I need to tackle complicated projects, I always contact him."

Banking & Finance: Domestic respondent
Global

"He has been working in real estate structured finance and investment for many years, and is well recognised as a lawyer specialised in this industry; therefore we really count on his skills, knowledge and experience in our business."

Banking & Finance: Domestic respondent
Global

"He is the top lawyer in the finance field in Japan. When I need to tackle complicated projects, I always contact him."

Banking & Finance: Domestic respondent
Global

Filter by

China

Intellectual Property (International Firms)

Yoshifumi Onodera

Japan expertise based abroad

Masanori Sato

Global Guide 2024

Banking & Finance: Domestic + 1 more ranking

About

Practice Areas

Career

Professional Memberships

Publications

Personal

Chambers Review

Global

Banking & Finance: Domestic - Japan

Individual Editorial

Capital Markets: Domestic: Securitisation & Derivatives - Japan

Individual Editorial

Strengths

Discover other Lawyers at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

China

Japan

Discover other Lawyers at
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto