Masuda Funai

For nearly a century, Masuda Funai has guided foreign-owned and domestic businesses through the legal, business, and cultural complexities of operating and growing in the U.S. market. From first-time market entry to sophisticated cross-border transactions, strategic expansions, and high-stakes disputes, we provide practical, business-focused counsel across every stage of the corporate life cycle. Our clients rely on us not only for legal precision, but for the insight, responsiveness, and business judgment required to move opportunities forward.

With a practice headquartered in Chicago, Masuda Funai’s corporate lawyers have served clients for decades in high-stakes matters across the globe.  Our corporate team routinely works in a broad range of transaction matters, including:

• • Complex corporate and shareholder matters, including extensive experience in cross-border joint venture formations, re-negotiations and terminations;
  • Mergers and acquisitions for domestic and international buyers and sellers in deal structures of every type, including stock and asset acquisitions, mergers, recapitalizations, spin-offs and distressed company transactions;
  • Regulatory aspects of international investments such as CFIUS and other foreign investment restrictions, export controls, trade sanctions and antitrust clearance;
  • Debt finance transactions representing borrowers and lenders in structuring, negotiating, and documenting a wide range of asset-based and cash flow secured and unsecured loan transactions; we counsel businesses of all sizes in their borrowing and capital-raising activities, helping clients fully understand the risks and rewards of even the most complex financing arrangements, including bond issuances, loan syndications, letters of credit, industrial revenue bonds, leveraged leases, and asset securitization programs;
  • Capital markets transactions where we advise issuers and purchasers on securities offerings, Blue Sky compliance, and private placements under Regulation S and Regulation D; our attorneys guide clients through disclosure, documentation, registration exemptions, resale restrictions, and industry-specific regulatory issues such as CFIUS reviews and export licensing; and
  • Corporate workout and restructuring matters for troubled companies and their boards of directors, owners, managers, investors, lenders and creditors; we are retained to advise acquirers involved in financial workouts, restructurings, acquisitions and dispositions of distressed assets and domestic and multinational clients on restructuring corporate groups.

We are known for simplifying the process of doing business in the United States and for delivering seamless support to companies establishing, operating, and expanding their U.S. presence. We advise emerging companies and established multinational enterprises spanning industries as varied as automotive, advanced manufacturing, transportation and logistics, professional services, consumer products, food and food processing, and real estate.

Excellence is not just a standard at Masuda Funai—it is the foundation of the client experience we deliver. We listen carefully, respect cultural differences, and tailor our counsel to the realities of each client’s business, leadership style, and time zone. By anticipating issues before they become obstacles and communicating clearly at every stage, we help clients make informed decisions with confidence. The result is a legal partner that delivers customized solutions, practical advice, and exceptional work product—consistently and across borders.