Masuda Funai

Corporate, Finance & Acquisitions

President

As President of Masuda Funai, George Kobayashi advises Japanese companies on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, corporate reorganizations, restructurings, liquidations, and other complex corporate transactions throughout the United States. For more than 25 years, he has represented clients ranging from emerging companies to publicly traded Japanese companies supporting their investments, expansion, and operations in the U.S.

George has developed a longstanding network of advisors experienced in working with Japanese companies and regularly assembles multidisciplinary teams to support cross-border investments and corporate transactions. Serving as a single point of coordination, he brings together legal counsel, accountants, real estate advisors, insurance brokers, HR consultants, and other specialists to support Japanese clients throughout their U.S. investments and operations.

Widely recognized throughout the Japanese and Japanese-American business communities, George has built longstanding relationships with business leaders, professional organizations, and government institutions in both the United States and Japan. He also serves as U.S. legal counsel to several Consuls-General of Japan.

Admissions: Illinois, Michigan, Ohio

English; Japanese

American Bar Association

Japanese American Bar Association

Japan Business Association of Southern California

Japan Business Society of Detroit

Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chicago

U.S.-Japan Council - Board of Directors (Chair of Finance Committee)

J.D., The University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, 2000

B.S.B.A., Creighton University, 1995

Temple University Japan Law Program (Tokyo), 1999