Gaku Yoneyama

Gaku Yoneyama’s practice focuses on cross-border and domestic M&A, joint ventures, overseas expansions, particularly in Asia, and other general corporate matters. He is recognized in the the Corporate/M&A ranking (2023-25) and TMT ranking (2023-24) of Legal500 as a key lawyer.

Backed by his experience in management consulting and private equity investment, Gaku provides insightful advice based on an in-depth understanding of each client’s business, operations and strategy.

Gaku began his career in 2008 at a major Japanese law firm, where he represented both Japanese and international clients on cross-border and domestic M&A and joint venture transactions.  In 2014, he launched that firm’s branch office in Yangon, Myanmar as the sole resident lawyer.  He also worked in the Washington D.C. office of an international law firm following completion of his LLM.

In 2015, Gaku joined the Boston Consulting Group, where he acted as project leader on a number of M&A, private equity and strategy projects.  Before joining southgate, Gaku worked at the private equity/buyout arm of Development Bank of Japan Group as an investment professional.

• Comment in “New Ways of Working” Thomson Reuter’s online magazine Asian Legal Business (ALB), October 2021
• Co-author, “Guide to Adopting Electronic Contracts [Overseas Contracts],” October 2020 issue of Shoji Homu (in Japanese)
• Co-author, “Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and Practical Responses – Global Compliance for Companies Expanding Overseas,” Shoji Homu, November 2014 (in Japanese)
• Co-author, “Takeover Laws and Regulations in Asia,” Shoji Homu, January 2012 (in Japanese)

• Participated in a panel on “Rewarding and Oppressing Founders at Startups” at the Annual Conference of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, March 2023 (Dubai)
• “The Basics of M&A and Joint Ventures,” webinar sponsored by Global Business Knowledge Supply, January 2021 (in Japanese)

• The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – “Other Key Lawyers” in Corporate and M&A: Independent Local Firms, Japan, 2023-2025
• The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – “Other Key Lawyers” in TMT: Independent Local Firms, Japan, 2023-2024