Company: Benjamin Hirasawa Hospitality International
Position: Founder, Managing Partner
Benjamin (Ben) is the Founder and Managing Partner of Benjamin Hirasawa Hospitality International. He previously was a Partner at DLA Piper and Clyde & Co. During this time he led international teams that worked on landmark hospitality transactions, including the 2019 HICAP Deal of the Year as Head of Hospitality -Asia Pacific. He represents hospitality, commercial, industrial, retail and residential developers in all real estate property transactions and advises on all aspects of the project development cycle, providing practical and commercially sound advice on international business transactions.
Ben’s practice includes private equity financings, joint ventures, start-ups, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, management and license agreements, and advising on various transaction structuring and project operational issues.
Ben advises leading real estate and hospitality and leisure companies across the Asia Pacific region on all aspects of development and operations, including niche areas such as property funds, timeshare, fractional ownership, REITS and branded residences. He has become the ‘go-to’ individual in Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar, the Philippines, South Korea, Japan and various other jurisdictions in Asia Pacific for several of the world’s largest hotel operating companies hotel owners, investors and asset managers.
He is a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants, has been included in Who's Who Legal - Franchise 2015, recognized as a notable practitioner in Myanmar by Chambers Asia Pacific 2016,, one of Thailand's Top100 Lawyers in Asia Business Law Journal 2018, a "commercial, efficient and responsive" "recognized expert" who leads "a dominant practice in respect of hotel management' and 'one of the best hospitality lawyers in South East Asia' in Chambers Asia Pacific 2013-2015, 2019-20 and Asia Pacific Legal 500 2013-2020. Selected as a 2020 Acritas Stars™ – independently rated lawyer.
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Specific expertise in representing commercial developers and operators in the acquisition, development, operation, management, and disposition of hotels, mixed-use projects, condominium projects, and master-planned communities, including providing advice to multinational corporations and leading local and national companies regarding the multi-jurisdictional development of high-rise office, hospitality, fractional, branded residence, retail hypermarket and shopping center projects.