Naomi Aoyama is a member of the firm’s Corporate Department. She is qualified to practice law in Japan as bengoshi as well as in New York. Her practice focuses on international projects, including mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures.

Although there are a number of lawyers who are admitted to the bar both in Japan and New York, Ms. Aoyama is uniquely situated as she has worked in the firm’s New York office for more than 15 years. With extensive experience in handling cross-border transactions and deep understanding of both American and Japanese business practice and culture, she quickly captures clients’ needs and intentions and provides solutions that address them the best. She has experience in various business sectors, including chemical, automotive parts, pharmaceutical and transportation.

Ms. Aoyama was resident in the firm’s Tokyo office for five years. She also spent one year in Tokyo as a secondee to a major Japanese company’s legal division.

Prior to joining Debevoise in 1999, Ms. Aoyama worked as an associate on various corporate transactions for Japanese and international clients at Nishimura & Asahi (f/k/a Nishimura & Partners), a leading Japanese law firm, from 1994 to 1998. From 1991 to 1992, she was a Legislative Staff Councilor of the House of Representatives of Japan.

Ms. Aoyama received her LL.B. in 1991 from the University of Tokyo, completed a two-year legal apprenticeship at the Legal Training & Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan in 1994 and received her LL.M. in 1999 from the University of Chicago Law School.

Ms. Aoyama was admitted to the bar in Japan in 1994 and in New York in 2000.