Makoto Takada

Managing Partner, Tokyo / Hong Kong

Expert in Private Equity (PE), Real Estate Funds (RE), Cross‑Border M&A, and Family Office Legal Advisory

Profile

As former senior legal counsel at Goldman Sachs and General Counsel at Advantage Partners, he led numerous large‑scale investment transactions across Asia. He is recognized as a practitioner with deep, practical understanding of the entire investment lifecycle—from fund formation and deal execution to exits and governance design.

Based in Hong Kong and Tokyo, he provides reliable legal guidance to PE/RE funds, family offices, and fintech/WebX companies, covering international regulation, investment structuring, governance, and compliance.

Career

Sherpa Group (2023–Present)

Chief Legal Officer

  • Oversees legal strategy for a cross‑border investment group
  • Responsible for governance, compliance, and investment structuring across Asia

Continuum.Social Inc (2022–Present)

General Counsel (Toronto / Remote)

  • Lead counsel for a Web3‑related company
  • Advises on digital assets, platform governance, and international regulatory compliance

Agarwood Consulting Limited (2017–Present)

Principal (Hong Kong)

  • Advises PE/RE funds, family offices, and fintech/WebX companies
  • Provides cross‑border investment structuring and regulatory navigation

Advantage Partners (2009–2016)

General Counsel

  • Chief legal officer for one of Japan’s largest PE funds
  • Oversaw fund formation, investments, exits, and portfolio governance

Goldman Sachs (1999–2009)

Legal Counsel

  • Handled structured finance, PE investments, and fund operations
  • Built extensive experience in cross‑border financial transactions

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu / Mitsui Yasuda Law Office (1990–1999)

Attorney

  • Practiced corporate and financial law
  • Supported complex transactions for major corporations and financial institutions

Areas of Expertise

  • PE/RE fund legal matters (formation, investment, governance)
  • Cross‑border M&A and investment structuring
  • Family office legal advisory and asset‑management structures
  • Web3 / digital asset business legal and regulatory support
  • International regulatory navigation (Japan × Hong Kong × Singapore × Canada)
  • In‑house legal leadership (GC / CLO)
  • Compliance and governance design

Professional Network

  • Asia‑Pacific PE/RE fund community
  • Financial regulatory professionals in Hong Kong and Singapore
  • Web3 and digital asset companies in Canada
  • International family office and asset‑management networks
  • Global investors, financial institutions, and fintech companies

Education

  • Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
  • The University of Chicago Law School