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Benjamin Hirasawa
Ben is the Founder and Managing Partner of BH2I Pte Ltd. He focuses on providing practical and commercially sound advice to hospitality, real estate and corporate clients on international business transactions by advising on all aspects of the project development cycle.
Ben's practice includes private equity financings, joint ventures, start-ups, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, all aspects of real property development (including retail, industrial, office and residential projects) management and license agreements. Ben also has tremendous experience advising on various transaction structuring and project operational issues.
Ben is a Member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants, been included in Who’s Who Legal - Franchise 2015, and recognised as one of Thailand’s Top 100 Lawyers and a notable practitioner numerous times in the corporate and real estate sectors in Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar by Chambers Asia Pacific and Legal 500 Asia Pacific.
Clients and referees characterized the Hospitality and Leisure practice Ben led as a Partner and Head of Hospitality - Asia Pacific at his previous international firm as "a dominant practice in respect of hotel management", and he was described as "an excellent lawyer with a very strong expertise in hotel management and arguably one of the best hospitality lawyers in South East Asia."
Ben was recently named a 2020 Acritas Star, as one of global clients' senior inhouse legal teams independently recognizing him as one the most outstanding lawyers they have worked with in 2019.
Indicative Experience
Singapore: Advising a Singapore based affiliate of a global private equity firm in connection with its acquisition of a mature business with hotels and hospitality assets located in Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand.
Global: Advising in connection with due diligence performed and other aspects involved in creating the world’s largest hotel operating company
Global: Represented one of the world’s largest global hotel operators in connection with its acquisition of Six Senses Hotels and Resorts. Led team responsible for HMA and branded residence documentary analysis to assess potential valuation, integration and structuring impacts
Thailand: Represented a US based global hospitality company in connection with a joint venture with two publicly listed Thai companies and disposition of its interests in a 5 star waterfront luxury hotel to a publicly traded property fund.
APAC: Advising a leading global hotel operator on all aspects of its commercial services, brands and operational issues in its Asia Pacific region. Primary point of contact with responsibility for more than 20 jurisdictions and 65 properties
SEA: Advising three of the world's largest hotel operating companies on creation and implementation of their branded residence structures in Asia, including creating template documentation for use on a regional basis
Global: Advising the world's leading timeshare company on its timeshare and corporate structures in Asia, including providing multijurisdictional compliance guidance for Club Point Sales to entities in Germany, India, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Australia, Macau, Philippines and Taiwan
Asia/Australia: Represented hotel owners and operators in connection more than 1,000 hotel or branded residence development transactions in Australasia in the last 5 years.
Professional Qualifications
State Bar of California Member
International Society of Hospitality Consultants member
Prior Positions
Clyde & Co
Partner and Head of Hospitality Asia -Pacific Practice and Head of Real Estate Practice - Singapore
DLA Piper - Thailand
Partner
Education
University of San Diego, School of Law
Juris Doctor, Cum Laude, Order of the Coif
University of Colorado Boulder
BA, Political Science, Dean’s List
Expertise
M&A
Dispositions
Foreign direct investment
Joint ventures
REITS
Property funds
IP
Employment
Real Estate: branded residences, timeshare, fractional, hotel management agreements, hotel operations, licensing
