Akiko Yamahara
NY,NY
Summary
Professional General Counsel with 20 years of experience in advising company leaders and decision-makers on important legal matters. Accomplished in project management, leadership and team collaboration. Innovative in creatively solving problems while adhering to company values, policies and procedures.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
General Counsel, Citi Global Wealth
Citibank, N.A.
10.2021 - Current
- Business Coverage: Member of global leadership team delivering strategic and day-to-day advice across a wide range of investments, lending, banking and trust products with a focus on legal issues including wealth management regulations, AML/sanctions, material litigation, regulatory investigations and HR employment as well as reputational and franchise risks and consent order/transformation work.
- Management Experience: Manage and lead a global team comprised of over 100 attorneys in 16 locations to ensure effective legal coverage of wealth management business; built team from 45 attorneys to over 100 attorneys in recent years by hiring for new areas of law and integrating consumer wealth teams and private banking teams in each region.
EMEA General Counsel for Private Bank and Consumer
Citibank, N.A. London
01.2012 - 06.2013
- Member of regional leadership teams of EMEA Private Bank and EMEA Consumer Bank; managed legal issues during Eurozone crisis, regulatory implementation such as UK FCA's Retail Distribution Review and creation of joint venture with Markets business.
General Counsel, Citigroup Global Markets Japan
Citigroup Japan
12.2003 - 01.2011
- Board Experience: Board member of Citigroup Global Markets Japan delivering critical insight from control functions perspective as sole non-business member; served as acting Chairperson during LIBOR investigation.
- Crisis Management: conducted internal investigation of LIBOR manipulation allegation, self-identified and self-reported investigation results to Japanese FSA as well as other global regulators in antitrust and criminal divisions, managed JFSA and SESC examination of LIBOR issue and created a comprehensive remediation plan embedding new and enhanced controls throughout G10 Rates trading business, hiring protocols and second line of defense surveillance procedures.
- M&A: Negotiated and revised Joint venture agreement and ancillary agreements between Citi and Nikko; managed legal issues for divestiture of Nikko Cordial for $8 billion with 8,000 employees and over 100 branches
- Head of Investment Banking Legal: prior to becoming the General Counsel, advised investment banking division in connection with global securities offerings and M&A transactions; member of the Local Commitment Committee.
Adjunct Professor
Temple University School Of Law
01.2004 - 06.2006
- Devised new course on International Securities Regulations and taught both International Securities Regulations and Negotiations classes to Temple University students from Philadelphia campus and foreign-qualified lawyers working in Tokyo (full accreditation by American Bar Association).
Associate
Davis Polk & Wardwell
03.1998 - 09.2002
- Capital Markets: Advised Government of Japan on U.S. securities laws in connection with NTT privatization; drafted SEC disclosure filings for Japanese companies and prospectuses for equity and debt offerings for financial institutions, software engineering companies and internet service providers.
- Project Finance and Syndicated Lending: Drafted and negotiated credit agreements for US and European companies and project finance agreements for Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
- M&A: Advised on Citigroup-Nikko Cordial joint venture and on an asset purchase transaction by a Taiwanese company.
Associate
Shearman & Sterling
08.1996 - 03.1998
- Advised private equity firms on investments in portfolio companies, Swiss healthcare company on US subsidiary IPO and NYSE listing, US airlines in high-yield debt offerings and Japanese bank in global offering of preferred shares.
Education
J.D. - Law
New York University, School of Law
New York, NY05.1996
Bachelor of Science - Double Major: Finance And International Finance
New York University, Stern School of Business
New York, NY08.1990
Skills
- Finance knowledge
- Corporate transactions
- Commercial litigation experience
- Litigation
Current Acitvities
Board of Overseers, Temple University Japan
Advise and support the management of TUJ in strengthening TUJ, its reputation and brand by promoting its initiatives and students
National Women's Law Center, Citi representative
Citi Asian Heritage Network, Steering Committee Member
Lead talent development and retention initiatives and advise on strategic vision and planning for AHN globally
Citi Legal "One Legal" Forum
Devised a collaborative structure for Citi Legal with over 1600 lawyers to coordinate globally activities relating to employee engagement initiatives, pro bono, diversity and legal academy.
Awards
Best In-House Lawyer Award in Japan 2009, Asian Legal Business
Asian Women in Business Law Award 2011, IFLR
21 Most Influential Bankers' Counsel 2011, IFLR (Nominated)
Timeline
General Counsel, Citi Global Wealth
Citibank, N.A.
10.2021 - Current
EMEA General Counsel for Private Bank and Consumer
Citibank, N.A. London
01.2012 - 06.2013
Adjunct Professor
Temple University School Of Law
01.2004 - 06.2006
General Counsel, Citigroup Global Markets Japan
Citigroup Japan
12.2003 - 01.2011
Associate
Davis Polk & Wardwell
03.1998 - 09.2002
Associate
Shearman & Sterling
08.1996 - 03.1998
J.D. - Law
New York University, School of Law
Bachelor of Science - Double Major: Finance And International Finance
New York University, Stern School of Business