Meet Jason
Jason E. Kuwayama is a shareholder in the Banking practice, primarily in the firm’s Milwaukee office. His nationwide practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, asset purchases and sales, corporate governance, and general securities matters.
Jason routinely represents state and federally chartered financial institutions in regulatory matters as well as corporate formation, corporate governance, and myriad M&A matters. His experience includes representing regional banks, community banks and mutual institutions in connection with whole-bank mergers and acquisitions, branch sales, capital and debt raises, and mutual-to-stock conversions.
Jason also represents financial institutions and private equity firms in connection with debt-side transactions, having acted as senior counsel for the purchase and sale of approximately $20 billion of commercial and residential/consumer assets in both performing and non-performing markets. He also assists institutions with the development of correspondent programs for the purchase, sale and securitization of loan portfolios.
In addition to his debt-side work, Jason also represents private equity investors with capital deployment as well as corporations seeking equity investments at various stages of their growth cycles. Jason routinely works with non-regulated corporations in a variety of concerns, including startup/formation, growth, restructuring, and exit.
Education
Juris Doctor, Marquette University Law School, 2007
Bachelor of Science, Northwestern University, communication, with honors
Activities
Brookfield Academy – Finance Committee
HEAR Wisconsin, Inc. – Board of Directors
Marquette University Law School – Alumni Board Diversity Recruitment Committee
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre – Board of Directors
Wisconsin Conservatory of Music – Board of Directors
Wisconsin Forum, Inc. – Board of Directors
Wisconsin State Bar, Business Law Section – Board of Directors
Independent Business Association of Wisconsin – Past Board of Directors
Honors
Recognized by Super Lawyers as a Wisconsin Rising Star (2011 - present)
Named Up & Coming Lawyer by the Wisconsin Law Journal (2010)
Admitted To Practice
WisconsinProfessional Associations
American Bar Association
Milwaukee Bar Association
State Bar of Wisconsin
Regulated Mergers and Acquisitions. Jason represents state and federally chartered financial institutions in myriad M&A matters, including de novo formation, acquisition or sale of business lines, acquisition or sale of regulated and non-regulated subsidiaries, and acquisition or sale of financial institutions and bank holding companies.
Non-Regulated Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions. Jason routinely assists companies in the manufacturing and service sectors with startup, corporate governance, organic growth, and strategic acquisitions or sales.
Asset Purchases and Sales. Jason has represented numerous financial institutions and private equity firms in the structured offerings and asset purchases of approximately $15 billion of performing and non-performing assets. Serving as lead counsel for these national and multi-regional transactions, Jason has negotiated the definitive purchase and sale agreements and managed the integrated legal aspects of these trades.
Equity Deployment. Jason has represented numerous private equity firms and investors in connection with their equity and combined debt/equity investments in a variety of concerns, including financial institutions, manufacturers and startups.
Development of Banking Products and Services. Jason regularly advises banks on the development of strategic bank offerings, including developing banking products and services for mobile phones and the Internet.
Recapitalizations and Offering Memoranda. Jason assists many clients with private placement memoranda and has represented financial institutions in connection with recapitalizations through exempt and non-exempt stock offerings.
Non-Profit Lending and Licensing. Jason assists a non-profit corporation with its corporate governance as well as with obtaining regulatory approval and licenses to make low-interest consumer loans to financially disadvantaged families throughout the United States.
Regulatory Compliance. A core part of Jason's practice includes regularly advising banks on complying with various banking regulations, including the implementing regulations of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, and the USA PATRIOT Act. He also advises banks on complying with rules and regulations promulgated by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
