Scott Sugino
Partner
Scott Sugino is a corporate partner based in O’Melveny’s Los Angeles and Tokyo offices. Specializing in technology-focused mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital investments, and business structuring in the highly regulated fintech industry, Scott is a trusted advisor to leading technology companies and technology-focused investors. Scott’s clients range from early stage-startups to large public companies across a number of important technology sectors.
As part of O’Melveny’s Fintech Group, Scott advises project teams and investors building crypto companies, exchanges, and protocols. He advises a wide spectrum of fintech companies from household names like Coinbase, Ripple, and Binance to founders launching their first projects.
In the burgeoning space technology sector, Scott works with companies and investors who are creating the next generation of commercial space technologies and businesses. Scott has led investments into industry leaders such as Axiom Space, Atlas Space Operation, and Spaceflight Industries.
Having spent a significant part of his two-decade legal career in O’Melveny’s Tokyo office, Scott is recognized leader in cross-border investment transactions between Japan and the US.
Scott has been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the “Most Influential Minority Attorneys.” Internationally, he is recognized in leading legal publications/rankings including:
- Corporate and M&A in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific
- Intellectual Property in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific
- M&A in The International Financial Law Review 1000
Languages
- Japanese
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
- Registered Foreign Lawyer in Japan
Education
- University of Chicago, J.D.: with honors; Member, University of Chicago Law Review
- Hitotsubashi University, M.A.
- Harvard University, A.B: cum laude
Honors & Awards
- Corporate and M&A in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific
- Intellectual Property in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific
- M&A in The International Financial Law Review 1000
- "Up-and-coming practitioner" for Corporate and M&A in Asialaw Profiles
Professional Activities
Publications
- "Centralized Exchanges," Chapter 3, Legal Matters in Web 3: A Desk Reference (September 7, 2024)
- "Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): Overview," Thomson Reuters Practical Law (November 29, 2022)
- "Talkin' Tokens," Orange County Business Journal (October 17, 2022)
Speaker
- "Decentralized Automated Organizations (DAOs): Practical Applications and Legal Framework," Practising Law Institute (November 16, 2022)