Naoto Obayashi is a visiting fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Freedom and Prosperity Center. A lawyer qualified in Japan and public policy researcher with expertise spanning Japan and Southeast Asia, Obayashi is currently pursuing a master of public administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science, specialising in international development.
Previously, Obayashi was a senior associate at one of Japan’s leading law firms, where he worked in Tokyo and Singapore. In this role, he advised on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions, and private equity investments across Asia. His clients included major Japanese corporations and leading private equity funds. He has also served as a legal and compliance intern at Gojo & Company, Inc., a global microfinance group.
Obayashi holds an LLB from Keio University. He is a native Japanese speaker and fluent in English.