JASON T. TAKETA, PARTNER

Jason T. Taketa is an M&A and corporate finance Partner at Sklar Kirsh whose practice focuses on complex and transformative middle-market transactions, including business acquisitions or divestitures, corporate financings, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, or fund formations.

Often serving as his clients’ outside general counsel, Jason taps his deep cross-industry experience to advise and represent a diverse array of clients, including consumer product companies, manufacturers, software and technology companies, wineries and farming operations, media and entertainment companies, lending and financial institutions, insurance companies, waste disposal operators, outdoor advertisers, and music labels.

Jason learned his sensible approach to advising clients from his two-year secondment with Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.) Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of the global Japanese trading company, Mitsui & Co. Ltd., where he managed the legal affairs for the company’s western U.S. information technology, automotive, foods, and technology divisions.

Originally from the Silicon Valley area, Jason moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinema-Television, where he graduated cum laude, after which he attended the USC Gould School of Law where he was named the Carolyn Craig Franklin Scholar and served as Managing Articles Editor for the University of Southern California Law Review from 2001-2002.  After law school, Jason further cemented his status as a Southern Californian by joining the Los Angeles office of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, where he practiced for nearly 18 years before joining Sklar Kirsh.  Jason now lives in Encino with his family.  In his off time, Jason can often be found traversing various municipal golf courses in a zig-zag manner, as he continues his quixotic search for par.

Honors & Awards

• ABA-BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property Law, 2002
• Roger Sherman Memorial Prize for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property, 2002
• Southern California Rising Star, Los Angeles magazine, 2005 and 2008

Publications

• Co-author, “COVID M&A: pre-closing considerations for MAE definitions and interim operating covenants,” Daily Journal, July 23, 2020.
• Author, For Distressed M&A, An Alternative To Section 363 Sales,” Law360, June 22, 2020.
• Co-author, “Treatment of Condominium Hotels as Securities after Salemeh,” Los Angeles Lawyer, January 2014.
• “The Future of Business Method Software Patents in the International Intellectual Property System” University of Southern California Law Review, May 2002.