Akane’s practice focuses on sophisticated estate planning, wealth transfer strategies, philanthropy, and estate and trust administration. Akane also advises cross-border families on U.S. inheritance, gift tax, and related matters. Working with clients and professionals who are unfamiliar with the U.S. legal system has reinforced her belief in the importance of approaching complex issues with an open mind and delivering practical, understandable solutions.
A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars in the United States and abroad, Akane is actively involved in several professional organizations. She is ranked Band 1 by the Chambers High Net Worth Guide and is recognized as a Japan Expert in Chambers Private Wealth Law – Japan. Akane is the former Washington State Chair of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and has been recognized in both The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers for multiple years.
Education
- New York University School of Law, LL.M., Taxation, 2000
- University of Washington School of Law, J.D., with honors, 1999
- Lewis & Clark, B.A., East Asian Studies, with honors, 1995
Bar & Court Admissions
- Washington
- Professional Recognition
- Professional Leadership
- Publications
- Presentations
- Community Involvement
- Related Employment
- Listed in Chambers High Net Worth Guide Private Wealth Law – Washington, 2016 – 2026
- Listed in Chambers Private Wealth Law – Japan, Expertise Based Abroad (USA), 2018 – 2026
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America: Tax Law, Trusts and Estates, 2011-2026
- Listed in Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year,” Trust and Estates, 2016, 2018, 2024
- Listed in Washington Super Lawyers list, Top 50 Women Lawyers, 2010-2026
- Listed in Washington Super Lawyers list, Top 100 Lawyers 2012-2026
- Listed in Puget Sound Business Journal‘s “Forty Under 40,” 2009
- Peer Review Rated AV® in Martindale-Hubbell
- (AV®, BV® and CV® are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.)
- American College of Trust and Estates Counsel, Fellow, State Chair for Washington (2021-2026)
- International Academy of Estate and Trust Law, Academician, Council Member
- Estate Planning Council of Seattle, Former Executive Committee Member
- Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), Seattle Branch Co-Founder
- Washington State Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Section, Former Executive Committee Member
- Washington Women in Tax, Member
- 06.12.2023 – Author, U.S. Inheritance Chapter in 渉外相続の実務 (Practice of International Inheritance)
- 10.19.2021 – Co-Editor 海外相続ガイドブック プランニングおよび相続実務における Q&A66 三訂版 (Overseas Inheritance Guidebook Q & A 66 Third Edition in Planning and Inheritance Practice)
- 05.21.2024 – Settlor Intent: If Wishes Were Horses, Would Trustees Ride?, International Academy of Estate and Trust Law, Mayakoba, Mexico
- 03.27.2024 – Issues and Responses to Inheritance Literacy as Seen From a Comparison Between Japan and the United States – What Are the Japanese Views on Life, Death and Inheritance?, Nikkei Shimbun Symposium, Tokyo, Japan
- 01.11.2024 – Ethical and Practical Challenges in Dealing with Diverse Clients, 58th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Orlando, Florida
- 02.03.2023 – Navigating the World of International Estate Planning and Administration, 52nd Annual Estate Planning Seminar, Portland, Oregon
- 03.31.2022 – Overview of Transfer Tax Treaties: US-Japan, New York State Bar Association/STEP International Tax Institute, Virtual
- 03.29.2022 – Around the World in 90 Minutes – Selected Issues in Cross-Border Estate Administration, 56th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Orlando, Florida
- 03.29.2022 – Don’t be “Lost in Translation” – A Practical Guide to Estate Administration Involving Foreign Assets and Beneficiaries, 56th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Orlando, Florida
- 10.15.2021 – Straddling the 49th Parallel, 69th Montana Tax Institute, Missoula, Montana
- 05.04.2021 – Touching the Third Rail: Diversity, Culture and Ethics in Estate Planning, 55th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Orlando, Florida
- Japan Business Association of Seattle, Former Board Member
- Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle (MAMA Seattle), Founding Board Member
- Perkins Coie LLP, 2020 – 2025
- Garvey Schubert Barer, PC, 2000 – 2020