Ms. Ito was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1947. She is a graduate of the Faculty of Law of Tokyo University (B.A. 1970). Following graduation from the Japanese Legal Research Institute she was admitted to the Japanese Bar in 1972. Ms. Ito practiced law in Tokyo for two years prior to entering the graduate program in law at the University of Washington, which awarded her a LL.M. degree in 1974.

Ms. Ito was the first lawyer admitted to practice law in both Japan and the United States when she was admitted to the State Bar of New York in 1976. Since that time she has advised clients, particularly Japanese companies, on legal issues affecting their business operations in the U.S., including acquisitions, licensing, joint ventures, distributorship arrangements and general corporate matters. Ms. Ito is experienced in counseling start-up operations as well as general counseling of foreign enterprises doing business in the United States. In addition, Ms. Ito frequently advises U.S. corporations in connection with their business ventures in Japan.

Ms. Ito has extensive experience representing U.S. and foreign clients in immigration issues, including non-immigrant (H-1, L, E, TN) business visas, student and trainee (F, J, H-3) visas, and related matters.

Before becoming a partner of Morrison & Foerster in 1989, Ms. Ito was a partner with Kelley, Drye & Warren in New York and a name partner with the Japanese law firm of Tsuchiya Sakuragi Sogi & Ito.

Ms. Ito has published many articles and books, including the widely-read A Practical Guide to U.S. Law for Japanese Businessmen (1984), Manual for Legal Matters for Japanese Corporations Doing Business in the U.S. (1987) and A Guide to Real Estate Transactions in the U.S. (1989). She is also a regular lecturer at seminars on investment in the U.S. Ms. Ito is concurrently a partner of Ito & Mitomi in Tokyo.