Jason E. Kuwayama

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All children dream about what they’ll do when they grow up.

Jason E. Kuwayama recalls playing with his best friend, who announced that he wanted to be a doctor.

Kuwayama responded that he would become a lawyer and protect his friend from his mistakes.

At least part of that prediction came true. Kuwayama did become a lawyer; however, instead of handling medical malpractice cases, he deals with financial transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars in his work at Godfrey & Kahn.

He started out his career helping a banking client streamline the process for large-scale residential mortgage purchases. When the financial market collapsed, he adjusted the process to help clients sell distressed assets quickly.

“I took my knowledge from the performing market, did some research and flipped it around to be on the sell side rather than the buy side,” Kuwayama said.

Since January 2008, he has been involved with moving more than $3.2 billion worth of distressed assets, including $560 million worth of assets in the last quarter alone.

“I don’t think any attorney can envision getting this much exposure and this much experience so quickly,” Kuwayama said.

Who is your favorite Supreme Court justice of all time?

William H. Rehnquist.

What was your most useful law school course?

Contract Drafting.

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive?

“Help yourself to whatever is in the refrigerator.”

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Learning to relax and to understand the finer aspects of a “Type B” way of life.

What profession would you not like to participate in?

Wrestling.

What trait do you most like in others?

Humor.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Default, forbearance, breach.

What is your most treasured possession?

My BlackBerry.

Who are your favorite writers?

Haruki Murakami, William Safire, Peggy Noonan, and the writers of “How I Met Your Mother.”

How would your mother describe you in one word?

Persistent.

What is the first quote that comes to your mind?

“Even castles in the air can do with a fresh coat of paint.” — Haruki Murakami.