Practice Areas

We are not a full-service firm. We have extensive experience in certain fields, and we will not stray beyond those fields in search of work, because doing so would run counter to our commitment to offer legal counsel consistent with international standards and our objective to act at all times in our clients’ best interests. If a client asks us to represent it in a matter that we determine we are not best positioned to handle, we will inform the client and assist the client in finding better-suited legal counsel, whether in Japan or overseas.

We practice in the following areas.

Corporate / M&A / Securities / Joint Ventures

  • M&A (public and private targets)
  • Joint ventures and strategic partnerships
  • Board representation in connection with M&A transactions
  • Corporate formation in Japan and the US and other overseas jurisdictions
  • Insider trading regulations and other securities related matters
  • Corporate governance matters
  • Antitrust filings with and investigations by the Japan Fair Trade Commission

Venture Capital

  • Inbound and outbound VC and CVC investments
  • Startup representation at all stages, from formation to exit
  • Founder representation in exit events
  • LP investments in domestic and overseas VC funds

Commercial / IP Licensing

  • IP licensing and joint development agreements
  • Distribution, reseller, sales, OEM, ODM, manufacturing and similar commercial agreements
  • Consulting and services agreements

Disputes

  • Resolving disputes before they reach litigation within and outside Japan
  • Representing domestic and foreign companies in disputes before Japanese courts
  • Assisting Japanese companies involved in disputes overseas
  • Advising domestic and foreign creditors in bankruptcy cases in Japan