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This profile reflects asialaw research. The “(asialaw)” label indicates the source of this content.

Quick facts
Number of partners

108

Number of lawyers

210+

Languages

Japanese, English, German, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Hindi, Marathi, Sinhala, etc

Key practice areas
Corporate and M&A (asialaw)
Restructuring and insolvency (asialaw)
Labour and employment (asialaw)
Private equity (asialaw)
Tax (asialaw)
Dispute resolution (asialaw)
Infrastructure (asialaw)
TMT (asialaw)
Competition/antitrust (asialaw)
Investment funds (asialaw)
Capital markets (asialaw)
Banking and finance (asialaw)
Construction (asialaw)
Regulatory (asialaw)
Industry Sector: Technology and telecommunications (asialaw)
Industry Sector: Pharmaceuticals and life sciences (asialaw)
Firm overview

The firm

Atsumi & Sakai is a multi-award-winning, independent full-service Tokyo law firm, and the first Japanese law firm to create a foreign law joint venture, which enables it to admit foreign partners and so offer its clients the quality of service that the modern international business community demands. Expanding from its highly regarded finance practice, the firm now acts for a wide range of international and domestic companies, banks, financial institutions and other businesses, offering a comprehensive range of legal expertise.

International practice

Atsumi & Sakai has an outward-looking approach to its international practice, and has foreign partners with extensive experience from leading international law firms, so providing its clients with the benefit of both Japanese law expertise and real international experience. In addition to lawyers admitted in Japan, our firm includes foreign lawyers registered in Japan to advise on the laws of the US States of New York and California, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, India, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, England and Wales, and the State of Queensland, Australia, United States and Australian Federal laws, and the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany (in collaboration with Janssen Foreign Law Office).

In addition to our Tokyo head-office and Fukuoka affiliate office in Japan, we have offices in London and Brussels, and affiliated offices in New York and Frankfurt, so enabling us to provide quality services around the clock.

Innovation & diversity

The firm constantly seeks to anticipate its clients’ needs for new legal services, most recently those arising from the rapid technological developments in the financial services industry and strives to provide high-quality and cost-effective services and solutions to support companies new to the Japanese market. The firm also offers flexible alternative fee arrangements tailored to meet the specific needs and goals of each client company. Atsumi & Sakai takes a proactive approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), and encourages its lawyers to maintain a good work/life balance, which has seen the firm recognised as Japan’s leading law firm for employee satisfaction.

Key practice areas
  • Banking and finance
  • Capital markets
  • Competition/antitrust
  • Construction
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Dispute resolution
  • Regulatory
  • Intellectual property
  • Labour and employment
  • Investment funds
  • Private equity
  • Restructuring and insolvency
  • Tax
Sector expertise
  • Aviation and shipping
  • Banking and financial services
  • Consumer goods and services
  • Industrials and manufacturing
  • Infrastructure
  • Materials
  • Media and entertainment
  • Mining
  • Oil and gas
  • Pharmaceuticals and life sciences
  • Real estate
  • Technology and telecommunications
Other Offices

A&S Fukuoka LPC (Fukuoka Affiliate Office):
Tenjin Bldg. 10F, 2-12-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi
Fukuoka 810-0001 Japan
Contact: Yasuhiro Usui (Partner)
Tel: +81-(0)92-724-7701

Atsumi & Sakai New York LLP (New York Affiliate Office):
1120 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Floor
New York, New York 10036, USA
Contact: Bonnie L. Dixon (Managing Partner)
Tel: +1-212-523-0822

Atsumi & Sakai Europe Limited (London Office):
85 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7NQ, United Kingdom
Contact: Naoki Kanehisa (Partner)
Tel: +44-(0)203-696-6540
Mobile: +44-(0)75-4899-7865

Atsumi & Sakai Brussels EU (Brussels Office):
CBR Building, Chaussée de la Hulpe 185, 1170, Brussels, Belgium
Contact: Estuko Kameoka (Managing Partner)
Tel: +32-470-85-19-07

Atsumi & Sakai Europa GmbH - Rechtsanwälte und Steuerberater (Frankfurt Affiliate Office):
OpernTurm (13th Floor)
Bockenheimer Landstraße 2–4,
60306 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Local Contact: Frank Becker*, admitted in the Federal Republic of Germany
(Atsumi & Sakai Europa GmbH - Rechtsanwälte und Steuerberater)
Tel: +49-(0)69-7474-5050 (General)
Fax: +49-(0)69-7474-5064

Contact in Japan: Ryuichi Nozaki, admitted in Japan (Partner)

Address:
Fukoku Seimei Bldg., 2-2-2 Uchisaiwaicho
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
100-0011
Japan
Tel:+81 3 5501 2111 Fax:+81 3 5501 2211 Email:Contact Us Web Address:https://www.aplawjapan.com/en
2025 Edition
Banking and finance (asialaw)
Highly recommended
8 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

City-Yuwa Partners (asialaw)
13 practice areas
View profile

Notable

Tsubame Law Offices (asialaw)
1 practice area
View profile
Capital markets (asialaw)
Highly recommended
8 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

City-Yuwa Partners (asialaw)
13 practice areas
View profile
Competition/antitrust (asialaw)
Recommended
12 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Miura & Partners (asialaw)
6 practice areas
View full profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
City-Yuwa Partners (asialaw)
13 practice areas
View profile
Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners (asialaw)
6 practice areas
View profile

Notable

Kobayashi & Todo (asialaw)
1 practice area
View profile
Yabuki Law Offices (asialaw)
2 practice areas
View profile
Construction (asialaw)
Outstanding
5 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile
Corporate and M&A (asialaw)
Recommended
14 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Miura & Partners (asialaw)
6 practice areas
View full profile
Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners (asialaw)
6 practice areas
View profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
City-Yuwa Partners (asialaw)
13 practice areas
View profile
Hibiya-Nakata (asialaw)
1 practice area
View profile
Tokyo International Law Office (asialaw)
4 practice areas
View profile

Notable

Kitahama Partners (asialaw)
1 practice area
View profile
Masuda & Partners Law Office (asialaw)
3 practice areas
View profile
southgate (asialaw) View profile
Dispute resolution (asialaw)
Highly recommended
17 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Abe Ikubo & Katayama (asialaw)
2 practice areas
View profile
Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
Momo-o Matsuo & Namba (asialaw)
1 practice area
View profile
Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners (asialaw)
6 practice areas
View profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

City-Yuwa Partners (asialaw)
13 practice areas
View profile
Freeman & Partners (asialaw)
1 practice area
View profile
Gaien Partner (asialaw)
1 practice area
View profile
Tokyo International Law Office (asialaw)
4 practice areas
View profile

Notable

Masuda & Partners Law Office (asialaw)
3 practice areas
View profile
Matsuo & Kosugi (asialaw)
2 practice areas
View profile
Miura & Partners (asialaw)
6 practice areas
View full profile
Industry Sector: Aviation and shipping (asialaw)
Recommended
8 firms ranked
View full list

Highly recommended

Recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Notable

City-Yuwa Partners (asialaw)
13 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile
Industry Sector: Banking and financial services (asialaw)
Highly recommended
5 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
Industry Sector: Energy (asialaw)
Outstanding
8 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

City-Yuwa Partners (asialaw)
13 practice areas
View profile
Tokyo International Law Office (asialaw)
4 practice areas
View profile
Industry Sector: Infrastructure (asialaw)
Outstanding
5 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile

Highly recommended

Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile
Industry Sector: Insurance (asialaw)
Recommended
5 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
Industry Sector: Media and entertainment (asialaw)
Notable
6 firms ranked
View full list

Highly recommended

Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Notable

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
Industry Sector: Real estate (asialaw)
Highly recommended
8 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

City-Yuwa Partners (asialaw)
13 practice areas
View profile
Ushijima & Partners (asialaw)
1 practice area
View profile
Industry Sector: Technology and telecommunications (asialaw)
Recommended
6 firms ranked
View full list

Highly recommended

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile
Intellectual property (asialaw)
Notable
14 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Abe Ikubo & Katayama (asialaw)
2 practice areas
View profile
Nakamura & Partners (asialaw)
1 practice area
View full profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile

Recommended

Kubota (asialaw) View profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile
Ohno & Partners (asialaw)
2 practice areas
View profile

Notable

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
Shiomizaka (asialaw)
2 practice areas
View profile
Sueyoshi & Sato (asialaw)
1 practice area
View profile
ZeLo (asialaw)
6 practice areas
View profile
Investment funds (asialaw)
Highly recommended
8 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Notable

City-Yuwa Partners (asialaw)
13 practice areas
View profile
Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners (asialaw)
6 practice areas
View profile
Labour and employment (asialaw)
Recommended
11 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile

Highly recommended

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile

Notable

City-Yuwa Partners (asialaw)
13 practice areas
View profile
Miura & Partners (asialaw)
6 practice areas
View full profile
Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners (asialaw)
6 practice areas
View profile
Private equity (asialaw)
Recommended
7 firms ranked
View full list

Highly recommended

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Notable

Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners (asialaw)
6 practice areas
View profile
Regulatory (asialaw)
Highly recommended
6 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile
Restructuring and insolvency (asialaw)
Recommended
10 firms ranked
View full list

Outstanding

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Mori Hamada (asialaw)
18 practice areas
View full profile
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (asialaw)
14 practice areas
View profile
Nishimura & Asahi (asialaw)
15 practice areas
View profile

Highly recommended

Abe Ikubo & Katayama (asialaw)
2 practice areas
View profile

Recommended

Atsumi & Sakai (asialaw)
16 practice areas
View full profile
Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners (asialaw)
6 practice areas
View profile
TMI Associates (asialaw)
11 practice areas
View profile

Notable

Momo-o Matsuo & Namba (asialaw)
1 practice area
View profile
Shiomizaka (asialaw)
2 practice areas
View profile
Overview

Atsumi & Sakai is a leading full-service law firm offering a range of counsel services pertaining to most financial and corporate law matters. The firm has an excellent reputation for assisting startups and financial institutions on fintech-related matters. It offers additional strength in the energy, infrastructure and real-estate sectors. The firm is also known for its expertise in securitisation, covered bonds and similar structured finance transactions. Go Fujimoto and Yusuke Miura are key contacts. The firm strengthened its partnership with two significant lateral hires in 2024. Akiko Hosokawa joined from Baker McKenzie in June, bringing extensive experience in banking, financial regulation and trust law. The firm further expanded in October with the addition from Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu of Makiko Harada, who focuses on banking, project finance and data-protection matters. 

Linked Reviews
Construction (asialaw)

Work highlights

Advising Mitsubishi Research Institute, Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City on a major PPP project for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The development encompasses the athletes' village and its post-Games transformation into a comprehensive urban development featuring residential areas, university facilities, sports venues, retail spaces and healthcare facilities. The firm is providing full legal support including project structuring, tender documentation and process management. 

Key clients 

Mitsubishi HC Capital 

Dispute resolution (asialaw)

Work highlights 

Successfully represented multiple international institutional investors in a ¥9 billion ($61 million) damages claim against Toshiba Corporation over mis-statements in annual reports. The complex multi-jurisdictional matter, concluded in March 2024, involved laws from seven jurisdictions and required coordination among foreign asset managers, global custodians and investment funds. The case marks one of Japan's largest securities litigation matters involving institutional investors. 

Infrastructure (asialaw)

Work highlights 

Advising Mitsubishi Research Institute and Nagoya City on a PFI project for the development and operation of an international MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) facility. The project involves both rehabilitate-operate and build-transfer-operate structures for the design, construction and operation of the venue in Nagoya. 

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