Japan (asialaw)

Abe Ikubo & Katayama is a market-leading intellectual property practice with a proven track record across the full range of IP, especially in IP infringement litigation. The firm offers strong technical knowledge in the fields of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, biotechnology, electronics and telecommunications. Eiji Katayama and Hiroshi Kobayashi are key contacts. 

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, one of the largest and most diversified law firms in Japan, consistently impresses clients with its outstanding practices across almost all categories including banking and finance, capital markets, energy, disputes, funds, employment, regulatory and tax. As one of the ‘Big Four’ firms, it is a go-to firm for high-profile mandates, with a remarkable wealth of industry-specific expertise. Prominent figures in the firm include IP-focused Yasufumi Shiroyama and tax specialist Koji Fujita.

Client feedback

"Accurate and reliable output and advice." – Banking and finance

"Provides advice which is well balanced between robust logic, economics and practicality, based on deep experience of the market/product as well as a commercial mindset." – Banking and finance

"They gave us advice for structuring and helped with documentation. Their work is very constructive and appropriate." – Banking and finance

"Quick and helpful legal advisory for our overseas business." – Banking and finance

"Anderson Mori & Tomotsune is renowned for its excellence in legal services, and several attributes contribute to its strong reputation: expertise and breadth of practice, client-centric approach, international reach, strong corporate and M&A practice, client trust and longevity." – Banking and finance

"Anderson Mori & Tomotsune excels in corporate transactions, advising on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and restructuring. Their track record with major clients speaks to their capabilities." – Banking and finance

"Careful scoping, experience with regulatory submissions and regulatory work more broadly, diligence, precise work, advice, and smooth communications are very much appreciated when working with Anderson Mori & Tomotsune." – Banking and finance

"High quality and timely performance. Good understanding of market practice." – Capital markets

"Client-focused team working with flexibility." – Capital markets

" Anderson Mori & Tomotsune has in-depth knowledge of the market and provides guidance based on extensive legal expertise in competition law." – Competition/antitrust

"They are always responsive and cooperative, which makes it easy for us to consult with them." – Competition/antitrust

"They were professional, responsive, to the point, and efficient." – Corporate and M&A

"Planning good lawsuit strategy." – Corporate and M&A

"Fully understanding the characteristics of the airline industry, especially in the cargo field, and properly applying it to Japan Fair Trade Commission." – Corporate and M&A

"Anderson Mori & Tomotsune's understanding of the legal framework and theory is underpinned by its practice and know-how on actual cases from start to finish. They differentiate themselves from other law firms that have focused on documentation work and have less 'field work' experience." – Corporate and M&A

"Reasonable approach and excellent communication with non-Japanese people." – Dispute resolution

"Their team provides clients with speedy services and advice." – Dispute resolution

"Partner gives strategic but practical advice on overall litigation strategy, while managing a huge volume of individual cases consistently." – Dispute resolution

"Experienced in corporate and M&A fields, capable of providing highly insightful advice on transaction structures for clients." – Energy

"They helped us to interpret appropriately the terms of the agreements and enabled us to identify and prepare for risks involved therein." – Intellectual property

"Anderson Mori & Tomotsune is among the largest and most diversified law firms in Japan offering full corporate services. They have a flexible operational structure, and they are effective and efficient, providing solutions to legal issues of any kind." – Investment funds

"Provides reliable legal advice on complex employment law issues. They are always responsive and provide deliverables in a timely manner. Good at supporting clients taking smart risks." – Labour and employment

"Responses are quick and accurate. Excellent understanding of customer situations. Extensive experience in advising on dispute resolution." – Labour and employment

"Because they have lawyers specialised in a wide range of fields, we can consult them on a wide range of issues and receive appropriate solutions." – Labour and employment

"One-stop support including overseas regions (with local offices and local partner offices)." – Media and entertainment

"They have nourished their understanding of our company's business through long relationships and gave us appropriate advice based on such understanding." – Privacy and data protection

"Responsive and value for money." – Real estate

"Good balance between legal and business needs." – Real estate

"Full-service firm. Charges are reasonable. Responsive and quick turnaround time." – Real estate

"Anderson are very expert on securities laws, tax issues, and in understanding how incentive plans operate in Japan. They are also excellent in English, timely in their work delivery, and good value. They are also highly respected in the Japanese market." – Regulatory

Osamu Adachi

"I appreciate the careful scoping, quality of the reviews and advice provided, diligence and responsiveness to queries and requests from myself and my stakeholders, and smooth communications overall by Osamu Adachi and his associate partners and team."

Kei Akagawa

"Strategic planning of the lawsuit."

"Kei Akagawa is good at handling a number of litigations and associated legal issues in a timely manner."

"Kei provides critical key comments in summary, leads his big team effectively, and is flexible with budgets and assignments."

"Litigation and negotiations."

"Deep understanding and immediate response to client requests."

Yoshinori Aoyagi

"Deep insight and good knowledge of industry."

Taro Awataguchi

"Taro's strongest point is that he can put theory into practice by undertaking actual cases where legal interpretations/framework have been challenged. He communicates well. He listens to the client's needs, considers a variety of options for clients to consider, articulates legal nuances and grey zone matters, and communicates quite effectively with legal counsel on the other side of the table."

"Extensive knowledge and experience."

Yukiko Imazu

"Extensive business knowledge. Excellent understanding of customer situations. Provides clear answers. Has the ability to solve problems."

Hiroshi Ishihara

"He has an extensive international network, which helps us resolve any issues arising in overseas jurisdictions."

Naoyuki Kabata

"Technically very sound. Very experienced real estate partner. Responsive to clients' instructions."

Ken Kobayashi

"Expert in real estate financing. He not only has extensive knowledge of the related laws and practices in the market but understands the business needs very well and provides practical solutions. Leverages the knowledge and resources within the firm to effectively achieve a balanced outcome."

"His advice with regard to our business is very practical and constructive. He is also approachable and reliable for finance transactions."

"He has wide and deep knowledge and experience, especially in real estate transaction and financing markets. Business sense is also one of his strengths, which may have been acquired through his experience working on the business side in a global investment bank."

Junichi Kondo

"He always gives us helpful legal advice in a concise manner."

"Very client-oriented and excellent communicator."

Nobuyuki Maeyama

"Extensive legal practice, M&A transactions and compliance advice, trustee in bankruptcy, educational background and international exposure."

Mariko Nagata

"Very useful and quick legal advisory."

Takashi Nakazaki

"He has extensive knowledge and experience, especially in ICT and data privacy law."

Koichi Saito

"Expert in tax and securities laws; good communicator in English; works to tight deadlines; good value."

Kei Sasaki

"Responsive and knowledgeable."

Takehisa Sato

"Deep understanding of the product."

Hironori Shibata

"His advice is clear, logical, well-balanced and reliable. He is the person to go to when dealing with something very challenging."

Reiji Takahashi

"Deep expertise."

Yuhki Tanaka

"Very deep knowledge. Helps take risks."

Akira Tanaka

"Overall strength in tax law."

Daisuke Tanimoto

"Accurate and reliable output and advice."

Ko Wakabayashi

"Deep understanding of Chinese client needs, extensive transaction experience, diligent and responsible."

"Customer focus."

Hiroki Wakabayashi

"Deep knowledge of litigation, including how judges would think about the cases and proceed with the cases."

"He was very professional, responsive, and we loved working with him."

Kiyoko Yagami

"Her attitude is that she positively and accurately tries to understand our requirements on how to approach or explain matters to the Japan Fair Trade Commission."

Atsushi Yamada

"Atsushi has in-depth expertise in competition law and is able to provide clear and actionable guidance on short notice. He always makes himself available and meets deadlines."

Kenichi Yamamoto

"Excellent and polite."

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. 

City-Yuwa Partners is noted for its expertise in a wide range of practice areas, including banking and finance, M&A, as well as dispute resolution and employment. With many of the lawyers at City-Yuwa having additional professional qualifications and expertise, such as being patent lawyers and certified public accountants, the firm is highly capable of solving any legal issues. Tomohiro Tanamura and Nobuyuki Sakuraba are key contacts.  

Corporate and M&A boutique Hibiya-Nakata focuses on Japanese outbound and inbound M&A. It is regularly retained by major banks and leading corporations in Japan for high-profile outbound deals. Despite being a smaller-sized firm, Hibiya-Nakata prides itself on the quality of work provided, especially in cross-border M&A work. Key figures include Nobuo Nakata and Tatsuya Soeda. 

Masuda & Partners Law Office has notable expertise in handling corporate lawsuits involving both domestic and foreign companies, including cross-border disputes. The firm also specialises in administrative litigation, representing clients in legal actions against national and local governments while providing expert legal advice on administrative regulations. Eiji Masuda, the founding and managing partner, is renowned for his expertise in corporate M&A and dispute resolution. His advisory services, including executive and senior managers training for Japanese corporations, are highly esteemed in the industry. Partner Yuta Kato is another significant figure.  

Miura & Partners offers a one-stop legal solution for clients. Founded in 2019, the firm practises in sectors including corporate and M&A, finance, competition law and intellectual property. With the philosophy of “providing comprehensive legal advice and assisting clients in achieving their business goals”, the firm retains its presence both domestically and internationally. Masayuki Atsumi, Tomotake Matsuda, and Kazuo Itazaki are the key figures. The firm strengthened its dispute resolution practice with six new partners in 2024: Ayako Osugi from the Gifu District Court and Ryota Saito from the Chiba District Public Prosecutors Office joined in April; Mihiro Koeda from Nishimura and Asahi and Munetaka Takahashi from Nagashima Ohno and Tsunematsu in July; Yuko Kato joined from Torikai Law Office in September; and Taro Tanaka arrived from Legal Action Worldwide in Cox's Bazar in November. In separate moves, Takahashi also took on M&A work alongside his dispute resolution practice, while Junko Shiokawa joined the M&A team from Conyers Dill and Pearman in Hong Kong in April 2025. 

Mori Hamada is highly regarded in the market for its expertise in most practice areas and sectors. It maintains an excellent reputation for undertaking sophisticated domestic and cross-border transactions as well as contentious matters. As one of the largest full-service Japanese law firms, with more than 550 lawyers, the firm is counsel of choice for some major Japanese corporations and foreign multinationals, assisting clients from a broad range of sectors including financial services, energy, manufacturing and real estate. Key figures include banking and finance practitioner Masanori Sato, capital markets-focused Katsumasa Suzuki, M&A and private equity expert Gaku Ishiwata, investment funds lawyer Ken Miura, and restructuring and insolvency specialist Soichiro Fujiwara. 

Established in 2000, top-tier firm Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu offers a full range of legal services covering all industry sectors. The firm's expertise includes banking and finance, capital markets, construction, corporate and M&A, investment funds, labour and employment, regulatory and tax. The members of its project practice team are highly experienced in all sorts of project development and project finance in Japan, representing foreign and domestic project sponsors, contractors and financiers. The banking and finance team provides high-quality legal services, advising on Japan's banking laws and practice, including structured finance, acquisition finance and project finance transactions. The firm also has a strong reputation in capital markets transactions, corporate and M&A, and dispute resolution. With an extensive transactional experience in various industries and an overseas network spanning across locations in Asia and the US, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu is well-equipped to handle complex cross-border matters for both domestic and overseas clients.  

Outstanding IP boutique firm Nakamura & Partners is intimately familiar with application procedures for patents, design registrations and trademark registrations, demands for appeals, and various other steps and procedures taken before the Japan Patent Office. The firm is particularly renowned for its patent contentious capability as well as IP transactions and unfair competition work. Its industry expertise includes TMT, high-tech electronic, chemical and manufacturing. Kazuhiko Yoshida is a key practitioner. 

Nishimura & Asahi is established as a top-tier law firm in the country. It boasts highly reputed teams providing the full spectrum of transactions as well as complex litigation and arbitration work. With over 700 Japanese and foreign lawyers, the firm is frequently instructed by the biggest household-name corporations in Japan, and by foreign conglomerates across the financial services, automotive, technology, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing sectors. Nishimura & Asahi is also a firm with significant global connections that enable it to provide the utmost quality when it comes to matters of law. The firm’s main figures include Kohei Koikawa for capital markets, Kozo Kawai for competition, Yoshinobu Fujimoto for corporate and M&A, and Hiroyuki Tezuka for dispute resolution.

Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners is a law firm with more than 150 attorneys that can handle a variety of legal matters. The firm’s strengths lie in its corporate and M&A, dispute resolution and intellectual property practices. Key contacts include Norihiro Sekiguchi, Seigo Takehira and Takuro Yamaguchi.

TMI Associates, one of the five largest law firms in Japan, has broad expertise across corporate and M&A, dispute resolution, intellectual property and regulatory matters. In particular, the firm has good expertise in the IP arena as it houses a strong bench of practitioners skilled in handling the full spectrum of domestic and cross-border contentious and non-contentious matters. The firm also has a proven track record advising clients in the banking, consumer goods and services, manufacturing, and media and entertainment sectors. TMI Associates’ connections to several major global firms and joint ventures ensures it can offer seamless and outstanding legal services both foreign and domestic. Corporate and M&A specialists Masakazu Iwakura and Tatsuhiro Takahara, are key figures.  

Corporate specialist firm Tokyo International Law Office focuses on international and cross-border transactions. The firm has a solid record facilitating outbound M&A deals by Japanese corporations, joint venture projects with foreign partners, as well as inbound transactions including buyouts, tender offers, carve-outs and mergers. It has a wealth of experience in the automobile, chemicals, manufacturing, entertainment, consumer goods, healthcare and financial services industries. The firm also has close cooperation with more than 150 affiliated foreign local firms in a multitude of jurisdictions. Mikiharu Mori and Koki Yamada are co-managing partners. The firm bolstered its senior ranks in 2024 with seven strategic hires. Notable additions include senior counsel Hidetaka Mihara from Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu and partner Junzaburo Kiuchi from EY Law in capital markets and corporate, former prosecutor Masayuki Otake as counsel in investigations, and partners Makiko Kawamura from EY Tax and Hojung Jun from Baker McKenzie Tokyo in corporate and construction. Counsel Pavitra Iyer departed for Mitsui OSK Lines. 

Tokyo-based firm Tsubame Law Offices is committed to providing the best legal services by working closely with clients. The firm practices in a wide variety of corporate and finance matters. It has extensive experience in cross-border projects as well as domestic matters. The banking and finance team specialises in real-estate financing. The firm also handles structured finance transactions and syndicated loans, providing advice to trust banks on transactions using trust. Key figures include Kunihiro Sumida and Yasuko Tsuchihashi. The firm strengthened its senior team with two partner hires. Makoto Fujii joined from Atsumi & Sakai in November 2024, bringing expertise in banking, structured finance and project finance. In March 2025, Akiko Monden arrived from Endeavour Law Office, adding capabilities in dispute resolution and employment law across multiple sectors including aviation, banking and technology. 

Established in 2017, ZeLo has quickly emerged as a dynamic corporate law firm in Japan, with particular strength in mergers and acquisitions, dispute resolution and finance. The firm has developed significant expertise in emerging sectors including artificial intelligence, Web3, healthcare and mobility, while maintaining traditional corporate advisory capabilities. Its intellectual property practice, launched in 2020 and led by practice head Toshihiko Adachi, handles patent and trademark filings while supporting the firm's broader corporate work.