On 3 February 2025, Higashimachi LPC had the honour of hosting a delegation from the Republic of Panama at our Kobe office, which included the Hon. Luis Alberto Roquebert Vanegas, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority, Mr. Ramón Franco, General Director of Merchant Marine, Mr. Alejandro De León, Consul General in Kobe, Ms. Any Lam Chong, Second Secretary of the Consulate General in Kobe, and Mr. Nelson Agrazal, the Chief of SEGUMAR Imabari.

They were greeted by Satoru Kohdera, Managing Partner of Higashimachi LPC, Shohei Tezuka, Partner and head of our shipping team, and Peter Cassidy, registered foreign attorney. After introductions by everyone in attendance, we outlined the fruitful results of our firm’s cooperation with the Consulate General in Kobe during the term of the previous Consul General, Mr. Victor J. Almengor, which included the joint hosting of maritime seminars in Kobe, Kure and online. We also had a meaningful and open discussion regarding maritime-related practices as they affect vessel owners and operators in western Japan, including the role of the PMA in overseeing the ship registry of Panama, one of the world’s leading flag states, and how the Consulate General in Kobe is responding to the needs of the Japanese market.

 With four offices in Kobe, Tokyo, Imabari and Osaka, Higashimachi LPC is focused on maritime-related legal services, including the sale and purchase of vessels, the financing of transactions, and the registration of mortgages for vessels flagged in the major flag states including the Republic of Panama. We will continue to facilitate opportunities for the exchange of information with flag states and other members of the maritime community so that we can provide even more advanced legal services to our clients and the industry.