Zhiming Mai/Shimei Baku

Partner
  • Lawyer (Kobe office)

Zhiming Mai uses his background as a Japanese-born person of Chinese descent to handle a wide range of matters between China and Japan. His inbound practice includes providing advice and representation to Chinese corporations and individuals in litigation matters, investment contracts, corporate practice, international inheritance, and visa applications. Zhiming’s outbound practice includes providing advice to Japanese corporations regarding litigation, investment, corporate law and taxation in China. He is also committed to using his experience gained from working in China to take into account cultural differences between the two countries in order to resolve a dispute. In recognition of his results in resolving cross-border disputes, in 2012 Zhiming was appointed as legal advisor to the Chinese Consulate-General in Osaka.

Professional History

1976 Born in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
1992 Graduated from Kobe Chinese School
2000 Graduated from Kobe University Faculty of Law. Passed Bar exam
2001 Entered Legal Training and Research Institute
2002 Registered as a lawyer. Entered Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners
2008 Worked at Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners, Shanghai office. Returned to Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners, Osaka office
2010 Left Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners, set up private practice
2012 Appointed as legal counsel by special invitation at the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Osaka
2013 Adjunct instructor, Kansai University graduate school faculty of law. Joined Higashimachi LPC
2016 Promoted to Higashimachi LPC partner
2018 Lawyer in charge of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations “Overseas Deployment Support Project for Small and Medium Enterprises”
2020〜 Completed a Doctor of Law course at Kobe University Graduate School of Law
2020〜 Vice president of Hyogo Bar Association

Publications

“CIETAC’s split and the Supreme People’s Court’s 15th July 2015 judicial interpretation”, JCA Journal, November 2015
“Enforcement of the Antitrust Law in relation to resale price restrictions in China – Analysis of recent cases”, JCA Journal, September 2014
“Top 100 Chinese cases – Penalties imposed on shareholders by resolution of the General Meeting of Shareholders, pursuant to the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation, as well as the relevant provisions of the Articles of Incorporation and the validity of resolutions of the General Meeting of Shareholders”, Journal of the Japanese Institute of International Business Law, July 2014 (Vol. 42,No. 7)
“Summary of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) split and subsequent practice”; Journal of the Japanese Institute of International Business Law, November 2013 (Vol. 41, No. 11)
“‘Wong Lo Kat’ trademark dispute – The largest dispute in Chinese domestic trademark history”; Journal of the Japanese Institute of International Business Law, September 2013 (Vol. 41, No. 9)
“The China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) split and subsequent practice”; JCA Journal, October 2013
“Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China notification of the promulgation of the third round of guiding cases (No. 227 [2012]): Guiding Case on ‘Cause of Rescission of Board Resolution'”; JCA Journal, June 2013
“Study on strikes in China in the first half of 2010”; Journal of the Japanese Institute of International Business Law, February 2011 (Vol. 39, No. 2)

Partial list

Seminars and Presentations

“Current corruption in China and the response of Japanese companies”
The Association of Corporate Legal Departments, 17th February 2016
“Latest developments in Chinese Anti-Monopoly Law”
The Association of Corporate Legal Departments, 18th March 2015
“Current state of Sino-Japanese family-law related cases in Japan – the application of international-inheritance law in Japan and China”
Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding 3rd Anniversary Seminar, co-hosted by Japan Federation of Bar Associations and All China Lawyers Association, 10th September 2012
“Labour dispute issues in Sino-Japanese capital markets Symposium”
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China), 23rd November 2010

Major Published Cases

Petitioner’s representative, civil rehabilitation of Reoma Ltd.
Bankruptcy trustee’s representative, Max Air Service Co., Ltd. (Bankruptcy case related to World Cup 2006 tickets)
Plaintiffs’ representative, representing the families of four Chinese nationals killed or injured in a fire at a hotel in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima (2012 Fukuyama Hotel Prince fire)
Counsel for former representative director of Konan Shoji Co., Ltd. in litigation regarding questionable transactions

Languages

Japanese Chinese (Mandarin) English