Corporate

We provide a full range of legal services through our network of four offices in order to meet the diverse needs of our clients, who range in size from publicly-listed corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises. Examples of our services include legal due diligence for mergers and acquisitions, the negotiation of individual agreements, business administration (shareholder meetings, director and auditor functions, regulatory compliance, the establishment and operation of internal control systems, and responding to changing legal requirements), as well as ongoing support and legal advice regarding the issues faced by corporate legal departments in their day-to-day work, such as the preparation and review of contracts and the recovery of outstanding invoices.

The practice of corporate law demands familiarity with the latest changes in the law and business trends and a high degree of specialist knowledge. A meticulous response that is appropriate to the individual circumstances of the client is also required, taking into account such factors as the size of the company and the industry they operate in, whether they are publicly listed, and the geographical regions where they conduct their business. As well as filling the role of external counsel to the legal departments of our corporate clients, we also conduct regular seminars on legal topics that are relevant to our clients. By hosting such events, we gain a greater understanding of our clients’ operations and individual needs, thus allowing us to provide the highest level of service possible.

Corporate Governance and Risk Management

For companies to be able to maintain their growth and expand in a society that places greater scrutiny on corporate compliance, it is vital that they not only establish structures that prevent risks and misconduct from occurring, but also have systems in place for when a prompt and appropriate response is required if a risk or incident actually occurs.

As a law firm that is counsel to companies of all sizes, operating across a variety of industries including manufacturing, transportation, wholesaling, finance and hospitality, we provide guidance and advice on the establishment of compliance regimes, including the preparation of internal procedures and manuals, the establishment and operation of an internal whistle-blower system, as well as employee training.

In addition to our vast experience helping companies and organizations when an incident occurs, from the initial response phase through to investigation, correspondence with victims, regulatory agencies and the media, analysis of causes and establishment of recurrence prevention measures, our lawyers also have experience as members of independent (external) committees engaged to investigate scandals that have affected publicly listed corporations and government organisations.

We coordinate with experts including accountants, tax lawyers, labour consultants, risk management consultants and digital forensic investigators in order to provide the services that match our clients’ needs, whether it be when safeguarding against risks or responding to an incident that has occurred.

Lawyers

Yoshihiro Uetani

Managing Partner
Kobe and Tokyo offices

Takao Kinoshita

Managing Partner
Kobe office

Satoru Kohdera

Managing Partner
Kobe and Tokyo offices

Takahisa Fukumoto

Partner
Kobe and Osaka offices

Eiji Yoshida

Partner
Kobe office

Zhiming Mai/Shimei Baku

Partner
Kobe office

Shohei Tezuka

Partner
Kobe,Tokyo and Imabari offices

Makoto Matsumiya

Partner
Kobe and Osaka offices

Masayuki Kinoshita

Partner
Tokyo office

Kazuya Yamashita

Partner
Tokyo office

Takehito Nakamura

Associate
Kobe office

Nobuhiro Kotou

Associate
Kobe and Osaka offices

Hirotaka Nakura

Partner
Kobe and Osaka offices

Kengo Hashiba

Associate
Kobe office

Takuya Murao

Partner
Imabari office

Motoko Kondo

Associate
Kobe and Osaka offices

Yasutomo Wakiyama

Associate
Kobe office

Takafumi Mise

Associate
Kobe and Tokyo offices

Takeshi Kusaba

Associate
Kobe office

Yusuke Okumura

Associate
Kobe office

Yeechan Jung

Associate
Kobe office

Takanobu Muroi

Associate
Kobe and Osaka office

Eri Moriguchi

Associate
Tokyo office