Yoshikazu Iwase joined Anderson Mori & Tomotsune after working with an intellectual property firm in Tokyo for three years. His litigation experience involves a number of patent infringement trials and revocation suits against the trial decisions of the Japanese Patent Office concerning patentability/validity of patents over various technologies. He has also been involved with a wide range of trademark/trade dress and copyright infringement suits, licensing and IP assets transfer transactions, and dispute resolution. Mr. Iwase has provided a wide range of advice regarding U.S. patent infringement issues in Japan. His experience also includes drafting and negotiating licensing, patent and various intellectual property transfer agreements, transactions and due diligence of intellectual property in the course of M&A deals.

Hideyuki Sakai is an of counsel at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and one of Japan's leading authorities in insolvency and financial restructuring. Prior to joining Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, he was managing partner of Bingham Sakai Mimura Aizawa, the joint enterprise established between Sakai & Mimura, which he founded in 1995, and a leading US law firm. Mr. Sakai focuses on bankruptcy, workouts, civil rehabilitation and other proceedings involving insolvency procedures. He frequently represents financial institutions and large creditor groups in complex debt restructurings and international insolvency matters. He has also served as court-appointed trustee in high-profile cases and as mediator in out-of-court ADR proceedings. Additionally, he has extensive experience in cross-border M&A, complex commercial litigation and crisis management.

Koji Fujita is a partner specializes in tax and tax related matters on cross-border transactions.

Minoru Kobayashi’s practice focuses on real estate, capital markets and structured finance transactions, such as real estate non-recourse loans, establishment of real estate funds, including Japanese REITs (real estate investment trusts), issuance and offering of debt and equity securities in international and domestic markets and complex securitizations. His practice has also included a wide range of corporate transactions, including corporate finance transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, licensing and international trade.

Isao Shindo is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, who has been involved principally in the fields of banking, securities transactions, asset management, insurance, trust and structured finance, as well as M&A projects involving financial institutions and insurance companies. Mr. Shindo has long experience representing a large number of Japanese and foreign financial firms with respect to various aspects of their businesses in Japan, including regulatory issues. Mr. Shindo is a pioneer in the area of advising financial institutions regarding global multi-currency loan facilities. Mr. Shindo has also acted as Japan counsel in relation to the merger of major global financial companies.

Kunihiko Morishita works primarily in the fields of domestic and international banking, securities and asset management. He has been named as a leading lawyer by several publications including the International Financial Law Review and Chambers’ “The World’s Leading Lawyers”, and is a member of the Financial Law Board, an influential advisory body regarding financial law matters sponsored by the Bank of Japan. Mr. Morishita has extensive experience in representing financial institutions, including investment management companies, before the Financial Services Agency and other Japanese regulatory authorities. He regularly advises a number of multinational financial institutions, located within and outside of Japan, in relation to regulatory issues in the fields of securities, trusts and asset management.

Zentaro Nihei, a partner in Anderson Mori’s financial restructuring and insolvency group, specializes in complex restructuring and insolvency/bankruptcy and special situation investing. He regularly represents hedge funds, private equity funds and other distressed investors in matters, including those of a cross-border nature, relating to both in- and out-of-court restructurings, distressed mergers & acquisitions and other distressed financing. He is also experienced in representing secured creditors’ committees, trustees and other parties advising on asset recovery and the taking and enforcement of securities.

Kagayaki Funakoshi has been engaged in a broad range of matters including equity and debt offerings in both domestic and international capital markets, IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, capital and business alliances, support to start-ups, Japanese REITs, securities regulations, IT, securities litigations, shareholders' meetings and other general corporate matters.

Mr. Inoue is a partner of Anderson Mori & Tomotsune who has been involved primarily and has extensive experience in the field of leveraged finance, private equity, and structured finance. He has also been involved in turnaround transactions and debt restructuring for insolvent enterprises.

Hironori Shibata is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and is engaged principally in the fields of general corporate matters, international finance and cross-border M&A transactions, with an emphasis on international capital market, public offering and other transactions involving restructuring of financial business.

Hideki Thurgood Kanoh has been practicing in the area of labor and employment and currently devotes his practice exclusively to this area from the viewpoint of employers and companies (instead of employees and workers), such as follows: I. Collective Labor-Matters (Collective Bargaining Sessions with Labor Unions, Concerted Activities (Strike, Picketing, and so on) of Labor Unions) II. Individual Employment Matters (Dismissal and Voluntary Resignation, Disciplinary Actions, Internal Transfer, External Secondment, Confusion between Workers Dispatch and Service-Providing Contract, Job Search, Employment of Aged People and Disabled People, Establishment of Wage Payment Systems and Retirement Benefit Systems, Implementation of Pay-per-Performance Systems, Sexual Harassment, Bullying, Mental Health, Occupational Safety and Health, Preparation of and Amendment to Work Rules of Employment, Preparation of Employment Contracts, Fixed-Term Employment Contracts, Executive Service Agreements, Prevention of Infringement of Corporate Data by Employees, Companies’ Protection and Transfer of Employees’ Data, Companies’ Rights Subsisting in Employees’ Invention or Works of Authorship, Whistle-blowing, Employment of Non-Japanese Workers and their Residing Permit, etc.) III. Labor Insurance, Social Insurance and Pension Plans (Workers Accident Compensation Insurance, Unemployment Insurance, Health Insurance, Welfare Pension Insurance, Defined Contribution Pension Plan, Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Welfare Pension Fund, Tax-Qualified Retirement Pension, etc.) IV. Labor and Employment Related Dispute Resolution and Litigation (Labor-Related and Employment-Related Litigation, Mediation on Individual Employment Dispute, Employment Tribunal Dispute Resolution, Remedy for Unfair Labor Practices, etc.) Thurgood acts on behalf of both Japanese and non-Japanese multinational companies, advising them on all aspects of labor and employment. Although he advises companies on ways to avert formal labor and employment disputes, he is also an experienced labor and employment litigator, having successfully defended many cases. He has written and lectured extensively on labor and employment matters in addition to matters unrelated to labor and employment law.

Yusuke Nakano is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, with broad experience in the areas of antitrust, business dispute resolution, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property. In the antitrust area, he has particularly broad experience in cartel investigation and merger control, including international ones. Further, Mr. Nakano has assisted many Japanese companies and individuals involved in antitrust cases in foreign jurisdictions, in close cooperation with co-counsel in those jurisdictions. He has also represented various companies in administrative, civil and criminal litigation, mass and complex litigation, innovative mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and licensing arrangements. In addition to his professional experience at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Mr. Nakano worked for the New York law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, as a foreign intern (2001 to 2002).

Vassili Moussis is an English qualified lawyer who is registered to practise law in Japan. His practice focuses on EU and international competition law with a particular emphasis on inbound and outbound merger control and international cartel matters. He is also advising on a wide range of issues including energy related issues, distribution arrangements, intellectual property and other commercial matters, which often have an international dimension. Vassili is recognised as a leading individual for antitrust and competition law in Japan by Chambers and Legal 500 Asia-Pacific. Clients have praised him for "his technical knowledge, commercial awareness, effectiveness and client service" as well as for being "a great bridge between Japan and the rest of the world", Chambers, Asia-Pacific 2020 and 2021.

Mr. Keita Tokura is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune with extensive experience in Corporate Governance, Mergers and Acquisitions and related financial transactions. He has been playing important roles in a number of public deals in Japan (including going private transactions and mergers of equals). He has a depth of knowledge and experience in M&As and investments in high-tech sector.

Ko Wakabayashi is a partner with broad experience in international M&A and other cross-border corporate matters. He is fully-bilingual and has represented various overseas companies especially in joint venture, M&A and strategic alliance matters by focusing on efficiently managing and integrating not only legal but also multi-jurisdictional business and corporate cultural needs, especially in deal execution and post-merger integration (PMI) phases.

Hiroki Wakabayashi is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, primarily representing both Japanese and non-Japanese financial institutions, audit corporations and business corporations in transaction disputes, professional responsibility disputes, labor relation disputes and other types of disputes, based on his experience as a lawyer as well as a judge. In addition to these corporate related disputes, he also practices in the areas of inheritance and domestic relations.

Fujiaki Mimura has a major insolvency and restructuring practice as court-appointed trustee in numerous cases throughout Japan. His practice focuses on all aspects of insolvency, corporate reorganization, civil rehabilitation, bankruptcy, voluntary liquidation and other insolvency and acquisitions. His industry focus includes corporations throughout Japan as well as golf resorts, healthcare and other real estate firms. Fujiaki also advises clients on shareholder rights, compliance and procedures for Japanese annual shareholder meetings, served as a shareholder-meeting examiner and statutory auditor. He has broad experience as a seasoned commercial litigator. In 1991, he established the Law Offices of Fujiaki Mimura which later merged to become Sakai & Mimura.

Kenichi Sadaka is a litigation partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, engaged mainly in international & domestic litigation, commercial arbitration and other dispute resolution procedures. Mr. Sadaka has represented many Japanese and foreign companies in Japan in matters concerning intellectual property issues (patents, copyrights, moral rights, publicity rights, medical import licenses, trademark, trade secrets, and unfair competition, etc.), real estate transactions, construction, labor (collective bargaining with labor unions, visa related issues, sexual harassment, dismissals, labor accidents, etc.), antimonopoly issues, disputes among management, disputes related to financial products, product liability, debt collections, inheritance, mortgage enforcement, defamation, professional malpractice, termination of distributorship agreements, international trade (LC and BL related matters), insurance, administrative remedies, and other matters. Mr. Sadaka also has experience in several overseas litigations, and has provided assistance in discovery procedures in Japan and in relation to companies in Japan. In addition to these civil dispute activities, Mr. Sadaka has conducted internal investigations for several companies in relation to intra-company crimes and, based upon such scrutiny, exposed criminal accusations for embezzlement, fraud, and similar actions. Mr. Sadaka also provides day-to-day legal service for general corporate legal affairs.

Yukiko Imazu focuses her practice in the area of labor and employment and acts on behalf of both Japanese and non-Japanese companies in advising on labor and employment issues. She is also an experienced labor and employment litigator, having successfully defended many cases. She also gives seminars and training sessions regarding labor and employment matters tailored to clients' needs, both in Japanese and English. Especially, she gives a lot of harassment prevention seminars to non-Japanese companies, Japanese companies, Japanese governmental bodies and universities.

Since joining the firm in 2001, Tomoki Debari has been involved principally in the fields of insurance, banking, securities and asset management, as well as M&A projects involving insurance companies and other financial institutions. He has extensive experience representing Japanese and foreign insurance companies in various matters in Japan, including: (a) formation of branches, subsidiaries and insurance joint venture companies in Japan and applications for insurance business licenses; (b) acquisition of shares in insurance companies and/or portfolio transfers; (c) demutualization and other structural changes, including conversion of Japanese branches into subsidiaries licensed to conduct insurance business; (d) strategic alliances and mergers involving insurance companies; (e) outbound investment and/or formation of joint ventures in the U.S., Europe and Asia (including Vietnam, Turkey, Thailand and Singapore) by Japanese insurers; (f) development of new life and non-life product lines; (g) asset management (including real estate, funds and various derivative transactions); (h) reinsurance transactions and ancillary hedging transactions; (i) ongoing advice on all major issues relating to the Insurance Business Act and Insurance Contract Act; (j) litigation and alternative dispute resolution (including disputes relating to reinsurance); and (k) FSA inspections. As an additional area of specialization, Mr. Debari has also developed extensive expertise in environmental law matters. He assisted Japan's Environmental Ministry in its development of the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act of Japan, adopted in 2002, and since then has advised clients on a wide variety of environmental issues, including: (i) development of environment impairment liability policies and environment remediation expense policies for several insurance companies; (ii) numerous real estate projects in which analysis and management of environmental risks played a key role, including sales, transfers, securitizations and M&A transactions; (iii) global studies by clients in the areas of soil, groundwater, and air contamination (including one such study for a major U.S. airline); (iv) development by clients of emergency reaction and contingency plans against soil and groundwater contamination; and (v) dispute resolution (including both litigation and alternative mechanisms) regarding environmental issues between joint venture partners, as well as with local governments and the public.

Mr. Goto has an exceptional background as a Japanese lawyer with an academic background in both science and engineering, and professional experience working in the intellectual property department of a major electronics company. Mr. Goto’s practice covers a wide range of complex intellectual property and technology/data related matters, including disputes concerning patents, licensing, trade secrets, trademark and technology related antitrust claims, as well as various data privacy/protection issues. He also has broad experience in various regulatory matters as well as product liability issues involving chemical substances, pharmaceutical products and other industrial products. Mr. Goto is recommended for: ・Intellectual Property (Japan) - Chambers Global (2019-2024) ・TMT (Technology, Media, Telecom) - The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2021-2024) ・Intellectual Property (Japan) - Asialaw Profiles (2021-2024) Since 2017, Mr. Goto has been serving as the vice chair of Standing Committee on Trade Secret of AIPPI. In addition to being admitted to the bar in Japan (2008) and the state of New York (2014), he passed the Japanese Patent Attorney Examination in 2003.

Koichi Miyamoto is a partner who has specialized expertise in providing advice on financial regulatory issues including the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, Banking Act and Investment Trust Act. His professional experience also includes providing legal services and advice in relation to structuring, formation and marketing of domestic and foreign investment funds, including private equity funds, venture capital funds, mezzanine funds, real estate funds, infrastructure funds, as well as asset management, FinTech and various types of financial transactions. In addition to his professional experience at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, he has also worked for the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission of Japan (from May 2008 to May 2010), where he was in charge of the inspection of financial instruments business operators.

Hiroshi Ishihara specializes in international and domestic corporate law matters including M&A, business reorganization, antitrust law, real estate and intellectual property transactions. In connection with M&A transactions, he has extensive experience in cross-border M&A, business integration between listed companies, joint ventures and intragroup reorganizations. Also, he advises on many international commercial transactions, such as negotiation for a license agreement, manufacturing agreement and other agreements between Japanese and overseas companies. For domestic corporate matters, he advises on corporate crisis management and operation of shareholders’ meetings. He also specializes in healthcare and life sciences industry and handles many transactions and regulatory issues, including regulations with respect to regenerative medicines. Prior to joining Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Hiroshi served as a lawyer at Nishimura & Asahi, Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Bingham Sakai Mimura Aizawa. Also, He has experience working for the Bank of Japan as well as one of the largest general trading companies in Japan. Hiroshi is a qualified Japanese lawyer (bengoshi) as well as a qualified lawyer in New York and California.

Tetsuya Itoh is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune with more than 10 years of experience involved principally in the fields of financial, commercial and corporate transactions with coverage of regulatory affairs. Mr. Itoh has represented lenders, arrangers, agents, trustees, equity investors, originators and other related parties in a number of asset transactions including REITs, real estate funds and construction finance, and additionally has experience in corporate acquisitions including those made in the course of insolvency proceedings.

Junichi Kondo is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and is engaged principally in the fields of general corporate matters with an emphasis on M&A, joint venture and other corporate transactions including M&A-related financing. His scope of experience also includes healthcare matters including pharmaceutical regulations and software licensing.

Reiji Takahashi specializes in financial transaction, in particular, project finance and Private Finance Initiatives (PFI). Mr. Takahashi represented national government, local governments, private companies or banks in many PFI projects including all prison projects initiated by Ministry of Justice, Haneda air terminal project, which is the largest PFI project in Japan, satellite project, etc. Mr. Takahashi also has extensive experience advising on renewable energy projects, IPP project, resource development and water sector business.

Counsel to numerous debtors, creditors, creditors’ committees and equity holders for more than three decades in cases involving a wide spectrum of industries including banking, retail, real estate, construction, housing, golf resort, hotel, manufacturing, and cross-border enterprises. In recent years, served as liquidator in some of the largest bankruptcy cases in Japan. Practice also includes dispute resolution, commercial litigation, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property and labor issues. Frequently speaks on legal topics pertaining to insolvency and bankruptcy and has written expensively on the Corporate Reorganization Act, the Civil Rehabilitation Act and the Bankruptcy Act of Japan. Recognized as a leading restructuring and insolvency lawyer in Japan by Chambers Asia Pacific.

Eiichiro Nakatani is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, and advises and assists various domestic and cross border contracts and transactions, with an emphasis on international taxation matters. Ranked as the leading global tax lawyer by the Tax Directors Handbook for many years. Ranked in Band 1 of the Leading Individuals, Tax, Japan of "Chambers Asia" for many years.

Yasufumi Shiroyama is a partner who heads all aspects of the firm's intellectual property group practice, including: ・Drafting and arguing complaints, motions, answers and other pleadings for patent, trademark, copyright and know-how infringement litigation in district and appellate courts in Japan, on behalf of both Japanese and foreign companies; ・Drafting and arguing complaints, motions, answers and other pleadings for litigation arising in relation to technology transfer agreements, compensation for employee's invention, and allegedly defective products, etc. in district and appellate courts in Japan, on behalf of both Japanese and foreign companies; ・Drafting and negotiating various technology transfer agreements on behalf of both Japanese and foreign companies; ・Managing written discovery in cooperation with U.S. counsel for a Japanese client in patent license related litigation in U.S. federal court; ・Managing appellate litigation matters seeking nullification of decisions of the Japanese Patent Office; ・Drafting and arguing complaints, motions, answers and other pleadings in invalidation trial and opposition procedures before the Japanese Patent Office; and ・Advising on regulatory matters for pharmaceutical products, medical devices, chemical products, and personal data etc.

Hideto Ishida is an of counsel at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, and counsels a variety of domestic and foreign multinational companies in Japanese anti-trust and competition matters, including those relating to cartels, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, distribution agreements, license agreements and other cooperation agreements. He also represents many companies involved in investigations before the Japan Fair Trade Commission and other foreign competition authorities for price cartels, bid rigging and similar serious alleged violations such as vitamin, graphite electrode, GIS, marine hose, air fare, LCD, Auto parts, Maritime, Libor/Tibor FX international and certain Bond international cartels. He served for seven years as the first attorney appointed as a special investigator with the Japanese Fair Trade Commission and thus has a keen sense of the actual and practical application of antitrust and distribution regulations to companies doing business in Japan.

Kazutoshi Kakuyama is an of counsel at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, and has a general practice on behalf of domestic and overseas clients, specializing in labor and employment law and general corporate matters.

Taro Awataguchi is well experienced in advices on various finance transactions including asset-based lending, and representation of large creditors and strategic buyers in major financial restructuring cases. In the corporate reorganization case of Spansion Japan Limited (semi-conductor manufacturer), he represented the first-ever secured creditors committee officially admitted in the history of Japanese corporate reorganization cases and achieved full recovery plus award through contribution for successful business reorganization of the reorganization company. He also has been repeatedly appointed by the Tokyo District Court as the trustee in bankruptcy, including a notable bitcoin-related case. Taro has extensive experience in disputes and litigations as well in the matters of finance, insolvency and corporate law. He was included in the 2018 Edition of The Best Lawyers in Japan for banking and finance law. He is a fluent speaker at important domestic and international conferences on finance and insolvency law, and has experience of teaching the Companies Act of Japan in a university. He is the head of the operating committee of ABL Association in Japan.

Mr. Aoi Inoue is a partner and the Head of the International Arbitration practice at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune. He specializes in international arbitration and litigation. He represents clients in a wide range of business disputes, including joint venture, distributorship, licensing, franchising, construction projects, complex financial products, labor & employment and product liability. He has acted as counsel in a number of international arbitrations under various rules including the ICC, AAA-ICDR, SIAC, HKIAC, JCAA, VIAC and UNCITRAL. He also serves as arbitrator and has been appointed to the panel of arbitrators of the JCAA, KCAB INTERNATIONAL and Japan Sports Arbitration Agency (JSAA). He has been recognized as a leading arbitration lawyer in Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration, Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500: Asia Pacific, Best Lawyers and Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific. Mr. Inoue also acts for overseas clients seeking to expand into Japan through international franchising. His support includes structuring, negotiating and drafting relevant documents such as international direct franchise agreements, international master franchise agreements and joint venture agreements. He also assists Japanese clients seeking to expand into foreign countries through international franchising. Mr. Inoue has been nominated for inclusion in the list of recognized franchise lawyers of the Who's Who Legal: Franchise.

Takashi Akahane is a partner, whose practice includes Project Finance, Private Finance Initiatives and various financial transactions. Mr. Akahane also advises various Japanese ministries, municipalities, and multinationals regarding PPP (public private partnership) and social and economic infrastructure projects.

Hiroki Kodate is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and engaged principally in the fields of M&A and general corporate matters, and regularly advises both Japanese and non-Japanese clients in this regard. In addition to his professional experience at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Mr. Kodate worked for the Civil Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, where he was in charge of the legislative project to modernize Japanese corporate laws (2002-2005). He also worked for Slaughter and May in London as a foreign secondee (2000-2001).

Capital markets transactions including private/public securities offerings, M&A transactions, general corporate matters and intellectual property