The A-List: Top Japan Lawyers 2024

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Based on research conducted by Asia Business Law Journal, the following are Japan’s top 100 lawyers, plus our legal icons.

Click HERE to read the editorial report that accompanies the A-List.

Biographies and contact details, where provided, were written by the lawyers themselves and have not been independently verified.

Mitsue AIZAWA

TMI Associates

Civil rehabilitation & corporate reorganisation; bankruptcy & special liquidation; voluntary liquidation & ADR for business turnaround; commercial litigation; unfair competition
Takashi AKAHANE

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

PPP/PFI/concession; project finance; asset management & investment funds; structured finance; real estate finance
Izumi AKAI

Sullivan & Cromwell

Capital markets; M&A; real estate; corporate
Hiroki AOYAMA

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Banking & finance; real estate; securitisation & structured finance
Dale ARAKI

K&L Gates

M&A; emerging growth & venture capital; technology transactions & sourcing
Shinichi ARAKI

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Capital markets; corporate governance; financial regulations; M&A; corporate
Naoya ARIYOSHI

Nishimura & Asahi

Banking & finance; capital markets; compliance; e-commerce, fintech, blockchain & cryptos; securitisation & structured finance
Hiroo ATSUMI

Atsumi & Sakai

Banking & finance; capital markets & structured finance; general corporate; project finance; real estate
Rupert BURROWS

Mayer Brown

M&A; outbound investment; power & energy; project finance; energy transition
Dale CALDWELL

Morrison & Foerster

Banking & finance; inbound investment; infrastructure; M&A; power & energy
Alan CANNON

Simpson Thacher

IPOs; debt; capital markets; corporate; M&A
Mark DAVIES

King & Spalding

M&A; power & energy; private equity, venture capital & funds; project finance; energy transition (hydrogen & ammonia)
Aled DAVIES

Milbank

Project; energy & infrastructure finance; mining & metals; oil & gas; renewable energy
Stephen J DECOSSE

Morrison & Foerster

Inbound investment; M&A; outbound investment; private equity, venture capital & funds; TMT
Naoaki EGUCHI

Baker Mckenzie

Acquisition finance; banking & finance; consumer goods & retail; energy, mining & infrastructure; financial institutions
Akira EHIRA

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Banking & finance; compliance; outbound investment; private equity, venture capital & funds; securitisation & structured finance
Maxwell FOX

Groombridge Wu Baughman & Stone

IP; litigation; licensing
Peter W FROST

Linklaters

Banking & finance; capital markets
Yoshinobu FUJIMOTO

Nishimura & Asahi

Corporate & commercial; corporate governance; joint ventures; litigation; M&A
Kenichi FUJINAWA

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

M&A; corporate governance; risk, crisis management & compliance; Asia/North America/Latin America
Koji FUJITA

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

Corporate; M&A; labour & employment; taxation
Motoyasu FUJITA

Linklaters

Banking & finance; bankruptcy & insolvency; capital markets; securitisation & structured finance; derivatives, repos & securities lending
Soichiro FUJIWARA

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Bankruptcy & restructuring; M&A; corporate governance; corporate & commercial disputes
George GIBSON

Norton Rose Fulbright

Banking & finance; infrastructure; outbound investment; power & energy; project finance
Ryan GOLDSTEIN

Quinn Emanuel

Arbitration & ADR; competition & antitrust; IP; litigation; TMT
Jon GRAY

Davis Polk & Wardwell

Capital markets; securities regulatory; general corporate
Keiji HATANO

Sullivan & Cromwell

Capital markets; joint ventures; M&A; outbound investment; financial regulations
Kaoru HATTORI

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

General corporate; antitrust & competition law advice; antitrust litigation & investigation; merger control; international trade
Yushi HEGAWA

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Corporate & commercial; corporate governance; litigation; succession planning (family office); taxation
Takao HIGUCHI

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

General corporate; banking; project finance; restructuring; insolvency
Masahisa IKEDA

A&O Shearman

Real estate; banking & finance; private equity, venture capital & funds; capital markets; securitisation & structured finance
Seishi IKEDA

Baker Mckenzie

Real estate; banking & finance; private equity, venture capital & funds; capital markets; securitisation & structured finance

+81 3 6271 9444

seishi.ikeda@bakermckenzie.com
Akira INOUE

Baker Mckenzie

Antitrust & competition; banking & finance; cartels; investigations and dawn raids; commercial litigation; healthcare & life sciences
Hiroki INOUE

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

M&A; private equity & venture capital; acquisition finance; disputes in foreign jurisdictions; insurance
Masahiko (Masa) ISHIDA

DLA Piper

Capital markets; corporate governance; joint ventures; M&A; private equity, venture capital & funds

+81 3 4550 2808

masahiko.ishida@dlapiper.com
Miyuki ISHIGURO

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Capital market; corporate
Tadashi ISHIKAWA

Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners

Corporate and M&A; competition & antitrust; consumer protection; dispute resolution; IP
Gaku ISHIWATA

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

M&A; corporate governance; crisis management; private equity & venture capital
Yoshio ITEYA

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

M&A; dispute resolution; international practice
Kei ITO

Nishimura & Asahi

Banking & finance; compliance; private equity, venture capital & funds; TMT
Maya ITO

Nishimura & Asahi

Banking & finance; infrastructure; power & energy; project finance; real estate
Masakazu IWAKURA

TMI Associates

Corporate governance; IP; litigation; M&A; private equity, venture capital & funds
Masatsura KADOTA

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Banking & finance; capital markets; corporate & commercial; M&A; real estate
Mitsuhiro KAMIYA

Skadden

Corporate & commercial; corporate governance; inbound investment; M&A; outbound investment
Eiji KATAYAMA

Abe; Ikubo & Katayama

IP; bankruptcy & insolvency; patent litigation; unfair competition litigation; corporate
Kozo KAWAI

Nishimura & Asahi

Competition & antitrust; compliance; international trade & bilateral investment treaties; white-collar crime
Hisaya KIMURA

Quinn Emanuel

Complex commercial litigation (including securities litigation); software development dispute litigation; antitrust litigation; labour litigation; international arbitration
Naoki KINAMI

Vanguard Lawyers Tokyo

International finance; corporate; M&A; regulatory; banking & finance
Minoru KOBAYASHI

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

Real estate finance; REITs; capital markets; structured finance; M&A

+81 3 6775 1052

minoru.kobayashi@amt-law.com
Eiji KOBAYASHI

Mayer Brown

Antitrust & competition; corporate & securities; M&A

+81 3 4563 1417

eiji.kobayashi@mayerbrown.com
Takahiro KOBAYASHI

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Banking & finance; power & energy; project finance; securitisation & structured finance
Nobuaki KOBAYASHI

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

M&A; restructuring & insolvency; general corporate; civil & commercial disputes
Kohei KOIKAWA

Nishimura & Asahi

Banking & finance; capital markets; corporate & commercial; TMT
Hiroshi KONDO

Baker Mckenzie

M&A; private equity investment; venture capital; corporate & commercial; labour
Eiichiro KUBOTA

Kubota

Data protection; IP; litigation; TMT
Yoshio KUMAKURA

Nakamura & Partners

IP; antimonopoly; litigation; arbitration; dispute resolution
Shiro KUNIYA

Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners

Corporate and M&A; Risk management & compliance; IP; bankruptcy & restructuring; compeition & antiturst
Hiroyoshi KUROMARU

TMI Associates

General corporate; corporate governance; IPO; structured finance; project finance
Leng-Fong LAI

Clifford Chance

Financial regulation; capital markets; structured finance; project finance; real estate finance
Ken LEBRUN

Davis Polk & Wardwell

Inbound investment; joint ventures; M&A; outbound investment; private equity, venture capital & funds
Atsutoshi MAEDA

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

Corporate; M&A; finance & financial institutions; real estate; international practice
Eric MARCKS

southgate

Corporate & commercial; joint ventures; M&A; private equity, venture capital & funds; TMT
Lars MARKERT

Nishimura & Asahi

Arbitration & ADR;International trade & bilateral investment treaties;Litigation
Masafumi MASUDA

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Compliance; e-commerce, fintech, blockchain & cryptos; IP; litigation; TMT

+81 3 6266 8742

masafumi.masuda@mhm-global.com
John MAXWELL

Linklaters

Banking & finance; infrastructure; M&A; power & energy; project finance
Hidetaka MIHARA

Tokyo International Law Office

Capital markets; corporate governance; M&A; real estate
Jiro MIKAMI

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Banking & finance; M&A; power & energy; project finance; real estate
Kenichi MINAMI

Nishimura & Asahi

Bankruptcy & insolvency; restructuring & insolvency; sports practice
Hiroshi MITOMA

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Corporate; M&A; crisis management; compliance; restructuring & insolvency
Ryota MIURA

Miura & Partners

M&A; litigation; corporate governance; compliance
Ken MIURA

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Finance; regulatory & regulated transactions; infrastructure & energy; M&A; private equity
Yusuke NAKANO

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

Competition & antitrust; corporate & commercial; IP; licensing & franchising; M&A
Nobuo NAKATA

Hibiya Nakata

M&A (including cross-border, public and private M&A); joint venture
Ryutaro NAKAYAMA

Nishimura & Asahi

Competition & antitrust; corporate & commercial; corporate governance; joint ventures; M&A
Scott NEILSON

A&O Shearman

Banking & finance; environment; infrastructure; power & energy; project finance
Kengo NISHIGAKI

GI&T Law Office

Fraud investigation; compliance; anti-corruption; litigation; dispute resolution

+81-3 6206 3284

kengo.nishigaki@giandt-law.com
Miho NIUNOYA

Atsumi & Sakai

Environment; infrastructure; power & energy; project finance; real estate
Yoshikazu NOMA

TMI Associates

Banking; real estate; asset & asset management; energy & projects
Yoshimi OHARA

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Dispute resolution; international arbitration & mediation; IP disputes; civil & commercial disputes
Seiji OHNO

Ohno & Partners

Competition & antitrust; IP; licensing & franchising; litigation; TMT
Atsushi OISHI

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Litigation; M&A; private client; succession planning; taxation
Kazuki OKADA

Vanguard Lawyers Tokyo

Dispute resolution; labour & employment; litigation
Taro OMOTO

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Aviation;Banking & finance;Capital markets;Environment;Real estate
Nobuharu ONISHI

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Inbound investment; outbound investment; private equity, venture capital & funds; real estate; investment funds

+81 3 5220 1860

nobuharu.onishi@mhm-global.com
Masaru ONO

Ono and Partners

Banking & finance; compliance; corporate & commercial; corporate governance; sustainability
Yo OTA

Nishimura & Asahi

Capital markets; corporate governance; defence; M&A; taxation
Eriko OZAWA

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Real estate; banking & finance; structured finance; investment funds
Gavin RAFTERY

Baker Mckenzie

Banking & finance; e-commerce, fintech, blockchain & cryptos; private equity, venture capital & funds; project finance; sustainability
Akihiro RYUKA

RYUKA & PARTNERS

Patent; prosecution; licensing; litigation; opinions
Hideyuki SAKAI

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

Restructuring; insolvency & bankruptcy; dispute resolution; international litigation & cross-border disputes; M&A
Yutaka SAKAI

Atsumi & Sakai

Banking & finance; corporate & commercial; project finance; securitisation & structured finance; shipping
Masamichi SAKAMOTO

City-Yuwa Partners

Banking & finance; corporate & commercial; power & energy; project finance; real estate
Reiko SAKIMURA

Clifford Chance

Capital markets
Masanori SATO

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Structured finance; real estate; project finance; infrastructure & energy; M&A and private equity
Tomohiro SATO

Nishimura & Asahi

Infrastructure; litigation; power & energy; project finance
Katsu SENGOKU

Nishimura & Asahi

Aviation; banking & finance; securitisation & structured finance; shipping
Hironori SHIBATA

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

Banking & finance; capital markets; corporate & commercial; corporate governance; M&A
Asa SHINKAWA

Nishimura & Asahi

Corporate governance; M&A; power & energy; private equity, venture capital & funds; TMT
Kenneth SIEGEL

Morrison & Foerster

M&A; joint ventures; outbound investment; inbound investment; corporate & commercial
Gary SMITH

Morrison & Foerster

M&A; joint ventures; outbound investment; inbound investment
Junko SUETOMI

Greenberg Traurig

International trade & customs; dispute resolution; bankruptcy & restructuring; antitrust; international compliance (anti-money laundering, human rights, environments, SDGs, ESG etc.)

+81 (0) 3 4510 2200

Junko.Suetomi@gtlaw.com
Fumihide SUGIMOTO

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Corporate governance; capital markets; banking; securitisation & structured finance; compliance
Katsumasa SUZUKI

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Capital markets; inbound investment; litigation; M&A; TMT
Reiji TAKAHASHI

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

Banking; structured finance; project finance; asset finance; PPP/PFI/concession
Chisako TAKAYA

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Labour & employment; litigation; M&A
Yasuzo TAKENO

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Finance; regulatory & regulated transactions; international practice
Yuko TAMAI

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Corporate; general corporate; corporate governance; M&A
Hajime TANAHASHI

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Corporate & commercial; corporate governance; defence; M&A; private equity, venture capital & funds
Katsuro TANAKA

TMI Associates

Copyright & trademarks; entertainment & sports; risk management; IP litigation; medical & healthcare
Kenji TANEDA

Skadden

Corporate & commercial; capital markets; M&A; banking & finance
Hiroyuki TEZUKA

Nishimura & Asahi

Arbitration & ADR; corporate & commercial; litigation
Tomohiro TOHYAMA

TMI Associates

TMT; IT; entertainment & sports; trademarks & brand; commercial disputes
Koichi TSUJII

Nakamura & Partners

IP; international transactions; general corporate
Harumichi UCHIDA

TMI Associates

M&A; alliances (partnership); TMT; IT; IP
Jun USAMI

White & Case

Corporate governance; joint ventures; M&A; private equity, venture capital & funds; TMT
Matthias VOSS

A&O Shearman

Banking & finance; projects
Akihiro WANI

Greenberg Traurig

Banking & finance; capital markets; corporate & commercial; securitisation & structured finance; derivatives
Kozo YABE

Midosuji Legal Profession Corporation

Corporate & commercial; data protection; IP; licensing & franchising; M&A
Akiko YAMAKAWA

Vanguard Lawyers Tokyo

Anti-corruption & anti-bribery; arbitration & ADR; labour & employment; litigation; white-collar crime
Setsuko YUFU

Atsumi & Sakai

Competition & antitrust; compliance; corporate governance; international trade & bilateral investment treaties; joint ventures