London-based Bird & Bird has expanded its newly established Tokyo office with the addition of commercial partner Aya Saito, who was most recently a senior director and executive legal counsel at global firm Boston Consulting Group’s Tokyo office.
Hiroyuki Iwamura, Bird & Bird’s Tokyo office managing partner, told Asia Business Law Journal that, in line with the UK firm’s five-year strategy, it was determined a second partner for its Tokyo office would be instrumental in helping expand and develop the business across the core sectors and practices that clients require.
“Aya’s practice and experience is complementary to our objectives in Japan where we intend to build the firm’s capability across disciplines including cross-border technology and outsourcing transactions, in particular regarding system integration and business outsourcing projects, as well as data privacy, AI and other regulatory and compliance matters,” said Iwamura.
Bird & Bird opened its Tokyo office on 2 September last year and had hired Iwamura, Ashurst Tokyo’s former head of UK and European Japanese practice, for the launch. Iwamura added that he would work closely with Saito to develop the firm’s Japan practice across key sectors including technology and communications, energy and utilities, retail and consumer as well as life sciences and healthcare.
Previously at BCG, Japan-admitted Saito headed the group’s legal team in Northeast Asia, managing legal affairs in Japan and South Korea. Before joining BCG in 2020, she had worked as a senior legal manager at another global consulting firm Accenture, assisting Japanese companies and businesses with technology and outsourcing transactions.
Outside of her legal career, she currently serves as a member of the Japanese Law Translation Council of the Ministry of Justice.
