Chuo Sogo Law Office

Managing Partner: Masahiro Nakatsukasa

Number of partners: 27

Number of lawyers: 64

Languages: English, Japanese, Polish

Chuo Sogo Law Office is a full-service law firm comprising 60+ lawyers in offices located in the financial and business centres of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Over the last half-century, the firm has been assisting international and domestic clients in a uniquely efficient and cost-effective manner. The firm’s lawyers graduated from top Japanese and US law schools. As a member of a leading network of 110 law firms worldwide (with instant access to 4,500 lawyers in 165 cities), Chuo Sogo serves clients virtually anywhere in the world, in the following practice areas:

• Commercial
• Finance
• Compliance/Risk Management/Organised Crime Countermeasures
• M&A/Corporate Reorganisations
• Insurance & Reinsurance
• Transportation & Aviation
• Intellectual Property
• Securitisation Matters
• Bankruptcy/Business Rehabilitation
• Real Estate
• International Business Transactions
• Tax
• Administrative
• Labour
• Civil/Family
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution
• Criminal

Financial Services Agency (FSA) Experience:

Beginning 2005 and continuing on a yearly basis, Chuo Sogo has been loaning its attorneys to work at the FSA. This unique experience has given the firm insights into and better understanding of the workings of this complex governmental agency.

Corporate/M&A:

M&A and corporate reorganisations, technology and telecommunications, real estate, insolvency and bankruptcy, debt collection, competition and antitrust, corporate governance.

Key Contacts: Chiyu Abo, [email protected]; Masahiro Nakatsukasa, [email protected]; Koji Kanazawa, [email protected]; Yasuhiro Fujii, [email protected]; Akihisa Yamada, [email protected]

Banking & Finance:

Commercial banking, credit cards, loans and mortgages, mobile payments, private equity, regulatory (including matters involving the Financial Services Agency).

Key Clients: Major large banking and financial institutions in Japan.

Key Contacts: Chiyu Abo, [email protected]; Masahiro Nakatsukasa, [email protected]; Masao Kuniyoshi, [email protected]; Koji Kanazawa, [email protected]

Insurance:

Advising in relation to regulatory issues and non-marine coverage, and disputes involving (re) insurers and insurance brokers and agencies. Having experience working for the Insurance Business Division of the Financial Services Agency.

Key Clients: Leading non-life and life insurance companies, brokers and agencies.

Key Contacts: Hironori Nishikino, [email protected]; Koji Kanazawa, [email protected]

Transportation & Aviation:

Advising in relation to various carriage contracts, international/domestic passenger and cargo claims and subrogation for airlines and their (re)insurers; also advising on issues related to aircraft purchases and leasing transactions.

Key Clients: Leading transportation companies and airlines.

Key Contacts: Chiyu Abo, [email protected]; Hironori Nishikino, [email protected]; Koji Kanazawa, [email protected]

Labour & Employment:

Counselling both the management and employees concerning employment terminations, lay-offs, redundancy and related matters; employment litigation.

Key Contacts: Chiyu Abo, [email protected]; Masahiro Nakatsukasa, [email protected]

Intellectual Property:

Patents and other IP litigation, licensing, trademarks and copyrights, Internet and E-commerce.

Key Contacts: Naoko Nakatsukasa, [email protected]

Dispute Resolution & Litigation:

Complex business litigation and arbitration, domestic and international litigation, white-collar criminal defence.

Key Contacts: Chiyu Abo, [email protected]; Masahiro Nakatsukasa, [email protected]; Koji Kanazawa, [email protected]; Yasuhiro Fujii, [email protected]; Akihisa Yamada, [email protected] gr.jp

International Trade & Commerce:

International commercial transactions; cross-border litigation and dispute resolution; assisting foreign businesses with entry to the Japanese market and servicing their ongoing operations.

Key Contacts: Koji Kanazawa, [email protected]; Adam Newhouse, [email protected]; Yusaku Akasaki, [email protected]

Chuo Sogo’s practice is well-balanced between domestic and international clients. About half of what it does is working for foreign entities and individuals or working on foreign-related transactions. By way of example, it regularly facilitates entry to Japan for multiple businesses, establishing their presence in Japan, obtaining regulatory authorisations and servicing their ongoing operations. As an active member of Globalaw, it is engaged on matters involving other Globalaw firms’ clients virtually on a daily basis.

Osaka (Head Office)

Kohda Building 11F, 2-10-2 Nishi-Tenma, Kita-ku, Osaka, Osaka-fu, Japan, 530-0047

Tel: +81 6 6365 8111

Fax: +81 6 6365 8289

Tokyo

Hibiya International Building 18F, 2-2-3 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 100-0011

Tel: +81-3-3539-1877

Fax: +81-3-3539-1878

Kyoto

Kyoto Mitsui Building 3F, 8 Naginataboko-cho Karasuma-Higashi-iru, Shijo-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-city, Kyoto 600-8008, Japan

Tel: +81-75-257-7411

Fax: +81-75-257-7433