practices
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
We are well-placed to handle dispute resolution matters, primarily litigation and arbitration, in both Japan and abroad.
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Civil and commercial litigation
We handle a wide range of civil and commercial disputes, especially cases before Tokyo District Court involving intricate issues of foreign substantive and procedural law in addition to domestic Japanese law. -
International arbitration, mediation
and other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR)We have extensive experience in representing clients in ADRs such as ICC and JCAA arbitrations, as well as advising on dispute resolution using mediation procedures. -
U.S. Litigation, Litigation Support
(Discovery support, second opinions, etc.)Our expertise in handling litigation in the U.S. and other foreign countries enables us to provide U.S. litigation representation, discovery support, and other related services. -
Enforcement of Foreign
Judgments in JapanAs a matter of course we can also handle foreign execution judgments, which must be obtained in order to enforce a judgment rendered by a foreign court in Japan. -
Antitrust and competition disputes
Investigations and AuthoritiesWe advise clients on dealing with competition authorities in cases involving foreign antitrust and competition law, and represent clients in antitrust and competition law disputes, in particular cross-border disputes. -
Contracts with foreign companies
Liaison mattersOur experience in international disputes has given us an edge in strategic negotiations and drafting of contracts with foreign companies.
Intellectual Property
In collaboration with Isshiki Patent & Trademark Firm which has approximately 40 patent attorneys and technical staff, we handle a wide range of intellectual property matters.
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Patent opinions
We can provide expert opinions on infringement and validity of Japanese and U.S. patents and other intellectual property rights. -
Patent clearance
We offer freedom-to-operate searches to ensure that prospective products or services do not infringe third party’s patents. -
IP due diligence
In the event of an investment, M&A transaction, etc., we conduct research and verification from an intellectual property perspective (IP due diligence) to assess the risk and value of the counterparty. -
Cease-and-desist demands and license negotiation
We handle cease-and-desist demands and negotiations, both offensively and defensively. -
Advice on IP contract issues
We can provide scheme formulation, strategic advice and contract drafting with respect to licensing agreements, joint R&D agreements, etc. -
Patent prosecution before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
We prepare and prosecute utility and design patent applications as well as trademark applications in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. -
Advice on trade secret management and information contamination issues
We provide advice on and legal representation for trade secret protection, information contamination, and trade secret leakage and misappropriation.
Corporate Law & Compliance
We also advise on corporate legal issues, including corporate law matters, corporate acquisitions, regulatory and legal compliance issues as well as personal information protection laws.
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Corporate Legal Affairs
We handle a wide range of corporate legal affairs, including corporate law. -
Advice on corporate restructuring
We also provide advice on corporate restructuring and strategic alliances, including M&A, joint ventures, capital tie-ups and business alliances. -
Corporate misconduct
Compliance and internal investigationWe provide expert advice on ongoing corporate compliance and conduct internal investigations. -
Protection of personal information
We advise on the use and protection of personal information and general data protection issues — an area of growing importance and complexity in recent years. -
Education and Training
We provide in-house education and training on a wide variety of topics, including intellectual property, through seminars, workshops and other activities.