Morrison Foerster is sought after by leading domestic and international companies operating in a wide range of industries, including tech, automotive, transportation, pharmaceuticals, and logistics, to handle complex high-profile antitrust and competition matters. The group is regularly instructed on merger control fillings, administrative proceedings before competition authorities in Japan and abroad, regulatory investigations, and high-stakes litigation, including cases before the Supreme Court of Japan. Rony Gerrits, who focuses on global cartel cases and follow-on civil litigation, heads up the team. Merger control matters and investigations are the area of expertise of Tomohiko Kimura while Chie Yakura and Daiske Yoshida are recommended for cross-border litigation. Other key names are litigator Andrew Meyer and Takahiro Nonaka, who is a key contact for FCPA compliance and internal investigations.

Noted for its ‘close relationship’ and ‘intimate knowledge of government authorities, especially the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC)’, White & Case LLP - White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association)’s Tokyo team is uniquely placed to assist leading domestic and foreign corporations with regulatory matters, administrative fines, investigations, and unfair trading practices. The group is regularly instructed on large cross-border M&A by well-known names such as Panasonic Corporation, PayPal Holdings, and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Toshio Dokei, who has extensive experience in representing clients in cartel, abuse of superior bargaining power and resale price maintenance claims, leads the practice. Also noted are counsel Takako Onoki, who is recommended for antitrust investigations and litigation, and Hideo Nakajima, a former secretary general of the JFTC.

Jones Day‘s Tokyo office is retained by both large and small innovative companies from a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, automotive, telecom and retail, to advise on complex antitrust and competition law matters. In addition to its track record in cartel investigations and administrative proceedings before government bodies, such as the EU commission and the US Department of Justice, the practice offers advice on strategic litigation, large-scale M&A, joint ventures, distribution agreements and patent licensing. Hiromitsu Miyakawa oversees the group and is a key contact for government investigations, M&A and FCPA compliance matters. Miyakawa is supported by Chizuru Yoshida.

Operating as part of a fully integrated global practice with antitrust and competition specialist lawyers spread across the US, Europe and the Asia Pacific region, Clifford Chance‘s Tokyo team is noted for its ‘broad experience in local and global antitrust matters’, which spans both transactional, regulatory and contentious work. As part of its offering, the group covers merger control filings, cartel investigations, antitrust litigation, sector inquiries and misuse of market power matters. The team is led by counsel Masafumi Shikakura, who has extensive expertise in anti-monopoly and EU competition law.

Shearman & Sterling‘s Tokyo office works in collaboration with the US and Europe teams to assist leading Japanese corporates and financial institutions with complex US and EU antitrust matters, from merger control filings and joint ventures to class actions and cartel investigations. Masahisa Ikeda has extensive experience in representing clients in government investigations and before the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Anti-corruption matters, economic sanctions and compliance projects are the area of expertise of Toshiro Mochizuki while Kana Morimura focuses on corporate matters and antitrust disputes.