Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu > Tokyo, Japan > Firm Profile

‘Yoshitoshi Imoto, Ryohei Tanaka and Kaoru Hattori all are very strong individuals. Highly responsive and good judgment.’

‘Driven by excellence, but always practical and considerate of the business context.’

‘NO&T is a market leading practice that distinguishes itself through practical advice focused on the commercial needs of clients.’

‘Kaoru Hattori is a leading light among Japanese antitrust practitioners, with extraordinary strategic sense for complex JFTC matters.’

‘The NO&T Antitrust team is one of the largest and most competent competition law teams of Japan. I like to work with them because of the unrivalled quality of the work product.’

‘Yoshitoshi Imoto is fantastic with investigations, extremely responsive, and connects immediately with US clients.’

‘Top notch antitrust practice in Japan in all relevant areas.’

‘The NO&T team have strong relationships in Japan, and an impressive ability to help their Japanese clients manage the risks of their international operations.’

‘I am very grateful and trust them for their passion and sincerity towards achieving the goals.’

‘I highly appreciate Araki Shinichi’s sincere approach to his work and his enthusiasm for research.’

‘Yuichi Miyashita has expert skills in financial markets.’

‘I’m happy to work with them because they are very flexible, creative and supportive.’

‘Motohiro Yanagawa has lots of experiences and knowledge in structured products. His high-quality support helps us create new products for our customers.’

‘Yuichi Miyashita is highly accessible and responsive to our inquiries and provides very logical and practical legal advice.’

‘They are an experienced team with highly qualified capability. Their work is not only reliable but also speedy.’

‘Motohiro Yanagawa is a well experienced partner. His suggestions and opinions often exceed our expectations.’

‘Highly specialised attorneys, with robust legal research capabilities.’

‘They have a strong international arbitration team. They have a depth of experience, are highly sophisticated, and have great advocacy skills.’

’The partners understand our business, our people and our stakeholders. They will give you hands-on, tailored, and timely advice however unique the situation may be.’

‘Koki Yanagisawa is capable of handling large-scale cases while grasping every detail of the facts involved.’

‘Koki Yanagisawa worked around the clock to get every document right. He is hands-on, and understand how U.S firms operate.’

‘There are lot of attorneys who have great experience. Also, the firm introduces and leads legal technology to research in an effective way.’

‘Partners in the firm publish many helpful articles/books and I use them to support my business.’

‘We believe Nagashima’s IP deparment is superior in international cases to other firms’ teams, especially in huge, multi-lateral cases. Nagashima has a large number of IP attorneys who have a rich experience with the U.S. IP firms. They have a capacity to handle big international cases, while keeping its high-quality level and intense communication with foreign clients.’

‘Shunji Matsuda’s thoughtful advice from both a legal and business point of view helps the team make the right decisions in proceedings. He is an excellent communicator and, through conversation with his clients and foreign colleagues, he can identify central issues in each aspect of the proceedings and suggest a practical solution.’ 

‘Many of the attorneys have experience in the U.S. and have given us useful advice in our overseas litigation. In addition, many of the attorneys are non-IP attorneys, so they can be trusted with complex matters.’

‘Shunji Matsuda always comes up with a good solution when I have a discussion with a foreign lawyer that I can’t engage.’

‘NO&T has one of the biggest IP litigation teams in Japan dealing with high-profile cases. Being a larger firm, NO&T has a better command of English than some of the boutique competitors. The team can work collaboratively with several other firms on one large project which is an important factor as the team tends to be quite busy.’

‘Kenji Tosaki, a former judge, is an experienced partner at the firm dealing with wide range of IP disputes. While Tosaki relies on technical matters to patent attorneys, his experience as a former judge provides a rare insight into how the arguments will be received by the judge.’

‘An excellent understanding of the needs of US companies.’

‘The firm has lawyers with strong English language capabilities which is helpful for multinational employers without local in-house counsel in Japan.’

‘Responsiveness, thoroughness, great results.’

‘The Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu team is well-versed in local and foreign investments and is very responsive. Whenever we have any questions regarding our private wealth clients’ activities in Asia, it is our “go-to” firm. In addition to offering solid legal advice, it is also sensitive to the commercial aspects of transactions and also to local concerns.’

‘The private wealth group is not only responsive to questions, but also goes above and beyond by also considering the commercial and other issues that may be raised. This comprehensive advice is exactly what clients demand, and combined with the firm’s regional expertise means that we can rely on the team to cover all the bases on a transaction or matter.’

‘We have been particularly impressed with and recommend Mr. Yoshikazu Hasegawa (partner, Singapore), who always offers timely legal advice and appreciates the commercial and other sensitivities of the cross-border investments typically pursued by our clients.’

‘It is rare to find Japanese firms that understand common law trusts. The firm’s Singapore office has just that practice group and will be a good resource for Japanese clients seeking to establish trusts in Singapore.

‘In any situation, this team will solve the problem politely and reliably. Innovation is also important, but stability is the most important, so I am satisfied with this team.’

‘I always consult with Yoshikazu Hasegawa of the Singapore office. There are many lawyers in Japan, but there are few lawyers who can properly handle cross-border asset tax. He is not only in the cross-border corporation matter, but also in the field of private assets, has experience, and is very reliable.’

‘Hasegawa Yoshikazu is always excellent to work with. Instructions given are clear and matters are handled with speediness and efficiency.’

‘Yushikazu Hasegawa provides very practical and easy tax advice for private wealth management and inheritance tax area. He has extensive working experience in dealing with cross-border wealth management.’

‘The deal was quite complicated and on a tight schedule, but the team showed us the priorities and potential landing points based on their ample experiences. The team guided the client in the above way and delivered very effective service.’

‘The team leader was very quick to understand what the real concern and “wants” of the client are – the team leader captured what the client themselves hasn’t realised yet. The team leader was also very clear and precise in his explanation – rather than remarks with a lot of disclaimers. This helped a lot for the client to understand the gist of the legal review.’

‘Projects often come with tight negotiation deadlines, but they all met the deadlines and offered multiple realistic and acceptable solutions.’

‘Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu has a particularly broad scope of practice compared to other law firms in Japan and other countries in Asia.’

‘I feel and assume that they think that they have to advise not only on legal points but also on how to make our business successful from an external advisor’s point of view. They have a high level of expertise and professionalism. In addition, there seems to be an information-sharing relationship between several partners and their partners have appropriate control over the quality of the associate’s work and billing.’

‘Each person from Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu was outstanding.’

‘Services are quick, having points without redundant analysis. Lawyers are well organised from partner to associate level to quickly to form a group for assignments.’

‘Their strengths are that they fully understand a Japanese company’s mindset, our critical points, and our expected goals. They collaborate well with local firms.’

‘NO&T’s attorneys attend to the contract negotiations, and their negotiating skills are outstanding.’

‘Tanaka has excellent practical negotiation skills for real estate-related contracts, based on his many years of experience. Fujisaki demonstrated outstanding ability in handling cases with a sense of responsibility. Kurihara has demonstrated exceptional ability in handling a large volume of work with short deadlines.’

‘Works very well with foreign law firms. Long track record of advising on fund raises for Japanese PE funds.’

‘They are covering variety of issues for our sector and are very experienced. We believe they are one of the best in our industry.’

‘Hiroto Inoue has varied knowledge and experience in our industry. His suggestions are always reasonable, and he can find hidden issues within the deal.’

‘The team have been particularly good at bridging the gap between a Japanese client and Australian lawyers and the legal system. They have done so by having a team which includes both Japanese lawyers and lawyers from other parts of the world. That team works cooperatively, enabling them to effectively translate the requirements.’

‘The individuals I have worked with principally are Yoshihiko Matake, John Lane and Ayumi Fukuhara. I have found each of them to be excellent. They are hardworking and committed to excellent service for their clients, but also work with us cooperatively to obtain the best results for our clients. I would have no hesitation in recommending each of them to clients.’

‘NO&T tax team is excellent in their technical merits and provide through analyses of Japanese tax law. Their advice is very extensive and profoundly in-depth.’

‘Koichiro Yoshimura and Yushi Hegawa are distinguished lawyers from the Japanese tax perspective.’

‘I believe that Koichiro Yoshimura is an excellent partner in Japan for tax. There were no precedent court cases for our case, but Yoshimura-sensei prepared convincing arguments and had an excellent strategy for winning.’

‘NO&T is a model of excellence in strategic legal and tax consulting. Their unique and innovative solutions, coupled with their superior approach to legal risk management, were not only astute, but specifically tailored to protect our interests. As a firm, NO&T goes beyond the traditional client-lawyer relationship and acts more as a valued, integral part of our team.’

‘The standout star among NO&T’s exceptional roster is Yushi Hegawa. His in-depth knowledge of tax law and innovative problem-solving methodologies consistently deliver successful results. Hegawa’s distinctive approach – unwavering dedication, strategic foresight and creativity under pressure – truly sets him apart from his peers. ‘

‘NO&T is the epitome of strategic legal partnership. In the face of the extraordinary challenges of 2022, where the Japanese Ministry of Justice exerted unprecedented pressure on international IT companies, NO&T emerged as our resolute guardian, clearly demonstrating their strategic and practical superiority.’

‘Their unrivalled ability to navigate complex legal terrain enabled them to devise innovative, robust solutions that were precisely tailored to protect our interests. Their superior risk management approach wasn’t just brilliant, it was bespoke.’

‘NO&T is at the forefront of legal innovation, embracing the cutting-edge intersection of law and technology. They use advanced practices such as predictive data analytics to improve the accuracy of their legal services and streamline processes, giving them a futuristic edge. When it comes to collaboration, NO&T goes beyond the traditional client-lawyer dynamic and seamlessly integrates into our operations as a valued extension of our team.’

‘The real jewel in NO&T’s crown is Soichiro Fujiwara. His legal acumen and innovative problem-solving skills are a potent combination that consistently delivers successful results. His distinctive approach, characterised by unyielding commitment, strategic foresight and the ability to find creative solutions under pressure, is truly unique.’

‘We deeply admire and value Soichiro Fujiwara’s relentless passion, innovative thinking and unwavering commitment to our cause. In essence, the legal prowess of NO&T and the exceptional skills of Soichiro Fujiwara provide an unparalleled service characterised by expertise, innovation and client-focused dedication. Their exceptional work on our behalf is testament to their position as a beacon of legal excellence.’

‘Keiji Tonomura is very clever, has extensive experience in the area of TMT and provides exact legal analysis and good advice.’

‘I was impressed by how well they coordinated cross-departmental collaborations.’

‘The laws surrounding cryptocurrencies are evolving rapidly worldwide, making it challenging to stay updated, and often necessitating policy changes. However, Keiji Tonimura, who was in charge of our case, is at the forefront of creating new DAO laws in Japan.’

‘Mr. Keiji Tonomura is excellent.’

‘Compared to other teams, they have deeper experience in working with J-REITs and are superior in terms of flexibility and the period of time it takes to resolve issues.’