Mr Atsushi Okada > Mori Hamada & Matsumoto > Tokyo, Japan > Lawyer Profile

Praised for its ‘longstanding strong connections’ with Japanese regulatory authorities, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto assists domestic and international clients with issues such as the implementation of payment services, the building and operation of exchange platforms for crypto products and regulatory assistance for crowdfunding services. The team also wins plaudits for its handling of digital transformation mandates for financial institutions and financial services intermediation work. Co-head of the practice Masakazu Masujima, a council member of numerous Japanese Government policy committees, is a key contact for mandates involving money transmissions and crypto-assets. Fellow co-head Takane Hori centres her practice on IT and regulated transactions. Atsushi Okada completes the leadership team. Masayuki Ishibashi is embedded in work relating to security token offerings, while Masafumi Masuda is an expert on NFTs. Katsuya Terai is another name to note.

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto continues to handle the full spectrum of TMT-related matters. The group displays vast experience in multinational restructuring, high-value transactions, regulatory matters, and IP litigation. The exceptional team is co-led by partners Koichiro Iida, Atsushi Okada, and Hiromi Hayashi. Iida advises a number of banks and tech companies on regulatory issues concerning data protection, Okada is well placed to handle mandates involving autonomous vehicles, drones, and digital health regulation, and Hayashi is known for advising on license requirements under the Radio Wave Act. For matters on cybersecurity, IT, and data protection, Daisuke Tsuta comes highly recommended. Norihito Sato has broad expertise in the automotive sector.

Headquartered in Tokyo with a broad international scope, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto is recognized for its comprehensive IP service and depth of experience with infringement cases involving patents, designs, trade marks, copyrights and invalidation trials. Recent expansion of the practice into China, involving local IP prosecutions and contentious matters, exemplifies the firm’s globalist outlook whilst maintaining its impressive client roster of domestic cross-sector companies. Yutaka Miyoshi, who has broad experience in complex, cross-border IP litigation, co-leads the team with Yoshifumi Onodera, who leverages his academic background in chemistry and biology to take lead on disputes requiring a high level of technical expertise. They are joined by Atsushi Okada, who handles disputes and transactions across a broad range of fields, and Tetsushi Kamimura, a specialist in disputes and copyright infringement cases in entertainment, TV broadcasting and internet-related technologies. Hideaki Kuwahara is notable for his expertise in IT-related disputes and handles IP litigation.