Chuo Sogo Law Office > Osaka, Japan > Firm Profile

Chuo Sogo Law Office > Firm Profile

The firm: Chuo Sogo Law Office is a Japanese general practice law firm founded 55 years ago by then solo practitioner Mr Tsugujiro Nakatsukasa. It has offices in Osaka, where it was founded, as well as in Tokyo and Kyoto. With over 60 lawyers, Chuo Sogo offers a full spectrum of litigation and corporate services to international and domestic clients, assisting them in a uniquely efficient and cost-effective manner. The firm’s lawyers are leaders in their respective fields of practice, frequently lecturing in professional seminars, and publishing numerous books and articles on complex and leading-edge legal issues.

Areas of practice: Chuo Sogo’s practice is spread fairly evenly between transactional work and litigation/dispute resolution, with its litigators appearing almost daily in courts throughout Japan. The substantive legal areas of the firm’s expertise encompass corporate and commercial law (antitrust, compliance and risk management, corporate governance and matters concerning shareholders meetings, employment law, incorporation and commercial registration, international trade and international transactions, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, unfair competition prevention law), banking and finance (bank transactions, security transactions, cross-border financial transactions, derivatives transactions, debt collections and execution, litigation arising from financial transactions, FinTech), insolvency and restructuring (bankruptcy, civil rehabilitation, corporate reorganisation, special conciliation, special liquidation, corporate arrangement, establishment of reorganisation plans, negotiations with financers and sponsors), insurance and reinsurance law, and intellectual property law (patent rights, model utility rights, design rights, trade mark rights, copyrights, protection of know-how and trade secrets, IT-related contracts, IP litigation).

International work: 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.

Financial Services Agency (FSA) experience: beginning in 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.

Representative industries: Chuo Sogo serves domestic and foreign clients in numerous industries, such as financial and securities markets, insurance and reinsurance, banking, leasing, real estate, manufacturing, healthcare, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, life sciences, film and television, casino and gaming industry, transportation, logistics, education, energy, chemical, hotel, technology, ICT, software and automotive industries.

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• Japan: Insurance & Reinsurance

  Published: April 2023

  Authors: Hironori NishikinoKoji Kanazawa

  This country-specific Q&A provides an overview of Insurance & Reinsurance laws and regulations applicable in Japan.