Mori Hamada is a premier full-service firm with robust capabilities in handling both domestic and international disputes. The firm’s dispute resolution team is particularly strong in areas such as corporate litigation, bankruptcy, employment law, and tax-related controversies. Their expertise extends across courtroom litigation and both local and global arbitration proceedings. The team is jointly helmed by a trio of seasoned practitioners. Mugi Sekido brings extensive experience in cross-border litigation and international arbitration. Kana Manabe plays a key role in overseeing high-stakes, multi-jurisdictional disputes, while Yoshinori Tatsuno is recognised for his depth of knowledge in intellectual property conflicts and construction-related disputes. For cases involving IT system failures and real estate-related litigation, clients regularly seek the guidance of Koichiro Iida, known for his practical and technical understanding of these complex sectors. Meanwhile, Daniel Allen has been actively engaged in proceedings conducted under leading international arbitration frameworks, including UNCITRAL, SIAC, JCAA, and CAS, reinforcing the firm’s international reach and credibility.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Highly competent, responsive - always on top of things.’
‘Mugi Sekido is a great lawyer and a fantastic litigator.’
‘MH team is very friendly and cooperative with good teamwork.’
‘Daniel Allen is leading MH international arbitration team. He is very responsive, with excellent written and oral advocacy skills. He has a capacity to handle high-stakes, complex international cases.’
‘They are a very good team and very easy to work with. ’
‘Muge Sekido is an extremely friendly, easy-going, but equally detail-oriented litigator.'
- 'Colin Trehearne is a great figure, with good international law skills. He asks the right questions and well coordinates information flow with the client.’
'The Mori Hamada team based in Tokyo — specifically Daniel Allen, Lexi Takamatsu, and Zoe Lim — stands out for its exceptional cross-border capabilities, client-oriented mindset, and seamless internal collaboration.'
Key clients
- SoftBank Corp.
- Japan Post Co., Ltd.
- Yamato Transport Co., Ltd
- Hitachi, Ltd.
- Toshiba Corporation
- Daio Paper Corporation
- BICCAMERA INC
- Eksportfinans ASA (“Eksportfinans”)
- Tokyo Boeki Materials, Ltd.
- Coincheck, Inc.
Work highlights
Represented Japan Post Co., Ltd. in defence of claims brought under the Labour Contract Act by a high number of fixed-term employees over differences between the terms and conditions of their employment contracts and those of employees employed permanently.
Represented Toshiba Corporation in defence of claims brought by former or current shareholders in tort alleging “improper” disclosure of financial information by Toshiba in past years.
Represented a group of over 300 Japanese investors in a US$200 million ICSID arbitration against Switzerland under the Japan-Switzerland Economic Partnership Agreement, relating to complex financial instruments.
Lawyers
Leading partners: Gaiben
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading partners: Bengoshi
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Mugi Sekido; Kana Manabe; Yoshinori Tatsuno
Other key lawyers
Koichiro Iida; Daniel Allen; Colin Trehearne; Lexi Takamatsu; Zoe Lim