Nishimura & Asahi‘s practice has a strong focus on sports governance, IP and regulatory work concerning sports betting. Sports data licensing and betting matters are areas of expertise of ’outstanding lawyer’ Hironori Inagaki, who heads up the offering. Inagaki regularly acts for professional sports organisations, athletes, event management companies and digital entertainment companies. Masayuki Obata is primarily involved in sports mandates with a corporate nexus and is also noteworthy.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘I have worked especially closely with Hironori Inagaki, who is an outstanding lawyer. He has deep expertise in the sports business and possesses an extensive network. He is also highly personable - humble and courteous in his demeanour.’
- ‘The attorneys we work with are not only highly professional, as one would expect, but also energetic and passionate, bringing a youthful vigour to their work while maintaining a consistently careful and considerate approach. We are particularly impressed by their ability to clearly and patiently explain even the most complex legal issues in a way that matches our level of understanding.'
- ‘We have been receiving legal support from the firm on matters related to sports betting, and we are consistently impressed by their broad expertise, including their involvement in regulatory matters for public institutions in the same domain. This enables them to offer advice from a well-balanced and highly informed perspective. In addition, their strong international network and the ability to assign personnel as needed have proven extremely valuable for our global operations.’
- ‘Hironori Inagaki is very unique in that he is one of the very few legal professionals in Japan who aspired to do work in the sports business area, not just be assigned to it. The passion comes through in his depth of knowledge and the breadth of contacts he brings to the discussion. That, coupled with Nishimura`s deep bench of qualified professionals, provides a consistency of service and breadth of coverage across non-sports fields that puts it in a leading position.’
- ‘The team is led by partner Hironori Inagaki, and primarily consists of associates Masayuki Obata and Naohisa Tsutsumi. Their strengths include communication skills that enable them to engage with numerous private companies, government bodies, sports organisations, and international stakeholders. Additionally, they have analytical skills that extend beyond legal interpretation.'
- ‘The Nishimura & Asahi team, led by partner attorney Hironori Inagaki, is dedicated to reducing risks across the Japanese sports industry and improving the business environment for sports-related businesses. Their specific activities include risk reduction in Japan regarding illegal online sports betting.’
Key clients
- Mynet Inc.
- Council for Sports Ecosystem Promotion
- TENTIAL Inc.
Work highlights
Advised the client on a government-commissioned research project concerning rights issues related to sports data in foreign jurisdictions.
Advised the client on a government-commissioned research project aimed at enhancing the appeal of sports content under the FY2023 Sports DX Promotion Project.
Represented the client in a landmark lawsuit against a YouTuber concerning the unauthorized use of shogi match data, resulting in the first-ever Japanese court decision recognizing tort liability for such use.
Lawyers
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Hironori Inagaki
Other key lawyers
Masayuki Obata; Naohisa Tsutsumi