Notice of the appointment of our new partners

Nobuko handles a wide variety of corporate matters, focusing on investment projects and the expansion of Japanese companies into Vietnam and other ASEAN countries. During her time spent working for a foreign law firm, she was in charge of structured finance projects, and since then, she has been involved in a broad range of investment projects, including investment projects in Southeast Asia and venture investment projects at the commercial bank and in N&A. She has lived in Vietnam for the past six years and provides expert practical advice to her clients based on her deep understanding of Vietnamese regulations and customs. As a major member of N&A’s Vietnam practice team, she handles not only investment projects, but also general corporate matters, labor, compliance, and disputes.

Toru was seconded to the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission and Japan Exchange Regulation, a self-regulatory body commissioned by the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Osaka Exchange, where he was engaged in investigations related to violations of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law, including false disclosures, insider trading, and market manipulation. He has extensive experience in various regulations concerning listed companies, particularly those regulated by the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law. He is committed to maximizing the interests of clients from the early stages of disputes, including negotiations with regulatory authorities concerning violations of laws and regulations and negotiations between companies with highly contentious issues. In addition to advising clients on compliance systems under the Companies Act, Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, and regulations of Tokyo Stock Exchange, he also handles a wide range of corporate matters, including M&A, joint ventures and other corporate/commercial transactions, and disputes.

Satoshi has worked at N&A’s Singapore office since July 2022 and has provided Japanese clients with headquarters in Japan or Singapore and other clients with legal support on crisis management/compliance, dispute resolution, labor and general corporate matters for their businesses operations in Southeast Asian countries.

Satoshi has also engaged in international construction and infrastructure projects and has advised on construction contracts, laws and regulations, and disputes in connection with projects in Japan and overseas.

Kaedeko has advised clients in significant and high-profile litigation matters related to the IP infringement and the development of IT systems and software applications. She also have represented clients in litigation involving corporate crisis, directors’ liability, defamation, and breach of contract. She has extensive experience in all phases of litigation, including pre-suit investigation, preliminary injunction and trial.

Ms. Tomimatsu has extensive experience in the field of international economic law and international arbitration and litigation relating to cross-border business and investment.

She is familiar with EPAs/FTAs (especially in the areas of investment and services, and sustainable development, including labor, environment, and state-owned enterprises), investment agreements/BITs, and international economic law relating to natural resources and energy. She has extensive experience in negotiating international agreements and resolving international economic disputes, and has been involved in the formation of international economic rules and their strategic application in order to ensure fair competition and improve the business environment both in Japan and overseas. She also provides clients with analysis and advice on the formation of rules and their strategic operation and utilization.

With regard to international dispute resolution, she has particular expertise in investor-state dispute settlement procedures (ISDS), international commercial arbitration and mediation, and domestic and international litigation. With regard to foreign investment, utilizing her experience in handling international economic disputes gained at a U.S. law firm, she advises on the prevention of economic disputes in international transactions and business development in foreign countries, as well as on issues to be resolved locally by companies, in particular, those who have suffered or may suffer economic loss due to domestic or foreign discriminatory measures, expropriation and unfair treatment involving the host country of the investment.

She is the author of numerous publications and seminars papers, and frequently presents at conferences on international investment law and international arbitration.

Akira’s main practice areas are crisis management and enterprise compliance, and she has practical experience in internal investigations and formulation of measures to prevent recurrence in a wide range of white-collar crimes, including insider trading, market manipulation, violations of the Anti-trust Act, accounting fraud, and embezzlement and breach of trust.
She has experience being involved in international white collar crime cases, such as international cartel investigations by overseas authorities in Europe and the United States.
She has 5 years of experience working at The Consumer Affairs Agency and was engaged in enforcing the Premiums and Representations Act and the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions. Based on her wealth of experience, she provides practical advice for clients from the viewpoint of prevention in order to comply with these laws.

Kenta’s primary practice area is corporate crisis management. He draws on experience gained while seconded to a major domestic securities company, studying in the United States, and working for the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission of Japan to inform his handling of alleged violations of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, such as insider trading, market manipulation, and violations of disclosure regulations, as well as managing foreign investigations and interacting with regulatory authorities. He also handles general disputes, with a focus on litigation involving claims against officers and employees arising from corporate scandals, securities litigation, and shareholder derivative litigation. He has significant experience with transactional and corporate law, including M&A transactions, venture businesses, IPOs, and shareholder meetings. He is a member of the Taiwan practice team and has dealt with compliance matters and M&A transactions in and involving Taiwan.

Gai handles a wide variety of IP related disputes including IP infringement litigation and trials as well as non-contentious matters including drafting and reviewing IP related agreements. With an engineering background, Gai has particular expertise in patent related matters but is also adept at handling copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. 

Gai also advises tech ventures and startups on cutting-edge technological matters involving AI, IoT and data including data privacy. Gai served as a member of the team that drafted the “Contract Guidelines on the Utilization of AI and Data,” Japan’s first comprehensive guidelines on AI and data related contracts published by the Japanese Government in June 2018. His strength in technology related matters is widely acknowledged by clients: “Gai Matsushita is particularly experienced in the technical field while having a deep knowledge of law, he is an excellent lawyer who leads his client in the right direction” (Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020).

Gai is active in the field of international dispute resolution. Based on his experience working at leading firms in Singapore and New York, Gai has represented clients in several international commercial arbitration cases seated outside of Japan and in arbitration related domestic procedures including applications for provisional dispositions in Japan.

Keisuke is a counsel in our corporate team. He handles many domestic and international M&A transactions, business alliances, and business successions. He also has a wealth of experience of handling general corporate issues arising in the course of daily business, including IP-related matters and labor issues. He provides our clients with flexible legal advice and support according to the transaction size and company type.

Yuko Ogawa is a partner in our dispute resolution practice group. She has significant experience handling litigation, provisional dispositions, and other court proceedings, as well as alternative dispute resolution procedures in Japan, particularly those involving contractual disputes, product liability, alleged infringement of trade secrets, labor issues, environmental disputes, and general tort cases.

Based on her experience working on a wide range of domestic and international corporate matters including various matters in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries for more than seven years and overseas study and business experience in the UK for three years, she has been engaged in supporting Japanese companies in dealing with sustainability issues, while collaborating in various legal fields and jurisdictions including M&A, labour issues, European law and Asian law. She also has a strong ability to work with various stakeholders based on her experience working as an external collaborator for the International Labor Organization (ILO). She also advises Japanese companies in the area of Business and Human Rights.
She was also the lead in the development of the "Guideline for Responsible Business Conduct for the Textile and Clothing Industry of Japan" for human rights due diligence in the textile and apparel industry, which was formulated by the Japan Textile Federation in July 2022, as an external collaborator for the International Labor Organization (ILO).
In addition to serving as a member of various government study groups on human rights and environmental issues and as a member of the sustainability advisory board of a Japanese listed company, she has accepted numerous requests to be an instructor for in-house training, including executive training, and participated as a presenter in various seminars.
- Managing member of the Business and Human Rights Lawyers Network in Japan
- A member of the Advisory Mediation Committee of the Japan Center for Engagement and Remedies on Business and Human Rights (JaCER)
- Senior Advisor at the General Incorporated Association Chubu SDGs Promotion Center
- Business Human Rights (BHR) Committee/Human Rights Law Committee Member at the International Bar Association

Yohei is a partner in the M&A/Corporate practice group at Nishimura & Asahi, based in the Tokyo office. He handles various types of M&A transactions, including acquisitions, business integrations, joint ventures, carve-outs, capital and business alliances, and going-private deals. He is particularly skilled in public deals, such as tender offer bids, and in private equity transactions, with extensive experience managing high-stakes deals involving complex structures and unsolicited acquisition proposals.

In the area of general corporate law, he provides advice on a wide array of matters including shareholder meetings, equity-based compensation, and corporate governance. He delivers practical and agile advice tailored to clients’ concerns and needs, ensuring a client-focused approach in every engagement.

Bonso has extensive experience in domestic and cross-border M&A, capital and business alliances (including establishing joint ventures), legal advice on corporate governance, handling of general shareholders’ meetings, establishing stock options, labor law–related matters, and corporate litigation. He is conscious of the need for smooth communication with clients and other stakeholders, and he always strives to take a strategic approach and to respond flexibly to their needs.
Recently, he has been actively involved in investment cases in which Japanese companies and funds invest in overseas startups, and he provides various legal services to Japanese startups. In addition, he is actively communicating with the market through publications and seminars in order to contribute to the development of the startup investment ecosystem in Japan, utilizing the knowledge and network he cultivated through his studies abroad in the United States.

Nghia has substantial experience as both in-house and outside counsel, and has worked at a leading law firm and a multinational investment fund in Vietnam. He joined Nishimura & Asahi in 2013, providing legal advice to numerous domestic and multinational clients, including Vietnamese and Japanese corporations, with a focus on M&A, Real Estate, Construction, Infrastructure and PPP, and Energy in Vietnam. He works closely with clients’ business and legal teams to implement innovative solutions to legal challenges.
In addition to his advisory work, he frequently contributes his knowledge of different focus areas to publications, media, and speaking engagements. He has demonstrated his commitment to mentorship and community outreach through his active participation in pro bono work and numerous internal committees during his tenure.

Shogo has extensive practical experience handling domestic and international M&A transactions, including acquisitions, carve-outs, and joint ventures. He has particular expertise in outbound M&A deals involving Japanese companies investing in the U.S. and Europe, as well as inbound M&A deals involving international companies making investments in Japan; he is qualified in Japan, the U.S. and England and Wales, and known for his excellent communication skills and client-focused approach to cross-border transactions. He is fluent in Japanese and English, and has experience working and studying in Japan, the United States, and the UK.

Daichi handles a broad range of corporate legal matters, particularly in the area of domestic/cross-border M&A transactions, including acquisitions and sales by private equity funds, business integration transactions and other M&A transactions involving publicly listed companies, and joint venture transactions.

In recent years, he has been actively involved in numerous matters covering compensation and benefits, including implementing post-acquisition incentive schemes and introducing equity compensation plans for publicly listed companies. He also has extensive expertise in tax-related matters, including handling tax disputes.

Tomonori has been involved in numerous deals, including business integrations of listed companies, acquisition of listed companies, forming joint ventures, and capital and business alliances. Leveraging his experience of being seconded to a major automobile manufacturer, he also focuses on M&A involving automotive parts suppliers, forming joint ventures with battery manufacturers, and venture investment in new areas such as autonomous driving. He also handles competition law compliance, focusing on merger filings, and provides one-stop advice tailored to the client's situation.

Keiichi Masayasu, a partner in our M&A/corporate practice group, handles a wide range of corporate matters, including domestic and international M&A transactions, joint ventures, private equity, corporate governance, and shareholder meetings, both in normal and emergent phases, focusing on takeover defense and shareholder activism.
He advises clients on preventative measures, such as strengthening governance, before activist strikes or hostile takeovers. He has extensive experience in responding to letters, meeting requests, and white papers from activists, and other activist campaigns, as well as dealing with shareholder proposals, shareholder requests to convene extraordinary shareholders meetings, proxy fights, hostile takeovers, and other unsolicited offers/bids.
He has taken on the challenge of developing legal practices, including designing takeover response policies adopted in emergent phases (emergency poison pills). He has researched and authored publications on cutting-edge theories and practices in these areas, while providing solutions that meet client objectives.

Isao’s main practice areas include real estate transactions and securitization, REITs, financial instruments business registration, and compliance with financial regulations. He has significant experience in matters related to REITs, including formation, management, listing, mergers, and sponsor changes, and provides comprehensive guidance in these areas. Drawing from solid knowledge and experience, having advised on over ten cases related to obtaining financial instruments business registration, he also provides M&A support for financial instruments business operators. Utilizing his strong communication skills, he accurately assesses clients' needs and effectively negotiates with counterparties and regulatory authorities in order to facilitate a range of projects.

Tatsuya handles all aspects of competition law-related matters, such as merger control, bid rigging and cartel investigations, anti-trust litigation, and unfair trade practice regulations. He is also involved in advocacy efforts towards the development of competition policy. Tatsuya regularly advises on a number of digital and platform-related competition law cases, and has extensive experience in competition law matters within the infrastructure and energy sectors.

He is well-versed in a wide range of regulatory matters regarding legal issues in the new technology industry, including digital platforms, cloud computing, advertising, AI, data centers, social media, telecommunication services, radio waves, cybersecurity, FinTech, and consumer protection for domestic and international clients. He also offers guidance on analysis and strategy development pertaining to legal and public policy issues in the emerging areas of digital policy and regulations, as well as public policy matters (e.g., sustainability) in light of domestic and international political and policy trends.

He has published numerous works concerning digital policy and regulation, and his work in the field of competition law was featured in the Academic Retrospective of the notable legal journal Horitsujiho in 2023 and 2024.

Takanori has been involved in a variety of domestic/cross-border M&A transactions, joint ventures, capital and business alliance transactions, corporate reorganizations, private equity deals, and startup transactions. His areas of specialization include a wide range of corporate matters, including corporate governance, shareholders’ meetings, and compliance. He has particularly extensive experience advising on cross-border/regional M&A transactions, both inbound and outbound, including those involving Europe, the U.S. and Asia, for which he draws on his experience working and studying in the U.K. He is familiar with the latest corporate and M&A practices under English law, and handles transactions in a flexible, timely manner tailored to meet clients’ precise needs and expectations; he also draws on his deep understanding of business, and the experience gained through his secondment to a Japanese listed company, during which he dealt with legal matters stemming from the client’s business operations.

Tuan Anh joined our firm in August 2015 after spending approximately seven years practicing law at local firms, which included one of the first-tier local law firms in Vietnam. With extensive expertise in data protection, M&A, labor law, compliance-related matters, e-commerce platforms, and corporate crisis management, he provides his clients and Japanese attorneys with tailored legal services in those practice areas in Vietnam. His legal advice, solutions, and recommendations are always appreciated by his Japanese colleagues in our firm’s Vietnam practice group due to their reliability, practicality, and appropriateness. He also has lectured clients’ employees on anti-corruption and compliance matters, labor regulations, and personal data protection laws. Furthermore, he is often asked to assist the JCCI in Vietnam in commenting on key drafts of laws and decrees (e.g., investment, enterprise, data, and personal data protection laws and guiding decrees) promulgated by the governmental bodies of Vietnam. He has collaborated with the operator of one of the fastest-growing and most widely used technology platforms, based in Atlanta, Georgia, on certain writing projects and a webinar on data privacy regulations related to Vietnam.