Asialaw Profiles
The Guide to the legal markets of the Asia-Pacific

The solid labour and employment practice at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune makes it a go-to firm for both Japanese and foreign companies when they come across employment issues. Dual qualified in Japan and New York, star practitioner Kazutoshi Kakuyama continues ... [more]

The solid labour and employment practice at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune makes it a go-to firm for both Japanese and foreign companies when they come across employment issues. Dual qualified in Japan and New York, star practitioner Kazutoshi Kakuyama continues to be active. Partners Hideki Kano and Yukiko Imazu also specialise in labour and employment laws.

The firm’s team is able to act on the full range of matters in this area, whether they are labour and employment issues arising from M&A transactions, or standalone employment matters like retirement allowances and pensions, reductions and terminations, or employment policies and procedures. The firm’s first rate dispute resolution practice adds to the strength of this team and the two groups often work closely together to advise clients on all types of labour and employment disputes.

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“It is an employment expert and guru,” affirms one client of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Moving up a tier in the rankings this year, the firm’s impressive labour and employment practice is best known for its success in landmark litigation including ... [more]

“It is an employment expert and guru,” affirms one client of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Moving up a tier in the rankings this year, the firm’s impressive labour and employment practice is best known for its success in landmark litigation including that relating to overtime compensation for white collar employees. The firm is advising Toyota Nakao and its subsidiaries in an employee share option programme across 37 jurisdictions, demonstrating the benefits of its global network of offices.

Heading the practice is partner Kazuki Okada, who has a background of representing employees and trade unions. In the last year, Okada advised Bristol-Myers Squibb on various employment issues, including advice relating to the recent earthquake in Japan. Bloomberg, JW Thompson, Shinsei Bank and Tesco Japan are some of the firm’s other active clients.

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Fielding specialists from the litigation and M&A groups, the employment practice team at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto has extensive experience in advising corporate clients on M&A related employment issues and employee disputes. Notably, the firm often handles ... [more]

Fielding specialists from the litigation and M&A groups, the employment practice team at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto has extensive experience in advising corporate clients on M&A related employment issues and employee disputes. Notably, the firm often handles cross border matters and clients appreciate its ability to facilitate communications and help them navigate the differences in language, culture and legal structures of different jurisdictions. Key contact Chisako Takaya is well respected in the market and is frequently invited to speak at seminars and publish articles on labour and employment law in Japan.

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The labour and employment practice at Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu is strengthened by the joining of Koki Yanagisawa as a partner in January 2011. Under the leadership of Hisaya Kimura, the team frequently advises clients on issues arising from M&A projects ... [more]

The labour and employment practice at Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu is strengthened by the joining of Koki Yanagisawa as a partner in January 2011. Under the leadership of Hisaya Kimura, the team frequently advises clients on issues arising from M&A projects and the restructuring of corporate entities. Employment litigation and advising companies in collective bargaining negotiations with labour unions are two another core elements of the practice. Litigator Masahiro Matsuoka is a key practitioner in handling such contentious matters.

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The employment group at Nishimura & Asahi has a diverse client base, which includes both domestic and international corporations, and is known for its involvement on high profile labour and employment issues. For example, over the past 12 months, it ... [more]

The employment group at Nishimura & Asahi has a diverse client base, which includes both domestic and international corporations, and is known for its involvement on high profile labour and employment issues. For example, over the past 12 months, it has advised Japan Airlines on its corporate reorganisation in regards to reducing pension payments of current and former employees. The team has also been acting for a financial institution on several disputes regarding the termination of employees. Partner Michihiro Mori heads the practice.

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