Skip to main content
    About

    Share your ALB moments on social media
    #ALBawards

     

    G

     

    Welcome to the ALB Japan Law Awards 2024!


    Date:    Wednesday, 12 June 2024
    Time:    6:30 pm Cocktail session
    Venue:  The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, 2/F Grand Ballroom
                 9 Chome-7-1 Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo

    The 20th annual ALB Japan Law Awards 2024 will be hosted in Tokyo on June 12th, 2024. The event is a celebration of the top legal practitioners and firms in Japan, recognizing their achievements and contributions to the industry. Attendees can expect an evening of networking and recognition as the best in the industry are honored for their hard work and success. Join us for a night of recognition, celebration, and inspiration.

    If you or your firm have made a significant impact in the legal industry in Japan, this is the perfect platform to showcase your success. 

    WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED!

    For queries regarding submissions and event
    Write us to: Albawards@thomsonreuters.com

    For questions about sponsorship opportunities, please contact.
    Hiroshi Kaneko at hiroshi.kaneko@tr.com

    GUEST OF HONOUR

    a

    Tsuneyuki Yamamoto
    Former Justice, Supreme Court of Japan
     

    Tsuneyuki is a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan, where he served for almost six years (August 2013–September 2019). Prior to that, he served as Chief Director-General of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, where he worked for over 20 years.
     
    A graduate of the Faculty of Law at Kyoto University, he joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) in 1973, where he was involved in the administration of energy, export control, patents, trademarks, industrial finance, textile, and trade, etc. 
     
    Tsuneyuki Yamamoto is currently Of Counsel in Anderson Mori & Tomotsune.


    SPONSORS

    Atsumi & Sakai

    jt&n

    ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

    a

    MHM Logo

    B

     

    SUPPORTER SPONSOR

    j

     

    PROUDLY PRESENTED BY

     

    ALB           tr

    CATEGORIES

    The ALB Japan Law Awards 2024 will recognize the top legal professionals and firms across the following categories:

    DEAL CATEGORIES

    Debt Market Deal of the Year
    Equity Market Deal of the Year
    M&A Deal of the Year (Midsize)
    M&A Deal of the Year (Premium)
    Project Finance Deal of the Year
    Real Estate Deal of the Year
    Technology, Media and Telecommunications Deal of the Year 

    INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES

    Dealmaker of the Year
    Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year
    Foreign Lawyer of the Year
    In-House Lawyer of the Year
    Managing Partner of the Year
    Woman Lawyer of the Year 
    Young Lawyer of the Year

    IN-HOUSE CATEGORIES

    Healthcare and Pharmaceutical In-House Team of the Year 
    Innovative In-House Team of the Year
    Technology, Media and Telecommunications In-House Team of the Year
    Retail and Manufacturing In-House Team of the Year (NEW)
    Japan In-House Team of the Year

    FIRM CATEGORIES

    Antitrust and Competition Law Firm of the Year 
    Banking and Financial Services Law Firm of the Year 
    Boutique Law Firm of the Year
    Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year 
    Energy and Resources Law Firm of the Year 
    ESG and Sustainability Law Firm of the Year 
    Healthcare and Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year 
    International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year 
    International Deal Firm of the Year 
    International Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year 
    Investment Fund Law Firm of the Year 
    Japan Deal Firm of the Year 
    Japan Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year 
    Japan Practice Asian Firm of the Year (NEW)
    Japan Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year 
    Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year 
    Litigation Law Firm of the Year 
    Maritime Law Firm of the Year (NEW)
    Overseas Practice Law Firm of the Year 
    Private Equity Law Firm of the Year 
    Real Estate Law Firm of the Year 
    Regulatory and Compliance Law Firm of the Year 
    Restructuring and Insolvency Law Firm of the Year
    Rising Law Firm of the Year 
    Tax and Trusts Law Firm of the Year 
    Technology, Media and Telecommunications Law Firm of the Year
    Japan Law Firm of the Year

          IMPORTANT DATES          

    Submission Opening 12 February 2024
    Submission Deadline Extended 29 March 2024
    Finalists Announcement 26 April 2024
    Awards Ceremony June 12, 2024

             SUBMISSION FORMS          

    Submissions for this years awards are closed.

    For queries regarding submissions and event
    Write us to: Albawards@thomsonreuters.com. (Subject line - ALB Japan Law Awards 2024 - Submissions/Sponsorship - ABC law firm)

             SUBMISSION APPLICATION FEE          

    In-House applicants are not subject to any application fees.

    However, for Law Firm applicants, a nominal USD 30 application fee per submission is applicable, payable upon submission. To facilitate the payment process, kindly select the quantity corresponding to your submitted entries and proceed with secure credit card payment. 

    JUDGES

    Each year, ALB invites an independent judging panel of senior and expert legal industry leaders from various sectors corresponding to the diverse list of award categories. ALB is pleased to list some of the distinguished judges. The rest of the panel will be revealed on the evening of the awards.

    a

    Arshad Karim
    Director & Head of Legal, Japan, Abbott Japan LLC

    Arshad Karim is Director & Head of Legal, Japan at Abbott since June 2023, leading a team of two attorneys and responsible for Abbott's legal function in Japan, and is involved in commercial, anti-trust, regulatory, employment, and privacy laws, among other matters
    Before joining Abbott, Arshad Karim served as Director & Associate General Counsel for Twitter, and was responsible for all legal matters in Japan and Korea, including but not limited to drafting and negotiating various commercial agreements, managing litigation, and advising on privacy, law enforcement, and employment matters.

    Prior to Twitter, he served as Senior Vice President & Legal Counsel for Nikko Asset Management Co., Ltd where Arshad was involved in projects such as acquisitions of asset management companies in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia, establishment of joint ventures in China and India, and the listing process with the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
    Prior to that, he was Legal Counsel & Chief Privacy Officer for IMS Japan, an American pharmaceutical data firm where he led the Company’s efforts to comply with the Personal Information Protection Law of Japan. His previous positions also include tenure at Hayabusa Kokusai Law Offices and Deloitte & Touche in New York. He received a B.A. with Distinction in Biological Sciences from Cornell University and a J.D. from Loyola Law School.

    a

    Andreas Höppel
    CLO / General Counsel, Koki Holdings

    Andreas is a graduate of Heidelberg University with 1 year of foreign studies at Kyoto University. He passed the bar exam following legal clerkship at Berlin high court, with stages at the German embassy in Japan and multinational law firm in Tokyo. Andreas started working from 2010 at boutique law firms specializing in insolvency and restructuring in Düsseldorf and Munich. He went in-house to a SME in the renewables sector in 2013 and was subsequently sent as GC APAC to its newly established subsidiary in Japan. He moved to SEGA Corporation in 2015 where he became Head of Legal and GC Japan Asia before taking on his latest challenge as CLO and Global GC at Koki Holdings in 2024.

    Emi Takeda

    Emi Takeda
    Board Member, Accenture Japan 

     
    Emi is a senior international lawyer with over 20-year experience at top global law firms and as head of legal for Accenture Japan.  In her current role as Managing Director of Legal, and Board Member at Accenture Japan, she manages a team of more than 110 lawyers and contract professionals.  Emi received her LL.B. from the University of Tokyo and graduated from the Legal Training and Research Institute of Japan. Emi received her LL.M. from Columbia Law School. Emi is a Japanese bengoshi admitted to practice in Japan and she is also admitted in New York.  

    J

    John Paul Huntington Vigman
    Vice President, Business Development Major Projects (formerly General Counsel – Japan) Veolia Japan K.K.


    30+ years transactional experience and negotiations in Project Financings, BOT, BOO, PPA, O&M, EPC, concession, joint ventures and M&A for energy (CHP, cogen, LNG, gas, coal, HFO, Nuclear, solar, wind, biomass), infrastructure, mining, manufacturing, and deluxe hotel projects worldwide: (I) Developer/Sponsors: HFO and gas fueled power plants, LNG regasification terminals, on-shore balance of plant and turbine, hydro plants, undersea transmission, off-shore wind; on-shore wind, gold and iron ore mining, desalination plants, utility sized solar power plants, biomass/sludge plants; (II) Project Lenders: transmission lines, LNG regasification terminals, generation using onshore wind, nuclear power plant, geothermal, utility sized solar, gas fueled power plants; high speed rail; (iii) EPC Contractors: manufacturing, lithium, utility solar powered plants. Recent Japanese project finance and joint venture experience in biomass renewable (from 6MW to 80Mw) in Okinawa, Chiba, Kanagawa, Tochigi, Miyagi, Aomori, Kyushu, Kyushu including wood, sludge, food waste; joint ventures for plastic recycling plants for the automotive and food & beverage branches. Former legal experience as general counsel at Renaissance Hotels for Europe Middle East Africa (EMEA) zone (now Marriott), Hunter Douglas for EMEA zone, Veolia Japan, project finance attorney at Shearman & Sterling  and White & Case.

    j

    Jerome Hamilton
    Head of Legal, Japan and Green Solutions APAC, ENGIE

    Jerome Hamilton is the Head of Legal for Japan and Green Solutions APAC at ENGIE, which is one of the largest power utilities in the world. Jerome has worked in London, Paris, Singapore, Bangkok and Tokyo, both in private practice and in-house, in particular with ENGIE, where he has been focusing on M&A and project development within the renewable energy sector. In this capacity, Jerome has supported ENGIE in its innovative green hydrogen projects in Australia, joint venture arrangements in Japan, Singapore and Australia, as well as the divestment of ENGIE’s remaining thermal power assets in the APAC region. In Japan, ENGIE is focused on trading physical power and applying innovative solutions to help the country in its decarbonization efforts, through for instance green power purchase agreements. Jerome is supporting these efforts in Japan and elsewhere in the region, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia.

    k

    Kinyoshi Tokuyama 
    Head of Legal Japan, NetEase Games

    Kinyoshi Tokuyama brings over 15 years of experience in global IP strategy, media, and technology transactions. As the Head of Legal Japan for NetEase Games, his primary focus is to facilitate the development and publication of AAA video games from Japan to the global market. Previously, his leadership roles at various multinational corporations and startups ranges from securing global media rights for anime and live-action content production at Netflix to building patent strategy to protect and leverage Mujin’s bleeding edge robotics technology worldwide.  Kinyoshi holds a BA from UCLA and a JD from Santa Clara University School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in California and practice before the USPTO.  Prior to his legal career, Kinyoshi was an IT consultant and a software engineer.

    Hiroshi Miyashita
    Professor of Law, Chuo University

    Hiroshi Miyashita is Professor of Law at Chuo University in Tokyo. He specializes in constitutional law and information law. Prior to the current position, Miyashita served for the Office of Personal Information Protection in the Cabinet Office of Japan. He received Doctor in Law from Hitotsubashi University. He was a visiting scholar at Harvard Law School, Brussels Privacy Hub, Vrijie Universiteit Brussel and CRIDS (Centre de Recherche Information, Droit et Société), University of Namur. He published five books on privacy including the EU GDPR Commentary in Japanese and over 100 academic articles including many on privacy and data protection.

    H

    Hiromitsu Kobayashi
    Chief Legal Officer, Adecco Ltd

    Hiromitsu is Chief Legal Officer, Adecco Ltd. Adecco is a global HR services company headquartered in Switzerland having contributed to improve employability and access to decent work with nearly 40 year history in Japan. He loves in-house legal roles throughout his over 20 year career at various Japanese/ US/ European enterprises. Prior to Adecco, he was senior legal manager at Unilever Japan and GC at Oisix ra daichi Inc. He is also an external director at SuRaLa Net, tobimushi, and company auditor at eumo.

    He has special legal interests in the fields of the environment and natural resources, real estate, dispute resolutions, and most recently future legal profession with AI tech, employment and sustainability. He is admitted to practice law in New York.

    j

    Masatoshi Adachi
    Senior Executive Officer, Chief Data Protection Officer, General Counsel, JMDC

    Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Systems Innovation, and completed the Legal Training Course at the Graduate School of Law and Politics of the University of Tokyo.

    I worked as a legal specialist at Jones Day Law Offices, the Japan Patent Office, and LINE Corporation (currently LINE Yahoo! Japan) before assuming my current position. I am a senior researcher at the Japan Information Legislation Institute (JILIS) and a board member of the Japan Registered Information Security Specialists’ Association (JP-RISSA). 

    j

    Mizuki Hayashi,
    Associate General Counsel, Japan & RoAsia, Legal Division, Canadian Solar Projects K.K.

    Mizuki Hayashi is Associate General Counsel for Canadian Solar. As a regional head of legal, he has engaged in acquisition, development, finance, and sale of more than 300MW solar projects in Japan and other Asian countries since 2018. He also serves on Board Member at Canadian Solar Asset Management K.K, an asset management company of TSE listed infrastructure fund.
    Prior to joining Canadian Solar, Mizuki was a compliance officer at Morgan Stanley. He also worked for Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was involved in various economic treaties including Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. 
    Mizuki is admitted to practice law in Japan and New York. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (WA, USA) and Chartered Financial Analyst.

    Mari

    Mari Hiraizumi
    General Counsel, Japan, GlaxoSmithKline K.K.

     
    Mari Hiraizumi, an attorney qualified in Japan and New York, has been an in-house counsel in the pharmaceutical industry since 2007, after her tenures at a law firm and Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Presently, she is the General Counsel and Board Member at GSK Japan and an external director at a Japanese company. Hiraizumi also contributed to a METI study group on legal strategies for international competitiveness in 2018-2019.
     

    Steven Howard
    Senior Legal Counsel, Japan & Pan-Asia, Fiskars Group

    Steven Howard is Senior Legal Counsel for the Fiskars Group, a Finnish consumer products company which includes such iconic brands as Wedgwood, Waterford and Royal Copenhagen.  He handles all legal matters across the Asia-Pacific region.  Prior to joining Fiskars this year Steven was a senior counsel with Sony in Tokyo and Singapore for eight years, including two years as Global Privacy Officer for Sony's mobile business group.  Originally from the US, Steven has practiced law in Asia for over 20 years, both in-house and in private practice.

    Terufumi Yorita

    Terufumi Yorita
    Chief Legal Officer, ABeam Consulting Ltd.

    Terufumi is Chief Legal Officer, ABeam Consulting Ltd. ABeam is a global consulting firm headquartered in Tokyo with more than 8,000 employees worldwide. He has more than 30 years of varied in-house counsel experience at Japanese/Chinese/US MNCs. Prior to ABeam, he was CLO at Shiseido, Asia Pacific General Counsel at Lenovo and several other roles at MNCs.

    Throughout his career, Terufumi handled wide variety of matters including M&A, corporate governance, board secretariat, compliance/investigation, risk management and IP license/litigation, and managed country, regional and global legal teams as CLO/GC. He is admitted to practice law in New York.

    Toshinori

    Toshinori Uneki
    Senior Director, Head of Japan Legal & Compliance, Adidas Japan

    Toshinori "Toshi" Uneki, an accomplished legal professional based in Tokyo, Japan, has over 25 years of experience. Originally a dedicated practitioner at Nishimura & Asahi, Toshi later transitioned to high-level in-house roles, including at ZOZOTOWN, Japan's leading fashion e-commerce platform. He has expertly navigated major corporations through complex legal terrains and cross-border transactions. A graduate of Keio University Law and Georgetown Law (LL.M.). Toshi also contributes as a lecturer on Art Management at Keio University.

    Yoshio Sano
    Director & Regional General Counsel, Far East, Chubb Insurance Japan

    Yoshio Sano joined Chubb Insurance Japan as Executive Director and General Counsel, Far East in June 2017 and was promoted a director in March 2018. He manages 6 departments, Legal, Compliance, Solicitation Compliance, Solicitation materials Control, Product Filing and Government Affairs.

    Before joining Chubb, he belonged to BNP Paribas Cardif Japan as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer from 2015. Also, he worked for Tokyo office of Aetos Japan, an American asset management company from 2009 to 2015 and for an investment management subsidiary of Namura Holdings from 2005 to 2008 as General Counsel. He started his business carrier at Nippon Life Insurance in 1985 and experienced in Claims, NLI Research Institute, HR, Legal and Real Estate until 2005. The final job title was General Counsel for Real Estate. He obtained LL.B at University of Tokyo in 1985 and LL.M at Harvard Law School in MA 1995.

    He is an attorney at law admitted in New York, USA.

    a

    Yuko Noguchi
    Director, Head of Legal - Google Japan

    Yuko Noguchi is a leading expert in information / technology law and intellectual property law. As a Director and Head of Legal at Google Japan, she oversees all legal matters for the company, including product-related consultation, dispute resolution, and public policy engagement, handling most cutting- edge legal matters in the information technology law.

    Prior to joining Google, Yuko was a Partner at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, specializing in intellectual property law. She has worked on a wide range of IP matters, including international disputes, M&A transactions, and advising prominent US internet companies on Japanese law.

    Yuko holds a JSD from Stanford Law School and is qualified as a lawyer in Japan. She is a sought-after speaker and commentator on legal and technology issues and has been recognized as a top attorney by Chambers Global, Chambers Asia, and Best Lawyers.

    and many more..

    FINALISTS

    The wait is over, and the anticipation has reached its peak! We are thrilled to announce the highly anticipated list of finalists for the ALB Japan Law Awards 2024. Congratulations to all the finalists and we look forward to celebrating their successes on June 12th at the Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo. *

    INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES

    Dealmaker of the Year

    Hiroki Kodate - Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Keiji Hatano - Sullivan & Cromwell
    Masatsura Kadota - Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Mikiharu Mori - Tokyo International Law Office
    Mitsuhiro Kamiya - Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
    Takafumi Ochiai - Atsumi & Sakai
    Takayuki Kihira - Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Tomohiro Sato - Nishimura & Asahi
    Tong Yu - Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison 
    Tsuyoshi Imai - Ropes & Gray

    Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year

    Atsushi Okada - Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Kei Akagawa - Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Kohei Murakawa - Atsumi & Sakai
    Ryan Goldstein - Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
    Shinsuke Yakura - Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
    Yosihe Midorikawa - Miura and Partners

    Foreign Lawyer of the Year

    Carol Tsuchida - Morgan Lewis
    Daniel Allen - Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Daniel Jarrett - Atsumi & Sakai
    Eric Roose - Withersworldwide
    John Lane - Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Kenji Taneda - Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
    Lars Markert - Nishimura & Asahi
    Nirav Mehta - Sullivan & Cromwell
    Ricky Aringo Sabornay - Uryu & Itoga
    Ryan Goldstein - Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
    Teruma Naito - Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

    In-House Lawyer of the Year

    Aramide Fields - Autoliv
    Angela Yuen - JERA
    Clarisse Marthe-Knaebel - Contentsquare
    Hideyuki Sakamoto - Gibraltar Life 
    Keiko Minami – Darktrace
    Naokuni Kuwagata – Novartis Pharma
    Sayo Takizawa - Blackstone
    Takahiro Hasegawa - Uber
    Tommy Ou - Colt Technology Services
    Wise Wang - X
    Yoshiaki Sakurai - Olympus Corporation

    Managing Partner of the Year

    Keiji Hatano - Sullivan & Cromwell
    Koki Yamada - Tokyo International Law Office
    Masataka Ogasawara - ZeLo
    Ryu Umezu - Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Shinsuke Yakura - Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
    Soichiro Fujiwara - Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Takeshi Nakao - Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

    Woman Lawyer of the Year (In-House)

    Angela Yuen - JERA
    Aramide Fields – Autoliv 
    Keiko Minami – Darktrace
    Kiyoko Takagi - T. Rowe Price Japan
    Sayo Takizawa – Blackstone
    Tomoka Miho - IBM Japan
    Yuriko Noguchi - Russell Investments

    Woman Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm)

    Ayumi Fukuhara - Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Bonnie L Dixon - Atsumi & Sakai
    Eri Maeda - EY Law Co 
    Fiesta Victoria - ZeLo
    Kiyoko Yagami - Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Mikiko Soga - Nishimura & Asahi
    Mitsue Tanaka - Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Tomoko Nakajima - Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
    Yuki IMAMURA - TMI Associates
    Yumiko Ohta - Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe 

    Young Lawyer of the Year (In-House)

    Asako Ouchi - IBM Japan
    Clarisse Marthe-Knaebel - Contentsquare
    Nobuhisa Hayano – Uber
    Tomoaki Kuragano – Medtronic
    Tonfi Yuki – SmartNews 
    Wise Wang – X

    Young Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm)

    Akira Kawashiro - southgate
    Ganesh Vaheisvaran - Morrison Foerster
    Hayato Kimura - Atsumi & Sakai
    Hironori Inagaki - Nishimura & Asahi
    Masahiko Kinoshita - Vanguard Lawyers Tokyo
    Nirav Mehta - Sullivan & Cromwell
    Norihito Sato - Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Ricky Aringo Sabornay - Uryu & Itoga
    Ryoichi Inoue - Miura & Partners
    Satomi Umezu - Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Yoshihisa Watanabe - Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

    IN-HOUSE CATEGORIES

    Healthcare and Pharmaceutical In-House Team of the Year 

    Arthrex
    Medtronic
    Novartis Pharma
    Nxera Pharma 
    Olympus Corporation

    Innovative In-House Team of the Year

    Darktrace
    Fujita Corporation
    JERA
    SoftBank Group Corp

    Technology, Media and Telecommunications In-House Team of the Year

    Darktrace
    IBM Japan
    Lenovo
    Uber

    Japan In-House Team of the Year

    Colt Technology Services
    Darktrace
    Fujita Corporation
    Gibraltar Life
    IBM Japan
    INPEX Corporation
    JERA
    JGC
    Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group
    Olympus Corporation
    Sega Sammy Holdings Inc
    SoftBank Group Corp
    Uber

    FIRM CATEGORIES

    Antitrust and Competition Law Firm of the Year 

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
    Hirayama Law Offices
    Miura & Partners
    TMI Associates

    Banking and Financial Services Law Firm of the Year 

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
    TMI Associates

    Boutique Law Firm of the Year

    GI&T Law Office
    southgate
    Tokyo International Law Offices
    Vanguard Lawyers
    Yokogi & Masui Partners

    Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year 

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
    Simpson Thacher & Bartlett 
    Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
    Sullivan & Cromwell
    TMI Associates

    Energy and Resources Law Firm of the Year 

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    A&O Shearman
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Herbert Smith Freehills
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe 
    TMI Associates

    ESG and Sustainability Law Firm of the Year 

    Atsumi & Sakai
    Miura & Partners
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

    Healthcare and Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year 

    Abe, Ikubo & Katayama
    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    GI&T Law Office
    Morgan Lewis
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
    TMI Associates

    International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year 

    Atsumi & Sakai
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nishimura & Asahi

    International Deal Firm of the Year 

    A&O Shearman
    Bird & Bird
    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
    Morrison Foerster
    Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
    Ropes & Gray
    Simpson Thacher & Bartlett 
    Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
    Sullivan & Cromwell

    International Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year 

    Bird & Bird
    Finnegan
    Morgan Lewis
    Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
    Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

    Investment Fund Law Firm of the Year 

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Morgan Lewis
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Simpson Thacher & Bartlett

    Japan Deal Firm of the Year 

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Miura & Partners
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Nishimura & Asahi
    southgate
    Tokyo International Law Office

    Japan Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year 

    Abe, Ikubo & Katayama
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Miura & Partners
    Nakamura & Partners
    TMI Associates

    Japan Practice Asian Firm of the Year 

    Acuity Law
    JT&N
    Lee & Li
    Walalangi & Partners

    Japan Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year 

    Giambrone & Partners Studio Legale Associato
    Pinsent Masons
    Steptoe & Johnson

    Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year 

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    GI&T Law Office
    Miura & Partners
    Morgan Lewis
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe 
    TMI Associates
    Vanguard Lawyers 

    Litigation Law Firm of the Year 

    Abe, Ikubo & Katayama
    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Miura & Partners
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    One Asia Lawyers
    Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
    Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
    TMI Associates
    ZeLo

    Maritime Law Firm of the Year 

    Atsumi & Sakai
    TMI Associates
    Hiratsuka & Co 

    Overseas Practice Law Firm of the Year 

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Nishimura & Asahi
    One Asia Lawyers 
    Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
    Tokyo International Law Office

    Private Equity Law Firm of the Year 

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

    Real Estate Law Firm of the Year 

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    City-Yuwa & Partners
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Morrison Foerster
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    TMI Associates
    Withersworldwide

    Regulatory and Compliance Law Firm of the Year 

    Atsumi & Sakai
    Miura & Partners
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Sullivan & Cromwell

    Restructuring and Insolvency Law Firm of the Year

    Abe, Ikubo & Katayama
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

    Rising Law Firm of the Year 

    GI&T Law Office
    Tokyo International Law Office
    ZeLo

    Tax and Trusts Law Firm of the Year 

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    TMI Associates
    Withersworldwide

    Technology, Media and Telecommunications Law Firm of the Year

    Atsumi & Sakai
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Morrison Foerster
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
    southgate
    TMI Associates
    ZeLo

    Japan Law Firm of the Year

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
    Atsumi & Sakai
    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
    Miura & Partners
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
    Nishimura & Asahi
    One Asia Lawyers
    Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
    Tokyo International Law Office
    Withersworldwide
    ZeLo

    DEAL CATEGORIES**

    Debt Market Deal of the Year

    BPCE S.A. Samurai Bonds Issuance
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi

    East Japan Railway's EUR Green Bonds
    Law firms: Clifford Chance; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

    Japan Finance Organizations Green Bonds Due 2028
    Law firms: Clifford Chance; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

    JBIC Issuance of US Denominated Senior Notes
    Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

    Kubota's Debut Offering of Senior Notes
    Law firms: Clifford Chance; Morrison Foerster; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

    Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Public Offering of Senior Notes in five Tranches
    Law firms: Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett

    Mitsubishi's Offering of 144A Senior Notes
    Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Morrison Foerster; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

    Republic of Poland's Samurai Bonds Issuance
    Law firm: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune 

    Sumitomo Life Insurance Perpetual Subordinated Notes Issuance
    Law firm: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom 

    Toyota Motor Corp's SEC-Registered Offering of Sustainability Bonds
    Law firms: A&O Shearman; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

    Equity Market Deal of the Year

    Arm Holdings' IPO
    Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Morrison Foerster; Sullivan & Cromwell

    Asahi Group Holdings' Secondary Shares Offering
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett 

    Concurrent offering of shares of common stock and convertible bonds
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Linklaters; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett 

    GLP J-REIT Investment Unit's Global Offering
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Morrison & Foerster; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

    Integral Corporation's IPO
    Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Sullivan & Cromwell

    Japan Post Bank's Equity Offering
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Sullivan & Cromwell

    JFE Holdings' Combo Offering
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett 

    Kokusai Electric's IPO
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Nishimura & Asahi; Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett 

    Rakuten Bank's IPO
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Nishimura & Asahi; Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett; Sullivan & Cromwell

    Socionext's Secondary Public Offering
    Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom 

    M&A Deal of the Year (Midsize)

    Acquisition of SnowFox Topco Limited
    Law firms: Gibson Dunn; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

    Ajinomoto’s Acquisition of Forge Biologics Holdings
    Law firms: A&O Shearman; Choate Hall & Stewart; Ice Miller

    Ichigo Trust’s Strategic Financial Support for JDI
    Law firms: Miura & Partners; TMI Associates

    Lundin Mining’s Strategic Stake Acquisition in Lumina Copper
    Law firms: BES Lawyers; Bofill Mir & Alvarez Jana; Cassels Brock & Blackwell; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

    Mitsui's Tender Offer
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi

    Mizuho Strengthens Strategic Alliance with Rakuten Securities
    Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi

    Mizuho's Acquisition of Greenhill
    Law firms: Alston & Bird; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

    M&A Deal of the Year (Premium)

    Bain Capital's Sale of Japan Wind Development to INFRONEER
    Law firms: Ropes & Gray; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi

    Business Integration between The Hachijuni Bank, Ltd. and The Nagano Bank, Ltd.
    Law firm: Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

    Iveric Bio's Acquisition by Astellas
    Law firms: Jones Day; Skadden; Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr

    Japan Industrial Partners' Acquisition of Toshiba Corporation
    Law firms: ADNA – ALN; AEQUITAS; Al Tamimi & Company; Arthur Cox; Bahaa-Eldin Law Office; BonelliErede; BOWMAN GILFILLAN; Bredin Prat; Chooi & Company; Clayton Utz CREEL; Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg; Davis Polk & Wardwell; De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek; Dentons Rodyk; ELIG Gürkaynak; Eubelius; Frans & Setiawan Law Office; Gorrissen Federspiel; Hengeler Mueller; Herzog Fox & Neeman; Karanovic & Partners; Khaitan & Co; Kim & Chang; King & Wood Mallesons; Lee and Li; Lenz & Staehelin; Mannheimer Swartling; Morrison Foerster; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi; Puyat Jacinto & Santos Law; Schoenherr; Slaughter and May; TMI Associates; Uría Menéndez; Weerawong C&P; WKB; Zhong Lun Law Firm

    JIC Capital and Japan Investment Corp Acquire Shinko Electric Industries
    Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Morrison Foerster; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi

    JIC Capital's Acquisition of JSR Corporation
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu 

    KDR, KRR, and KDO Merge in Landmark Transaction
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Morrison Foerster; Miura & Partners

    Nippon Express Acquires Global Freight Forwarding Business Cargo-Partner
    Law firm: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

    Nissan-Renault's Alliance
    Law firm: Latham & Watkins

    Pattern Energy's Sale of Japanese Renewable Assets to NTT Anode Energy and JERA
    Law firms: Nishimura & Asahi; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Orrick, Herington & Sutcliffe

    Ryosan and Ryoyo Electro Corporation Management Integration
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; TMI Associates

    SMBC's Strategic Investment in Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank
    Law firm: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

    Taisho Pharmaceutical’s Historic Management Buyout
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Nakamura Tsunoda & Matsumoto; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu 

    Project Finance Deal of the Year

    Development of Kitakyushu Hibikinada Offshore Wind Farm
    Law firms: Baker McKenzie; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi

    Papua New Guinea LNG Project
    Law firms: Allens; Latham & Watkins; Milbank; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; Nishimura & Asahi

    Pre-export finance facility to CSN Mineração S.A,
    Law firms: A&O Shearman; Hinckley Allen; Machado Meyer Sendacz e Opice Advogados; Nishimura & Asahi; White & Case

    Ras Laffan Petrochemicals Project
    Law firms: A&O Shearman; Sharq Law Firm; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; White & Case

    Syrdarya II Gas-Fired Combine Cycle Power Plant
    Law firms: Ashurst; GRATA International; Kosta Legal; Nishimura & Asahi; Norton Rose Fulbright

    Real Estate Deal of the Year 

    Acquisition of Land in Inzai-Shiroi Area for Developing Data Centers
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

    Center Point Development's Land Purchase
    Law firm: Withersworldwide

    KKR and Gaw Capital Acquire Hyatt Regency Tokyo
    Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett

    Fortress’ Acquisition of Sogo & Seibu
    Law firms: Morrison Foerster; Nishimura & Asahi

    Technology, Media and Telecommunications Deal of the Year 

    Japan Industrial Partners' Acquisition of Toshiba Corp
    Law firms: Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Nishimura & Asahi; TMI Associates

    JIC Capital's Acquisition of Shinko Electric Industries
    Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Morrison Foerster; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi

    KEPCO’s joint venture with CyrusOne for development of hyperscale data centers in Japan 
    Law firms: A&O Shearman; Kim & Chang; Kirkland & Ellis; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu; Shin & Kim

    Partial Sale and Capital Restructuring of Hitachi Astemo
    Law firms: Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi

    SoftBank Group's Arm IPO
    Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Latham & Watkins; Morrison & Foerster; Sullivan & Cromwell
     

    **COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF INFORMATION

    Please note that the inclusion of banks and legal advisors in the transactions essentially reflects the information provided by nominating organizations. Therefore, any omission of a party involved in any of these transactions should not be taken as a commentary on the role assumed by that party. For queries about the shortlist, please email Lokesh on lokesh.bogati@thomsonreuters.com.

    * The above list will be regularly updated until final. 

    WINNERS

    INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES 

    Dealmaker of the Year 
    Hiroki Kodate - Anderson Mori & Tomotsune 

    Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year 
    Kohei Murakawa - Atsumi & Sakai 

    Foreign Lawyer of the Year 
    Lars Markert - Nishimura & Asahi 

    In-House Lawyer of the Year 
    Angela Yuen – JERA 

    Managing Partner of the Year 
    Masataka Ogasawara – ZeLo 

    Woman Lawyer of the Year (In-House) 
    Tomoka Miho - IBM Japan 

    Woman Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm) 
    Tomoko Nakajima - Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer 

    Young Lawyer of the Year (In-House) 
    Tomoaki Kuragano – Medtronic 

    Young Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm) 
    Norihito Sato - Mori Hamada & Matsumoto 

    IN-HOUSE CATEGORIES 

    Healthcare and Pharmaceutical In-House Team of the Year  
    Olympus Corporation 

    Innovative In-House Team of the Year 
    Fujita Corporation 

    Technology, Media and Telecommunications In-House Team of the Year 
    Darktrace 

    Japan In-House Team of the Year 
    Gibraltar Life 

    LAW FIRM CATEGORIES 

    Antitrust and Competition Law Firm of the Year  
    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer 

    Banking and Financial Services Law Firm of the Year  
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu 

    Boutique Law Firm of the Year 
    Vanguard Lawyers 

    Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year  
    Sullivan & Cromwell 

    Energy and Resources Law Firm of the Year  
    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune 

    ESG and Sustainability Law Firm of the Year  
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu 

    Healthcare and Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year  
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu 

    International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year  
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto 

    International Deal Firm of the Year  
    Morrison Foerster 

    International Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year  
    Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe 

    Investment Fund Law Firm of the Year  
    Morgan Lewis  

    Japan Deal Firm of the Year  
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto 

    Japan Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year  
    Atsumi & Sakai 

    Japan Practice Asian Firm of the Year  
    JT&N  

    Japan Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year  
    Giambrone & Partners Studio Legale Associato  

    Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year  
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto 

    Litigation Law Firm of the Year  
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu 

    Maritime Law Firm of the Year  
    Atsumi & Sakai  

    Overseas Practice Law Firm of the Year  
    Nishimura & Asahi 

    Private Equity Law Firm of the Year  
    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune 

    Real Estate Law Firm of the Year  
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto 

    Regulatory and Compliance Law Firm of the Year  
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto 

    Restructuring and Insolvency Law Firm of the Year 
    Abe, Ikubo & Katayama 

    Rising Law Firm of the Year  
    Tokyo International Law Office  

    Tax and Trusts Law Firm of the Year  
    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune 

    Technology, Media and Telecommunications Law Firm of the Year 
    TMI Associates 

    Japan Law Firm of the Year 
    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto 

    DEAL CATEGORIES 

    Debt Market Deal of the Year 
    Kubota's Debut Offering of Senior Notes 
    Law firms: Clifford Chance; Morrison Foerster; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto 

    Equity Market Deal of the Year 
    Arm Holdings' IPO 
    Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Morrison Foerster; Sullivan & Cromwell 

    M&A Deal of the Year (Midsize) 
    Ichigo Trust’s Strategic Financial Support for JDI 
    Law firms: Miura & Partners; TMI Associates 

    M&A Deal of the Year (Premium) 
    Japan Industrial Partners' Acquisition of Toshiba Corporation 
    Law firms: ADNA – ALN; AEQUITAS; Al Tamimi & Company; Arthur Cox; Bahaa-Eldin Law Office; BonelliErede; BOWMAN GILFILLAN; Bredin Pratt; Chooi & Company; Clayton Utz CREEL; Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg; Davis Polk & Wardwell; De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek; Dentons Rodyk; ELIG Gürkaynak; Eubelius; Frans & Setiawan Law Office; Gorrissen Federspiel; Hengeler Mueller; Herzog Fox & Neeman; Karanovic & Partners; Khaitan & Co; Kim & Chang; King & Wood Mallesons; Lee and Li; Lenz & Staehelin; Mannheimer Swartling; Morrison Foerster; Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu;  Nishimura & Asahi; Puyat Jacinto & Santos Law; Schoenherr; Slaughter and May; TMI Associates; Uría Menéndez; Weerawong C&P; WKB; Zhong Lun Law Firm 

    Project Finance Deal of the Year 
    Development of Kitakyushu Hibikinada Offshore Wind Farm 
    Law firms: Baker McKenzie; Mori Hamada & Matsumoto; Nishimura & Asahi 

    Real Estate Deal of the Year 
    Fortress’ Acquisition of Sogo & Seibu 
    Law firms: Morrison Foerster; Nishimura & Asahi 

    Technology, Media and Telecommunications Deal of the Year  
    SoftBank Group's Arm IPO 
    Law firms: Davis Polk & Wardwell; Latham & Watkins; Morrison & Foerster; Sullivan & Cromwell 
     

    QUOTES

    H

    Hiroo Atsumi
    Managing Partner, Atsumi & Sakai

    We feel very privileged and honored to have our work and achievements recognized, and we extend our gratitude to ALB for its efforts to put the Japan Law Awards 2024 together. 

    The risks from international instability and tension are continuing to grow, and we must reexamine our existing values and reaffirm our identities, as well as discover the nature of social transformation and create true value. Atsumi & Sakai is aware of our role as a part of the social infrastructure, and we will continue to work actively to create value and contribute to building a sustainable and better society for all.

    Atsumi & Sakai's philosophy is to "continue to honor innovative and cutting-edge creativity and take on new challenges", "respect diversity, and be inventive and flexible", and "bring together the best of individual capabilities and the strength of teamwork". As a full-service international law firm with over 200 Japanese and foreign lawyers, we look forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand with our clients to support them to create value in their businesses, and to serve as a compass to help them navigate their way forward amid a rapidly changing environment. Atsumi & Sakai is always by your side as “A Compass to Find Your Way” (our firm’s slogan).


    R

    Ryu Umezu
    Managing Partner, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

    We truly appreciate being nominated for the “ALB Japan Law Awards”. This award means a great deal to our firm since it is emblematic of those institutions that have achieved the highest possible standards of excellence, both regionally and globally. We are honored to be included as nominees among such distinguished past recipients of the award.
    Our lawyers are deeply committed to providing outstanding legal services to our clients and are doing our utmost to further assist them with their growing business needs. Our mission is to continue our efforts to excel and contribute to the prosperity of our clients, peers and society as a whole.


    G

    Gaku Ishiwata
    Member of the Management Committee, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

    This is a time of exceptional growth for Mori Hamada & Matsumoto. Expansions within Japan, both in terms of acquiring more legal talent for our existing offices and in opening two new offices in the key cities of Sapporo and Yokohama, are exciting on their own. But our presence in New York and a strategic relationship Manila bring our lawyers even closer to our clients around the world. And our vision – to be the first firm that clients turn to and rely on when facing the most critical of issues, when confronting the most complex of matters, and when needing the most expeditious resolution – could not be clearer.
    We are delighted to be part of ALB Japan Law Awards 2024, as we strive to be the best advocates for our clients’ success.


    s

    Soichiro Fujiwara
    Managing Partner, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

    We are proud to be sponsoring the ALB Japan Law Awards again this year and delighted to be part of this prestigious event.
    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, based in Tokyo, Japan, is widely recognized as a leading law firm and one of the foremost providers of international and commercial legal services. Our extensive presence, coupled with a network of leading overseas offices, enables us to expertly provide comprehensive legal services to our clients covering a wide range of cross-border matters.
    We have adapted to the evolving business environment, including societal, economic, and global developments. Notably, we have been at the forefront of LegalTech, including investment in and collaboration with MNTSQ, a LegalTech startup providing contract and knowledge management products utilizing natural language processing technologies. Our cutting-edge information management infrastructure, backed by such latest information technology, reflects our commitment to providing top-quality legal services in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

    RESERVATIONS TO THE EVENT ARE CLOSED

    For queries regarding Awards memorabilia, please contact: Hiroshi Kaneko at hiroshi.kaneko@thomsonreuters.com

    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    ELIGIBILITY

    How do I know if I am eligible to make a submission? 

    We highly encourage all firms, individuals and in-house teams to submit, as we have numerous award categories to choose from. We welcome both past participants and newcomers to join the submission for the awards. 

    Is self-nomination permitted?

    Yes, we accept self-nominated submissions. We also accept third-party submissions, should you wish to nominate an external party or vice versa.

    Is there a fee required to make a submission in the law awards?

    Each submission for the law awards must be accompanied by a non-refundable application fee of USD $30 which will go towards helping ALB process your submission for the purpose of judging. The application fee must be received by the submission deadline in order for the submission to be considered for the award. The payment of the application fee does not guarantee that the submission will be shortlisted for an award. Note this is only applicable for law firms.

    TIMELINE OF EVENTS

    When will the finalists and winners be announced?

    The shortlist of finalists will be released around 4-8 weeks prior to the awards ceremony. The winners will be exclusively announced at the awards ceremony on June 2024.

    NOMINATION PROCESS AND ASSESSMENT 

    How are the finalists chosen?

    Asian Legal Business will compile all of the submission entries, and the ALB editorial and research teams will extensively review each submission to ensure the criteria are met in order to advance to the shortlist of finalists. We stress that this process is fair, impartial and not subject to external influences. 

    How are the winners chosen? 

    Once the shortlist of finalists have been announced, an independent judging panel will review and select their top five choices for the award categories they are assigned to. The scores for each award category will be tabulated, and the individual/firm/team with the highest score will be announced as the winner. 

    What are the award categories that I can take part in?

    Any law firms, in-house teams or individuals may take part in multiple award categories if appropriate. ALB reserve the right to move entries from one category to another if such a change is considered appropriate. ALB’s decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

    Who will be on the judging panel for ALB Law Awards? 

    There will be an independent judging panel of at least 25 senior and expert legal industry leaders to review the submission materials. The judging panel will be selected on the basis of their expertise and knowledge and will be comprised from various sectors to correspond to the diverse list of award categories. A partial list of judges’ names will be released prior to the awarding ceremony, and the remaining judges will be revealed on the evening of the awards. 

    What will my contact information/my client’s information be used for?

    All contact information provided will not be disclosed to external parties; and will only be seen by our ALB research team and the judges panel. We keep the information on record internally, in case we need to contact you or your client regarding any questions or discrepancies in the submission form. 

    Where will my name/firm name/team name be published if we are a finalist or winner?

    As a finalist and/or winner, your firm/team/individual name will be published in ALB awards materials and print magazine. For more information, please contact us.

    Is my submission confidential?

    The submission information will be provided to the independent judging panel, for the judging purpose only, whose names will be published. The material submitted will only be disclosed to the above; if there is any information that is strictly confidential, please mark clearly on the nomination form. Though we do our best to maintain the security of the information you provide, any information you transmit to us is done at your own risk and Thomson Reuters is not responsible for any unauthorized transmission of information.  

    SPONSORSHIP, PARTICIPATION AND OTHER 

    I would like to sponsor the ALB Law Awards.

    Please contact Amantha.Chia@thomsonreuters.com or (+65) 6973 8258 for further details regarding sponsorship. 

    I am interested in being an official partner of the ALB Law Awards, as a media/legal association.

    Please contact tracy.li@thomsonreuters.com.

    My practice area or specialty is not listed, but I would like to participate in the Awards.

    Please get in touch with our ALB Law Awards research team at Albawards@thomsonreuters.com.

    Can I participate in Awards across the region?

    Yes, you can participate in more than one market. Please note there may be specific criteria for each market.

    What happens if the winner of a category is not able to attend the ceremony? 

    The award will be given to the highest-scoring firm, department or individual in attendance at the ceremony. 

    Disclaimer

    Note: We encourage finalists to attend the awards ceremony. The results of the Awards will be announced on the night of the ceremony, and the trophy will be given to the highest-scoring firm, department or individual in attendance at the ceremony. We congratulate all finalists and encourage you to attend the ceremony to celebrate your achievements together.

    Who should attend the Awards Ceremony? Can I attend?

    We welcome all finalists and non-finalists to join the Awards Ceremony; please contact Amantha.Chia@thomsonreuters.com or (+65) 6973 8258.

    I would like to order a winner’s trophy and/or certificate (for finalists and winners).

    Please contact Amantha.Chia@thomsonreuters.com or (+65) 6973 8258.

    How can I receive communications related to the ALB Law Awards?

    Please email tracy.li@thomsonreuters.com to subscribe to the ALB mailing list. 

     

    Asian Legal Business – Who are We?

     Asian Legal Business (ALB) is owned by Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading source of intelligent information for business and professionals. With its portfolio of leading titles, law awards, in-house legal summits and online services, ALB provides authoritative and unbiased insights and unmatched networking and business development opportunities to legal professionals throughout the Asia-Pacific.

     ALB combines news and analysis from its team of professional legal journalists and the expert opinions of senior industry professionals with Reuters news and insights that power businesses across the globe.

     Please visit legalbusinessonline.com for further information.

     Asian Legal Business – Law Awards

    The ALB Law Awards are the pre-eminent legal awards in Asia-Pacific, held annually in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and UAE. The Awards are comprised of months of intensive research and culminate in a black-tie Awarding Ceremony in each of the markets. We cordially invite you to take part in these prestigious awards and celebrate.

    SPONSORS

    Atsumi & Sakai

    Atsumi & Sakai is a full-service Tokyo-based law firm; we operate as a foreign law joint venture, enabling us to admit foreign lawyers as partners so offering our clients both Japanese expertise and real international experience, all with the quality of service that the international business community demands. We offer a full range of legal services through a team of over 200 lawyers, including over 20 foreign lawyers. In addition to our Tokyo head-office we have an office in London and affiliated offices in Fukuoka (Japan), New York, Frankfurt and Brussels, enabling us to provide our services 24 hours.

    https://www.aplawjapan.com/en

    jt&n

    JT&N is deeply involved in the Japanese business, offering comprehensive and integrated solutions to many Japanese multinational companies and large Chinese enterprises. All of lawyers are graduates of renowned law schools in China and Japan, and are fluent in Chinese, Japanese and English. The firm's core members have over 20 years of experience and have accumulated extensive practical experience and expertise in handling complex legal matters.

    JT&N is active in a number of key practices, including cross-border investment, M&A, reorganization (liquidation), cross-border dispute resolution, customs and export control, anti-monopoly and competition law, intellectual property, data compliance, tax.

    ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

    a

    Anderson Mori & Tomotsune is proud of our long tradition of serving international business and legal communities and our reputation as one of the largest full-service law firms in Japan. Our combined expertise enables us to deliver comprehensive advice on virtually all legal issues that may arise from a corporate transaction, including those related to M&A, finance, capital markets and restructuring/insolvency, and litigation/arbitration. The majority of our lawyers are bi-lingual and experienced with communicating, drafting and negotiating across borders and around the globe. We welcome the opportunity to work closely with clients and channel our resources towards our goal of achieving more together.

    MHM Logo

    Mori Hamada & Matsumoto is a full-service international law firm headquartered in Tokyo, with domestic offices in Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Takamatsu, and Sapporo, Yokohama (opening in summer 2024), and overseas offices in China, across Southeast Asia, and New York. With our latest expansion, our firm offers even more breadth to the depth of our expertise in all major areas of practice, while steadfast in our commitment to excellence, reliability, and innovation for our clients.

    B

    Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, based in Tokyo, Japan, is widely recognized as a leading law firm and one of the foremost providers of international and commercial legal services.  The firm’s overseas network includes locations in New York, Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Jakarta* and Shanghai. The firm also maintains collaborative relationships with prominent local law firms.  The approximately 600 lawyers of the firm, including about 50 experienced lawyers from various jurisdictions outside Japan, work together in customized teams to provide clients with the expertise and experience specifically required for each client matter. 
    (*Associate office)
     

    SUPPORTER SPONSOR

    j

     

    PROUDLY PRESENTED BY

     

    ALB           tr