June 15, 2006 Firm News

Mr. Kunio Hamada returns to MHM as Special Counsel upon retirement as Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan

Mr. Kunio Hamada completed his term of office as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan and rejoined the firm on June 1 as Special Counsel.

Personal Comment

Upon completing the five years or so of my term of office as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan, I re-registered as a lawyer with the Daini-Tokyo Bar Association. In my years at the Supreme Court, I was afforded invaluable opportunities I could not have had otherwise. I settled final appeals, for example, on legal issues that were totally different from the corporate legal affairs I was engaged in for approximately forty years in my experience as a lawyer, which centered around international transactions, foreign investments, international finances, and international securities market transactions. And I had the chance to think about issues concerning the mind and behavior of human being, the functions of punishment and criminal justice, and, in turn, the role of the judiciary in Japanese society and how the Supreme Court ought to be. While feeling anew those first sensations of becoming a lawyer years ago, I will endeavor to utilize my experience to contribute in some way not just to the legal community, but also to society in general, in my capacity as Special Counsel at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto. Having said that, I am aware that I am not as young as I was then , but I hope to take this opportunity to open up a new dimension in my life. I appreciate your continued support.

Kunio Hamada, June 2006