The firm elected five associates and a of counsel to the partnership. They are Yasuhiko Fujitsu, Airo Inoue, Yukinaga Kojima, Yuko Noguchi, Yoshifumi Onodera and Katsumasa Suzuki.

Release
March 7, 2008

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto announces that it has named six new partners from its associate and of-counsel ranks for 2008. We are pleased to welcome these younger partners whose names are Yukinaga Kojima, Yuko Noguchi, Yasuhiko Fujitsu, Yoshifumi Onodera, Katsumasa Suzuki and Airo Inoue. We proud that all of them are very energetic, experienced and skillful lawyers.

Brief biography of each partners are as follows:

admitted in Japan in 1997; Kyoto University (LL.B., 1992; LL.M., 1994); Harvard Law School (LL.M. 2002). Mr. Kojima worked temporarily for the Financial Services Agency (in charge of amendments to the Securities and Exchange Law and modernization of the Commercial Code) in 2003. He practices in the areas of financial regulations and corporate law. He is a working group member of the Study Council for Promoting Translation of Japanese Laws and Regulations into Foreign Languages from 2005.

admitted in Japan in 1998; The University of Tokyo (LL.B., 1996); Stanford Law School (J.S.M. 2002, J.S.D. 2006; specialty: Cyber Law & Intellectual Property Law). Ms. Noguchi practices in the areas of Intellectual Property Law (especially Patent, Digital Copyright and Internet-related laws) and international dispute resolutions.

admitted in Japan in 1999; Waseda University (B.A., 1995); University of California, Davis School of Law (LL.M., 2004). Mr. Fujitsu practices in the areas of corporate finance/capital markets and mergers & acquisitions. He is also qualified as a Junior Certified Public Accountant from 1996.

admitted in Japan in 2000; The University of Tokyo (B.S., 1996). Mr. Onodera practices in the areas of patent and litigation.

admitted in Japan in 2000 and in New York State in 2005; Keio University (LL.B., 1998); Columbia University School of Law (LL.M. 2004). Mr. Suzuki practices in the areas of corporate/securities including capital markets, mergers & acquisitions and corporate governance. He is also a chartered member of the Security Analysts Association of Japan from 2006.

admitted in Japan in 2000; Keio University (LL.B., 1997). Mr. Inoue practices in the areas of corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, litigation, mergers & acquisitions and real estate.