Special Feature: Automated Driving and MaaS

Today, the automotive industry is said to be entering a once-in-a-century period of transformation. At the core of this transformation is a series of technical innovations called "CASE" (Connected, Autonomous, Shared/Service, Electric), which is represented by new technologies and services such as "automated driving" and "MaaS" (Mobility as a Service).

For many years, we have provided legal services for our clients including domestic and overseas automobile manufacturers and automotive parts companies. In order to deal promptly with the arrival of this transformational period, we have established a support system for the automated driving and MaaS fields ahead of any other law firm.

"Regulations on Autonomous Cars and MaaS Businesses" was published on June 23, 2020 and the second edition was published on December 28, 2023.
This is an unprecedented book that broadly explains the legal systems in relation to automobile-related businesses, such as automated driving and MaaS, as well as connected cars.

Jump to each item on this page from the following links.

▼ Our Experience to Date ▼ Awards & Recognitions ▼ Our Initiatives to Date
▼ News Related to Automated Operation Driving and MaaS
▼ Attorneys related to this Field

Our Experience to Date

Capital and business alliances and restructuring of major automobile manufacturers, and the merger of major automotive parts companies
Business integration of a taxi dispatch application company
Advice on a foreign company’s service providing GPS location information for automated driving
Advice to a major IT company on the regulations regarding automated driving
No-action letter to MLIT to request advance confirmation of the application of laws and regulations concerning the Road Transport Act
Advice to a logistics company on the gathering of information including drivers’ biometric information by IoT equipment, data contracts, and telecommunications business law
Advice on transportation service applications by an overseas startup company
Advice on the Road Transportation Act related to MaaS services
Advice on the launch of a food delivery application
Advice on the regulations in relation to electric scooter sharing services
Advice on draft safety standards related to automated driving
Advice on recalls related to cars, automated driving and MaaS, intellectual property rights/data, and product liability
Investment in a startup company related to automated driving
Joint venture with an automobile service company

Awards & Recognitions

Norihito Sato Named to ALB Japan Law Awards 2024 for Young Lawyer of the Year

Norihito Sato Named to The Best Lawyers in Japan™ in 2025 in Transportation Law

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 Ranks MHM
in Tier 1 for TMT and Hiromi Hayashi and Atsushi Okada for Leading Individuals

Chambers Asia-Pacific 2024 Recognized MHM
in Tier 1 for Technology, Media, Telecoms and Atsushi Okada

Norihito Sato Named to The Best Lawyers in Japan™ in 2024 in Transportation Law

ALB Japan Law Awards 2023 Ranks MHM in
Technology, Media and Telecommunications
Law Firm of the Year and Technology, Media and Telecommunications Deal of the Year

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023 Ranks MHM
in Tier 1 for TMT and Hiromi Hayashi and Atsushi Okada for Leading Individuals

Chambers Asia-Pacific 2023 Recognized MHM
in Spotlight Table for Technology, Media, Telecoms and Atsushi Okada

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022 Ranks MHM
in Tier 2 for TMT and Atsushi Okada
for Leading Individuals

Norihito Sato listed in ALB Asia 40 Under 40 2021

Our Initiatives to Date

As below, we are enhancing our support system in the fields of automated driving and MaaS. In addition, we are also accumulating our know-how and expanding our expertise by providing advice on numerous occasions to domestic and overseas players who are at the forefront of the automotive industry. We will continue to provide advanced and strategic legal services in order to contribute to the development of our clients' businesses and the growth of the automotive industry.

2015	Three partners set up a "Study Group on Robots and Related Laws" at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto and commenced a full-scale study.
Jul. 2015	Articles by our lawyers began to be published bimonthly in the Nikkei Robotics Legal Consultation.
May. 2016	"Legal framework and challenges for achieving autonomous (driverless) cars (Part 1)/(Part 2)" by Koji Toshima was published in NBL.
May. 2017	"Recent Japanese Regulations on Ride Sharing and Car Sharing" by Koji Toshima and Norihito Sato was published in NBL. (Many articles related to automated driving and MaaS were published subsequently.)
May. 2017	Norihito Sato was with the Road Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) to accumulate know-how on automated driving, recall regulation and MaaS (until 2019). (Thereafter, until June 2021, Kensho Akita was with the Road Transport Bureau of MLIT. Keita Mashita is currently with the same bureau since July 2021.)
2018	Koji Toshima became a member of the Study Group on New Mobility Services Brought About by IoT and AI at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (until 2019).
Nov. 2018	The MHM Seminar 2018 entitled "The arrival and required rules of the AI/IoT society" discussed the topics of "automated driving, connected cars, and MaaS". More than 2,000 guests participated in the seminar.
2020	Norihito Sato became a member of the Project Adoption and Screening Committee (for digital technology development aimed at regulatory advancements in the field of mobility), at the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
Mar. 2020	"Automotive Newsletters" specializing in automotive-related matters commenced periodical publication.
Jun. 2020	"Regulations on Autonomous Cars and MaaS Businesses" was published.