Bar Association Activities

Many of our lawyers engage in pro bono activities in addition to their duties at the firm. Examples of activities in 2012 are provided below.

Lawyers at the firm actively participate in bar association activities and serve as court-appointed defense counsel. In 2012, a total of 51 of the firm’s lawyers served as court-appointed defense counsel.

The firm’s lawyers are also active in committees of bar associations.

・ Masatake Yone served as the Acting Chairperson of the Committee on the Recovery and Reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake established by Dai-ichi, Daini, and Tokyo Bar Associations.
・ Satoshi Kawai served as the Chairman of the Liaison Council of the Arbitration and Mediation Center, Dai-ichi, Daini, and Tokyo Bar Associations.
・ Itaru Adachi served as a member of the Judicial System Research Committee, Japan Federation of Bar Associations.

Public Organization Activities

Many lawyers at the firm serve in internships at governmental offices or serve as members of various councils, research groups and advisory panels that participate in planning policies and drafting legislation.

■ Financial Services Agency (FSA)
・ Toru Ishiguro served as an Expert Member of the Financial System Council, Financial Services Agency.

・ Seven lawyers have been seconded to the FSA.

 

■ Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
・ Masafumi Masuda served as a member of Committee for Network Game Industry Environment Research, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
・ Minoru Sawaguchi served as a member of the Study Group for Review of the Corporate Governance System,

■ Ministry of Justice (MOJ)
・ Kaoru Kamata, who is a Special Counsel of the firm and also the President of Waseda University, served as the Acting Chairperson of the Conference Examining Legal Training Systems, Ministry of Justice.
・ One lawyer has been seconded to MOJ.

■ Ministry of Finance
・ Takeshi Mukawa and Takeshi Komatsu served as members of the Working Group for Myanmar’s Capital Market Development, Policy Research Institute, Japanese Ministry of Finance.

■ Consumer Affairs Agency
・ One lawyer has been seconded to the Consumer Affairs Agency.

■ Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE)
・ One lawyer has been seconded to ANRE.

■ Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund
・ One lawyer has been seconded to the Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund.

■Other public organizations
・ Shigehiko Ishimoto served as an arbiter of the South China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration).
・ Satoshi Kawai served as a Vice President of the Special Sectional Meeting Regarding International Investment Disputes of the ADR Center, Japan Federation of Bar Associations, and a Vice Chairperson of the ADR Investigation and Planning Committee, Japan ADR Association.
・ Hideki Matsui served as the Director of the Japan Radioisotope Association.
・ Shuya Nomura, who is a Special Counsel of the firm as well as a professor at Chuo Law School, served as Chief Investigator of the Working Group for Development of Information Infrastructure for Dept Pricing, Japan Securities Dealers Association, and a Special Appointed Member of the Judicial System Reearch Committee (regarding examination of guidelines for outside directors), Japan Federation of Bar Associations. 
・ Hideki Utsunomiya served as a member of the Antitrust Legislation Study Group, The 21st Century Public Policy Institute, Nippon Keidanren.
・ Shuya Nomura, who is a Special Counsel of the firm as well as a professor at Chuo Law School, Kaoru Matsuzawa, and Hisako Takahashi were involved in “The Official Report of the National Diet of Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission”.
・ Junichi Tobimatsu served as a member of the Contract Supervision Committee, Urban Renaissance Agency.

Activities at Educational Institutions

A number of lawyers from the firm teach at law schools, universities and legal organizations. In addition, each year the firm takes on a number of legal apprentices and law schools students as interns, offering the opportunity to experience the work of a lawyer.

In 2012, 50 lawyers taught in 24 educational institutions throughout Japan. These institutions vary from public universities and law schools to legal organizations.