Click below to jump to information relevant to that content.

▼Bar Association Activities　▼Public Sector Activities　▼Educational Activities　
▼Pro Bono Projects

 

Bar Association Activities

Many of our lawyers engage in pro bono activities in addition to their regular duties at the firm. Examples of activities in 2020 are provided below.

• Katsumasa Suzuki became the Chair of the Public Company Practice and Regulation Subcommittee in the Security Law Committee, International Bar Association
• Hideaki Umetsu became the Vice Chair of International Bar Association (IBA) Asia Pacific Regional Forum
• Aritsune Miyoda became an officer of the Complex Acquisitions Subcommittee, International Commerce and Distribution Committee, International Bar Association
• Tetsushi Kamimura became a Chairperson of Legal Apprenticeship Committee, Daini Tokyo Bar Association
• Hideaki Umetsu became a member of International Councils, Japan Federation of Bar Associations
• Shigehiko Ishimoto became the Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Relations, Japan Federation of Bar Associations
• Kunio Miyaoka became the officer of Expansion of Legal Services Division (Center for Promotion of International Legal Services), Japan Federation of Bar Associations
• Hideaki Umetsu served as Head of the Coordination Committee of the publication of “Doing Business in Asia Pacific” issued by the IBA Asian Pacific Regional Forum

During 2020, a total of 55 of the firm’s lawyers served as duty attorneys in 15 cases and as court-appointed defense counsel in 60 cases, and provided free legal counsel in 21 cases.
 

Public Sector 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.

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

• Gaku Ishiwata became the member of Corporate Restructuring Study Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
• Minoru Sawaguchi became a member of the Study Group on Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
• Masakazu Masujima became the Chairperson of Examination Committee on Subsidy​ for Point Rebate Program Using Individual Number Cards, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
• Kazuo Yoshida became a member of Study Group on Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Genetic Testing Businesses, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
• Atsushi Okada becomes member of AI Social Implementation Guide Working Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
• Hiroki Saito became the member of the Committee on “Research on Licensing Concerning Patent Rights, etc. in Commissioned Research and Development” for the FY 2020 Industrial Science and Technology Research Project, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
• Firm's lawyers submit a report for the "2019 Industrial Economy Research Project (Research on Foreign Structures for Coordinating Issues Regarding Working Hours and Health Management in Side Work and Secondary Businesses)"

One lawyer has been assigned to METI as a fixed-term government employee.

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)

• Shuya Nomura became a member of Council of Experts Concerning Governance of Incorporated Educational Institutions, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
• Hajime Tanahashi became a member of the National University Corporation Evaluation Committee, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW)​

• Takamasa Horio became a member of the Exploratory Committee on Promotion of Remanufactured SUD for the Project to Establish Remanufactured SUD Standards, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
• Takamasa Horio became the member of Study Group on Countermeasures against Cannabis and Other Drugs, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

One lawyer has been assigned to MHLW as a fixed-term government employee.

Ministry of Justice (MOJ)

• Atsuko Matsui became a member of Japanese Law Translation Council, Ministry of Justice
• Takashi Uchida becomes chairman of the Legislative Council of the Ministry of Justice
• Satoshi Kawai becomes Member of the Arbitration Legislative Subcommittee of the Legislative Council, Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

One lawyer has been assigned to MIAC as a fixed-term government employee.

Patent Office

• Masakazu Masujima became the member of the Committee on "Research on Contract Guidelines by Technical Field (AI, Etc.) to Promote Open Innovation" for Research on Issues Concerning Industrial Property Rights Systems for FY 2020, Japan Patent Office
• Masakazu Masujima became a member of Expert Committee for the Study of Intellectual Property Strategy for Promoting Open Innovation by Large Companies, Etc., Japan Patent Office

Financial Services Agency

Two lawyers have been assigned to FSA as a fixed-term government employee.

Consumer Affairs Agency

One lawyer has been assigned to CAA as a fixed-term government employee.

Cabinet Office

One lawyer has been assigned to Cabinet Office as a fixed-term government employee.

Cabinet Secretariat

• Masakazu Masujima became a member of Public-Private Group for Promoting Blockchain, Cabinet Secretariat
• Masakazu Masujima became a member of Trusted Web Promotion Council, Cabinet Secretariat

Other public organizations

• Hiroki Habuka became the member of Global Future Council on Agile Governance, The World Economic Forum
• Hiroki Saito became the President of Licensing Executives Society Japan
• Shuya Nomura became a member of JP Reform Implementation Committee, Japan Post Group
• Shuya Nomura became a member of the Independent Investigation Commission on the Japanese Government’s Response to COVID-19, Asia Pacific Initiative
• Masakazu Masujima became the member of Examination Committee on the Core Businesses Verification Project, PPP Data Platform, Tokyo Metropolitan Government
• Wataru Ishida became the ｍentor at NEXs Tokyo
• Kunio Miyaoka became the project member of "Comprehensive Research on the Current International Trade/Investment System (Part V)," hosted by Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI)
• Mugi Sekido became an advisory board member of Japan International Dispute Resolution Center
• Masafumi Masuda became the mentor of TORANOMON HILLS INCUBATION CENTER "ARCH"
• Takuto Ichimura became a member of the Review Committee on the Master Plan Regarding Cross-regional Interconnection Lines and Rules for System Usage, organized by the Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators
• Hajime Tanahashi became Comptroller of the University of Tokyo
• Tony Grundy became Co-Chair of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce, Legal Services Interest Group
• Tony Grundy became the Program Director, Asia Chief Legal Officers Council, The Conference Board
• Shigehiko Ishimoto became Director of Japan-China Investment Promotion Organization
• Tetsushi Kamimura became a Lecturer for the Infringement Litigation Training Program for Patent Attorneys at the Japan Patent Attorneys Association
• Yusuke Murakami became the lecturer at Nagasaki Ocean Academy
• Takamasa Horio became a member of Review Committee for Study Regarding Pharmaceutical Regulations on Medical Equipment Programs Utilizing Artificial Intelligence and Other Advanced Technology, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
• Masafumi Masuda became Legal Counsel of the NFT Subcommittee, Japan Cryptoasset Business Association
• Masafumi Masuda became a partner of PMI Legal Community, Public Meets Innovation
• Firm became the External Counsel of Advisory Centre on WTO Law （Geneva, Switzerland）

Educational Activities

A number of lawyers from the firm are currently teaching at law schools, universities and legal organizations. In 2020, five lawyers were newly appointed to educational institutions to help foster the next generation of legal professionals.

The firm has also been offering the opportunity to experience the work of a lawyer and actively strives to train future legal professionals by accepting legal apprentices for practical training and training at a large-scale firm, as well as through other programs such as externships for students.

In 2020, 33 lawyers taught in 19 educational institutions (listed below) throughout Japan. These institutions vary from public universities and law schools to legal organizations.

　　　

Tohoku Region
The Research Support and Industry- Academic Collaboration Center, Iwate University	Takuya Iizuka
Graduate School of Tohoku University	Takuya Iizuka
Tohoku University Law School	Ko Fujita and Akira Marumo
Hokuriku Region
Kanazawa University Law School	Hiromasa Arai
Kanto Region
Graduate Schools of Aoyama Gakuin University	Hiroko Yamamoto and Atsushi Okada
Keio University Law School	Hideki Utsunomiya, Taro Omoto, Yuko Kanamaru and Yuriko Yamazaki
Chuo University Graduate School of Law	Shuya Nomura
The University of Tokyo	Atsushi Okada
The University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics	Masanori Sato and Gaku Ishiwata
The University of Tokyo School of Law	Shigehiko Ishimoto, Hiroyuki Tachiiri, and Ryotaro Tanaka
The University of Tokyo Graduate Schools of Public Policy	Hiroki Habuka
Graduate School of Law, Hitotsubashi University	Seiichi Okazaki, Yusuke Ishii, Hiromasa Arai, Aritsune Miyoda and Yusuke Ueda
Waseda University	Takashi Uchida and Yoshikazu Abe
Waseda Law School	Hajime Tanahashi, Tetsushi Kamimura and Mitsuhiro Tateishi
Chubu Region
Nagoya University Law School	Yoshihiro Kojima and Toshimitsu Nemoto
Kansai Region
Kyoto University Law School	Shuhei Uchida
Kyoto University of the Arts	Takao Kitano
Kinki Region
Kobe University Law School	Takuya Eguchi and Yoshinori Usui
Overseas
Cornell Law School	Takayuki Kihira

Pro Bono Projects

The firm actively participates in pro bono projects, including legal education projects and refugee assistance activities, mainly through team-based endeavors undertaken by our younger lawyers.

Further, lawyers of the firm participate in various activities that encourage respect for diversity among individuals. As an example, one of our lawyers is a director of Lawyers for LGBT and Allies Network (LLAN).

• Firm sponsors the "Universal Children's Day Charity Walk 2019"
• Yoshikazu Abe became a chairperson of the LGBT Subcommittee, Law Research Institute, Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association
• MHM prepares, in collaboration with LLAN, English translation of complaints, evidence materials, and judgments regarding a lawsuit in push for same-sex marriage rights
• Yasuzo Takeno gives a speech at FT Innovative Lawyers Awards for Asia-Pacific on August 6 at 17:30
• MHM prepares English translation of guides for the partnership certificate in Shibuya City
• Kei Furuichi gave a speech at “Seminar regarding the Current Status of LGBTQ Rights in Japan” sponsored by the Lawyers for LGBT and Allies Network
• Kei Furuichi and Kohei Wachi joined as lecturers the class of “Respect for gender diversity and law” at the Graduate School of Law, the University of the Ryukyus
• MHM prepared English translation of the document requesting signatures for a joint declaration on “Business Support for LGBT Equality”of the Equality Act Japan