General Outward/Inward
Direct Investment
General International Business
Areas of Practice

General Outward/Inward Direct Investment
We provide comprehensive services with respect to participation by foreign companies in the Japanese market, establishment of business overseas by Japanese companies, government approvals, and drafting of relevant agreements. In concrete terms, our major practice covers the establishment of local companies and branches, approvals and licensing incidental to the above, restructuring of domestic and foreign companies, plant construction, property and hotel investment, joint ventures, technical assistance agreements, and distributorship agreements. Needless to say, we provide advice on daily legal problems arising out of the business activities of our clients wherever they may be carried out.

General International Business
We provide legal advice concerning matters arising in the course of international business. This includes legal drafting, analyses and investigation, negotiations, execution and performance in connection with agreements. We handle various agreements, including agreements for import and export of pharmaceuticals, food or other goods, licensing of trademarks, techniques or brands, subcontracts for technical development, and agreements for public performances and commercial appearances by people in show business and sports.

Mergers and Acquisitions
We believe that we have the preeminent corporate mergers and acquisitions practice in Japan. For a number of years we have been involved in various kinds of merger and acquisition transactions - both negotiated and non-negotiated - that have taken place in Japan. We also represent investment banks and other financial institutions in mergers and acquisitions and other transactions throughout Japan. For example, for a major U.S. investment banking firm, we completed its acquisition of a major portion of the business of a major Japanese investment banking firm which was financially ruined.

Structured Finance (Securitization)
We advise issuers and underwriters on the conversion of cash-generating assets into marketable securities. Our activities encompass mortgage-backed securities issuances and receivables-backed financings. We have worked on many of the offerings that are establishing precedents for future developments in the field of securitization, especially in respect of commercial mortgage-backed securities, consumer credit receivables and financings related to the construction of buildings.

Capital Markets
Our practice includes the entire range of corporate financing vehicles, from public offerings to private placements of debt and equity securities. We have considerable experience in all forms of debt and equity combinations, convertible securities, initial public offerings, securities issuances in Japan by foreign issuers and issuances in the Eurodollar or Euroyen and other securities markets outside Japan. We represent both issuers and underwriters.

Banking and Institutional Investing
Acting for major Japanese and foreign banks, securities companies, insurance companies, and other financial institutions, we provide prompt and detailed advice and assistance with respect to drafting, negotiation, execution and performance of international or domestic loan agreements. We have extensive experience in all types of loan transactions from simple yen loans and syndicated loans, to major project, and ship and aircraft financing transactions. For our foreign financial institution clients, we also provide services for representative office and branch registration, and filing to obtain proper licenses for banking, securities and insurance business, and all other establishment and regulatory services.

Commercial and Investment Banking Regulations
We have kept in the forefront of the rapid changes in the Japanese financial industry, and have advised and assisted our clients in downsizing branches, amalgamating banking and securities offices in an economical and legally acceptable manner, and in creating economies of operations by establishment of local and/or offshore service company subsidiaries to handle clerical and back office functions jointly for bank and securities entities within the same financial institution. We frequently advise financial institutions in connection with the Financial Services Agency’s investigations of their financial and other affairs. Our firm has recently strengthened its capability in respect of such field of law by arranging to have a group of attorneys having expertise therein added to our firm. As changes to open the Japanese financial markets develop, we are ready to ensure that our clients, with our assistance, can be among the first to enjoy the benefits of such changes.

Venture Businesses
Our firm not only represent companies in the venture stage of their development in connection with their initial public offerings of stocks in Japan and/or the United States, but also provide legal advice to consulting firms engaged in such business.

Human Resources and Employment
We provide services on a broad range of matters relating to human resources (HR) and employment, including, among other things, matters and advice on: drafting HR-related rules such as rules of employment, etc.; establishing and changing personnel systems; overtime issues; sexual harassment and power harassment; internal compliance pertaining to employee misconduct, etc.; issues regarding temporary staff and dispatched workers, etc.; disputes regarding commencement, change, or termination of employment relations; employment policies during corporate restructuring, etc.; issues regarding non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality of officers and employees; and handling matters of collective bargaining and labor disputes. In particular, we have strong expertise in dealing with legal issues pertaining to preventive measures and dispute resolution regarding HR and employment matters unique to Japanese subsidiaries or offices, etc. of foreign companies.

Litigation, Arbitration and Bankruptcy
Our firm has a high level of expertise in matters which may lead to lawsuits or arbitration. Our firm has recently strengthened its capability in respect of such field of law by arranging to have a group of attorneys having expertise therein added to our firm.
We also have extensive experience both in Japan and overseas with respect to bankruptcy, credit recovery on behalf of either creditors or debtors, voluntary winding up, receivership, corporate reorganization, and civil rehabilitation.

Intellectual Property
Our firm has much experience in various types of intellectual property matters including copyright, patents and trademarks. We also provide services for clients involved in disputes concerning intellectual property.

Tax-related and Other Government-related Proceedings and Litigation
Our firm has attorneys having an abundant experience of engaging in government-related business and provides, in response to the needs of its clients, a broad range of legal services including representation of such clients in connection with negotiations with the tax authorities, petitions for examinations of decisions of the tax authorities to which objections have been raised, tax-related litigation, and tax-related criminal cases. Our firm also provides a broad range of legal services in connection with other ordinary government-related proceedings, litigation, etc.

General Domestic Affairs
We provide a wide variety of legal services, including those relating to ordinary transactions and corporate, management and restructuring issues, for Japanese corporations including Japanese subsidiaries of foreign enterprises.

U.S.A./Europe/Asia Pacific
Since its establishment by Thomas Blakemore, the law firm of Blakemore & Mitsuki has had a long tradition of supporting clients involved in cross-border transactions. Since the reconstruction era after WWII, Blakemore & Mitsuki has contributed to the introduction into Japan of innovative US businesses. Blakemore & Mitsuki has also advised both domestic and overseas clients conducting inbound investments in Japan. On the other hand, during the high-growth era, Blakemore & Mitsuki advised Japanese companies that were investing in the US. Based on the trend of Japanese companies investing in Asia Pacific regions on the grounds that such regions are rapidly growing, Blakemore & Mitsuki has attorneys who have the experience to support such Japanese companies as well as those which invest in US and Europe, through which Blakemore & Mitsuki is accumulating expertise, as well as creating networking opportunities with leading foreign firms.

Global Data / Documentation Control
For many years, and for many subsidiaries located in Japan, which belong to multinational corporations that are based in Europe and North America, we, at the law firm of Blakemore & Mitsuki, have handled and performed matters regarding preparing various kinds of corporate-related materials (such as, for example, various kinds of minutes, privacy policies, codes of ethics, employment rules, etc.), and carrying out corporate registrations and official gazette publications (and in some cases, performing such matters, where necessary, in collaboration with law firms overseas).

Based on such experience, our law firm has cooperated in strong and powerful management of the foreign subsidiaries (Japan subsidiaries) of such multinational corporations, with a legal-based grip on such matters, and through the aim of unifying such multinational corporations’ legal-related material forms and policies.

On the other hand, and for the purpose of multinational corporations that have a base in Japan, and Japanese mid-sized companies and owner-owned companies (i.e. companies where the manager is the majority stockholder) that have expanded (or are thinking about expanding) overseas, we are also involved in projects to strongly and powerfully push forward with a legal-based direct management by Japan head offices, by unifying (or maintaining the consistency of) various kinds of corporate-related materials for overseas subsidiaries (such as, for example, various kinds of minutes, privacy policies, codes of ethics, employment rules, etc.), with those of the Japan head offices.

With the meaning of making a contribution to such matters, and while still maintaining the relationships we have had up to now with law firms overseas, recently our law firm became the only member firm in Japan of Ally Law, which is a global network of law firms (the total number of attorneys exceeding 2,800 persons), with over 70 law firm members in more than 40 countries.

However, with respect to matters that take place in such countries or regions, and taking into consideration the wishes of clients, and the close relationships that our law firm has had up to now with law firms that are in the same countries and regions but that are not Ally Law member firms, it is possible to ask a non-Ally Law member law firm to become involved regarding such matters. So, the relationship between our firm and Ally Law is not an exclusive one (where one must ask a member firm for involvement).

A list of the names and locations of the Ally Law member firms is set forth below.
Asia Pacific
Australia - BrisbaneThynne & Macartney
Australia - MelbourneRussell Kennedy
Australia - SydneyRussell Kennedy
Australia - PerthCivic Legal
China - Hong KongBoase Cohen & Collins
China - Shanghai + BeijingR&P China Lawyers
IndiaAdvaya Legal
IndonesiaLegisperitus Lawyers
JapanBlakemore & Mitsuki
MalaysiaRaslan Loong, Shen & Eow
New ZealandMcVeagh Fleming
PhilippinesZGLaw
SingaporeA. Ang Seah & Hoe
South KoreaHankyul Law Group
TaiwanFormosan Brothers
ThailandDuensing Kippen
VietnamLNT & Partners


Americas
ArgentinaRichards Cardinal Tutzer Zabala Zaefferer
BrazilCascione Pulino Boulos Advogados
Canada - Edmonton + AlbertaBryan & Company
Canada - Montreal + QuebecSpiegel Sohmer
Canada - Vancouver + British ColumbiaKornfeld LLP
Canada - Toronto + OntarioTorkin Manes LLP
Mexico - Mexico CityCornejo Mendez Gonzalez & Duarte
Mexico - MonterreyD & A Morales & Asociados SC
UruguayLapique & Santeugini
USA - AlaskaBirch Horton Bittner and Cherot
USA - Northern CaliforniaBerliner Cohen, LLP
USA - Southern CaliforniaMusick, Peeler & Garrett LLP
USA - ColoradoMoye White LLP
USA - DelawareThe Stewart Law Firm
USA - FloridaWilliams Parker Harrison Dietz & Getzen
USA - IllinoisMuch
USA - KansasEvans & Dixon
USA - MassachusettsRich May
USA - MichiganVarnum LLP
USA - MissouriEvans & Dixon
USA - NebraskaEvans & Dixon
USA - NevadaFabian VanCott
USA - New YorkPhillips Nizer LLP
USA - North CarolinaSmith Anderson
USA - OhioVorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP
USA - PennsylvaniaObermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP
USA - TexasVorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP
USA - UtahFabian VanCott
USA - WashingtonSummit Law Group
USA - Washington, DCKalbian Hagerty LLP
VenezuelaPerez Duin, Gutierrez & Rodriguez
ChileArteaga, Gorziglia
ColumbiaCuberos Cortés Gutiérrez
PeruSantiváñez Abogados


Europe, Middle East, Africa
AustriaGibel Zirm Rechtsanwalte
BahrainAl Jabal Consultancy W.L.L
BelgiumLallemand Legros & Joyn
BulgariaKalaidjiev & Georgiev
CyprusGeorgiades & Pelides
Czech RepublicHolec Zuska & Partners
DenmarkTVC Law Firm
England - WalesEdwin Coe LLP
FinlandApplex
FranceAlerion
GermanyMelchers
GreeceYour Legal Partners
HungaryKCG Partners
IsraelLipa Meir & Co.
ItalyGitti and Partners
LatviaSpridzans Law Office
MaltaWH Partners
MauritiusLallemand Legros & Joyn (LLJ)
NetherlandsDe Metz Advocaten
NigeriaMore information
PolandIzabella Żyglicka and Partners
PortugalTeixeira de Freitas, Rodrigues & Associados
SpainMarti & Associats
SwedenLindmark Welinder
SwitzerlandBlum & Grob Attorneys at Law Ltd
UkraineDynasty Legal
United Arab EmiratesKalbian Hagerty LLP

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