Representative Partner
Kengo Nishigaki
西垣建剛
Professional Summary
Kengo Nishigaki founded GI&T Law Office LC in 2020. Before then, he worked for Baker & McKenzie from 2000 to 2020, being a partner of the dispute resolution group for longer than 10 years. He also belonged to Corporate M&A Group to support clients for international M&A and joint venture transactions. From 2004 to 2005, he worked at Baker & McKenzie's Chicago office where he assisted a case related to compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and formation of joint venture in the chemical industry. He is admitted to practice in Japan and New York. Kengo was partially seconded to ZimmerBiomet at its Japanese subsidiary, a global medical device company to support their in-house work from 2016 to 2017.
Practice Focus
Kengo's practice focuses on fraud investigations for Japanese and foreign listed companies, as well as matters related to compliance with anti-corruption laws including the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, UK Bribery Act and the Unfair Competition Prevention Act of Japan. Kengo also assists major Japanese and foreign-listed companies in litigations and other types of dispute resolutions such as arbitration and mediation for the healthcare and IT industry. Further he represents international clients to form joint ventures and conduct M&A transactions, and assists them with setting up operations in Japan.
Representative Clients, Cases or Matters
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Assisted Japanese listed companies with establishing global whistleblower systems.
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Represented a global pharmaceutical company for an international arbitration at ICC Paris.
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Assisted a listed US company to form a joint venture with a listed Japanese company in the chemical industry.
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Represented an international IT company operating in Tokyo for several labor disputes at the courts of Japan.
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Represented a Japanese real estate company for negotiation with an international hotel chain to open a hotel in Tokyo.
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Conducting internal investigations for major international pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
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Assisted global pharmaceutical and medical device companies with clinical research agreements with hospitals.
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Assisted one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies in a dispute with the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, the largest Japanese pharmaceutical industry organization, regarding alleged inappropriate spending on healthcare professionals.
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Assisted one of the world's largest medical device companies in a dispute with the Japan Fair Competition Council, a medical device industry association given regulatory authority under the Japanese Anti-Trust Law.
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Assisted one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies in establishing off-label and donation compliance systems.
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Conducted nationwide anti-corruption seminars for American Medical Device and Diagnostics, an industry organization of American medical technology and diagnostic companies in Japan in 2012 to 2017.
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Served as a member of a third party investigation committee for Japan Transportation Consultants, one of the largest consulting and engineering companies in Japan, regarding its suspected bribery of foreign officials in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan which led to the arrest of four company officials in Vietnam and a further investigation in Indonesia. This has been the largest foreign bribery case since the enactment of Article 18 of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act of Japan to comply with to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.
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Assisted major listed Japanese companies with establishing and implementing their anti-corruption policies (in pharmaceutical, medical technology, trading, printing, automotive and chemical industries).
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Conducted anti-corruption analysis for one of the largest US defense companies in terms of its relationship with a Japanese trading company.
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Conducted fraud investigations as a member of an independent committee of a Japan-listed company.
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Conducted fraud investigations and represented a major IT-related company in a lawsuit.
Publications, Presentations and Articles
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Co-author, "Practical Operations for Global Hotline System", Chuokeizai-sha, May 2022, Language: Japanese.
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Provide FCPA trainings to dealers in the medical device industry for American Medical Devices and Diagnostics, an industry organization, from 2012 to 2020.
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Authored "Introduction to FCPA Resource Guide 2nd Edition", Business Law Journal, LexisNexis, November 2020.
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Chief editor and co-author, "Anti-Corruption Practice for Companies Doing Business Abroad, " Chuokeizai-sha, May 20, 2013, Language: Japanese.
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Co-author, "How to Respond to FCPA Resource Guide", Business Law Journal, Lexis Nexis, March 2013.
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Co-author, "UK Bribery Act", Business Law Journal, LexisNexis, August 2011.
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Co-author, "Response to Risks Arising from UK Bribery Act 2010", Junkan Keirijouhou, Chuokeizai-sha, April 2011.
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Co-author and editor, "Legal and tax practices on conducting business in Asia - from business start-up to expansion and withdrawal," Chuokeizai-sha, August 2011, Language: Japanese.
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Co-author, "Joint Venture and Contracts", special series, Business Homu, June, August and October 2008.
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Author, "Practical Response to Reporting Obligations under the Consumer Product Safety Act", Business Homu, February 2008.
Professional Affiliations
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Kengo is a member of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, the Tokyo Bar Association and the New York Bar Association.
Education and Admission
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Kengo received his LLB from the University of Tokyo, and his LLM from the New York University School of Law.
Work History
2020- Current Representative Partner, GI&T Law Office, LC
2000 – 2020 Baker McKenzie Tokyo Office
2008 – 2020 Partner, Dispute Resolution Group, Baker McKenzie Tokyo Office
Languages
- Japanese, English
Partner
Tsutomu Hiraishi
平石努
Overview
Tsutomu Hiraishi obtained his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tokyo in 1988. Further, he received his Master of Laws from University of Pennsylvania, Law School (LL.M.) in 1993 and New York University, School of Law (LL.M. in Corporation Law) in 1994. In 1998 – 2000, he attended a training course at the Legal Training and Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan.
Representative Clients, Cases or Matters
In 1988 – 1996, he worked for the Bank of Tokyo, Ltd. (Kanda Office, Capital Markets Division, and Legal Department). After the mandatory two-year training at the Legal Training and Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan, he joined Baker & McKenzie GJBJ – Tokyo Aoyama Aoki Koma Law Office in April 2000 and worked as a partner (2006- ) there, until he moved to Jakarta in January 2012.
There are so many works and represented clients, such as Japanese government agencies (JETRO, JBIC, NEDO, etc.), banks, securities companies, major manufacturing companies, trading companies, etc. in relation to cross-border transactions, foreign investment, emissions trading, structured finance, etc. With respect to the businesses of Japanese companies in Indonesia, he assisted many clients which established joint venture companies, obtained finance from local banks, liquidated its subsidiary, started real estate development projects, filed a civil litigation and criminal report, researched foreign investment regulations or needed other various legal assistance in Indonesia.
From September 2003 until September 2004, he was stationed in Jakarta as Project Formulation Officer (Judicial Reform) of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and dedicated himself to judicial reform by the Supreme Court in Indonesia.
Education and admission
Tsutomu is qualified to practice law in the State of New York (1994), Japan (2000), and England & Wales (2020).
Language
- Japanese, English, Bahasa Indonesia
Partner
萩野敦司
Atsushi Hagino
Overview
Atsushi Hagino started his career focusing on corporate compliance including litigations and bankruptcy in Japan after admitted in Japan in 2000. Atsushi is fluent in Chinese and he has been assisted major Japanese companies both in Japan and China in their advancement into Chinese markets, operation, withdrawal, intellectual property, dispute resolution and other Chinese legal affairs. In the trends of China Plus One, Atsushi also acquired various Asian languages such as Thai, Vietnamese, and Burmese, and provide legal support for Japanese companies related to these countries. Since 2019, Atsushi has been appointed as a legal advisor of Asia Alliance Partner Co., Ltd. in Thailand, and assisted Japanese companies in Thailand with contracts, labor, land, customs and other legal issues.
Education
1998 BSc Law, University of Tokyo
2002 Diploma in Short-term Chinese language course, Beijing Language and Culture University (now Beijing Language University)
2012 LL.M in International Commercial Law, Queen Mary, University of London
Work History
1998-2000 The Legal Training and Research Institute of Japan, Law Apprentice
2000-2001 Tanabe & Partners, Associate
2001-2019 Uryu & Itoga (the former name: Itoga Law Office)
2005-2019 Partner
2005-2010 Representative of Shanghai Office
2014-2016 Representative of Beijing Office
2009 Adjunct Instructor, Kyushu University
2019 - Legal Advisor of Asia Alliance Partner, Co., Ltd. (Bangkok, Thailand)
2020 - GI&T Law Office, Partner
Languages
- Japanese, English, Mandarin Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Burnese
Counsel
(Foreign Registered Lawyer)
Andrew T. Griffin
Overview
After graduating from Vanderbilt Law School in 1989, Andrew Griffin became a research associate in Soviet and East Bloc Law at Vanderbilt. In 1991, Andrew began his career in the oil & gas industry, working for major US oil companies in large-scale petroleum-production, crude oil sales, storage, transportation and marketing, and coalbed methane projects in Russia and Poland. He was a member of the negotiating group that created the first US-Russia oil-production joint venture in Arkhangelsk, Ukhta and Naryan Mar, Russia. Later Andrew was an oil trader (the company specifically wanted a US Russian-speaking lawyer for this position) for a JV based in West Siberia, Houston, and Moscow. Andrew was charged with insuring that the JV did not violate the FCPA in the hazardous business environment of Russia in the mid-90s. Andrew also has experience as in—house counsel for a Houston-based oil company working in the areas of refining and petroleum products, marine law, marketing, sales, storage and transportation both in Houston and several countries in Central and South America, including the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Venezuela. In 2001, Andrew joined a US law firm and worked at their office in Almaty, Kazakhstan, advising clients in oil & gas JVs, government relations (Andrew served in several committees of the Kazakh parliament advising on draft legislation) and construction arbitration. Since 2006, Andrew has been in Tokyo where he has been international in-house counsel for a top Japanese construction company, chief compliance officer for a major Japanese oil & gas offshore production company and law firm of counsel. During his tenure as chief compliance officer, Andrew conducted investigations of potential FCPA and sanctions violations, allegations of contract-fixing, kick-backs, bribery, and various forms of harassment. Andrew has near-native proficiency in Russian and Polish, is fluent in Spanish and has proficiency to perform legal work in Japanese, Portuguese and Ukrainian.
Education
1980 BA in Russian and Polish, University of Tennessee
1986 MA and PhD Candidate in Slavic Languages and Literatures, Ohio State University
1989 JD, Vanderbilt Law School
Work History
1989-1990 Research Associate at Vanderbilt Law School in USSR and East Block Law
1991-2001 In-house counsel at Conoco Overseas Oil Company, Occidental Petroleum and The Coastal Corporation
2001-2005 Senior Associate and Counsel at Denton Wilde and Coudert Brothers in Almaty, Kazakhstan
2006-2007 Senior Associate at DLA Piper, Tokyo
2008-2012 Senior Legal Counsel at Taisei Construction Company, Tokyo
2013-2015 Chief Compliance Officer MODEC, Tokyo
2015-2018 General Counsel for SIFRO Limited, AI Start-Up Company, Shanghai and Almaty, Kazakhstan
2018-2022 Foreign Registered Lawyer at Uryu & Itoga, Tokyo
2022-present Foreign Registered Lawyer at GI&T Law Office, LC
Academic
Adjunct Professor at Asia Pacific University Ritsumeikan – 2017 to present
Legal Strategy in Business: business law, international projects, FCPA and UK Bribery Act, practical problems in compliance in overseas projects.
Languages
- English, Russian, Polish, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Ukrainian
Counsel
宮崎裕子
Hiroko Miyazaki
Overview
Hiroko Miyazaki has worked in prominent law firms in both Japan and the USA over 10 years, where she has engaged in a variety of legal matters, including M&A, international transactions, antitrust law, intellectual property law, labor law, personal data protection law, tax law, civil and criminal litigation, and bankruptcy proceedings. Hiroko's professional path includes significant roles at Dell Japan, Alcon Japan Ltd., and 3M Japan Limited, where she led legal departments. Since 2021, she has served as President and Representative Director at 3M Japan.
Education
Hiroko received her LL.B. from Keio University and LL. M. from University of Washington School of Law. She was registered with the Daini Tokyo Bar Association in 1996 and also admitted in New York State in 2005.
Work History
1996 Showa Law Office (current Jones Day)
2001 Asahi Koma Law Office (current Nishimura & Asahi)
2004 Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Seattle, USA
2006 Asahi Koma Law Ofice (current Nishimura & Asahi)
2007-2013 Dell Inc., Heal of Legal Department, Japan Lead Legal Counsel
2013-2017 Alcon Japan Ltd., Director of Legal and Compliance
2017-2021 3M Japan Limited, Executive Officer, General Counsel
2021-Oct 2023 3M Japan Limited, Representative Director
2024 GI&T Law Office, LC, Counsel
Languages
- Japanese, English
Yuka Yamada
山田裕香
Counsel
Overview
Yuka Yamada has been engaged in a diverse and dynamic legal career, demonstrating expertise across various sectors. After her initial registration with the Tokyo Bar Association in 2007, she joined Baker McKenzie, where she focused on corporate legal affairs, including M&A. Her tenure at Mitsui & Co., Ltd., beginning in 2010, and subsequent roles at a major pharmaceutical company and a German-based automobile conglomerate, have further enriched her experience in general corporate legal affairs, M&A, antitrust law, personal information protection law, labor law, dispute resolution, and compliance-related matters. She has also experience working in the UK during her tenure at Mitsui & Co, skilled in reviewing English contracts and negotiating in English.
Education and Admission
Yuka received her LL.B. from Keio University. She registered with the Tokyo Bar Association in 2007. She is also a member of the Japan In-House Lawyers Association (JILA).
Work History
2007 Baker McKenzie Tokyo Office
2010 Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
2018 Major pharmaceutical company
2020 German-based major automobile company and auto finance company, Manager and General Counsel
2024 GI&T Law Office, LC, Counsel
Languages
- Japanese, English
Patrick Forman
Counsel
Overview
Patrick Forman joined London law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in 2008, where he advised multinational companies on complex litigation and internal investigations. During his time in private practice, Patrick was seconded to an oil super-major and a prominent investment bank, as well as the firms' Washington DC office.
Patrick subsequently joined British Telecom plc, a leading UK telecoms, technology and media company, as Senior Counsel in 2015. At British Telecom he focused on privacy, AI and data ethics, cyber security and online harm. He advises on the GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, Net Neutrality Regulation, the EU's proposed EU AI Act, the UK Investigatory Powers Act, and related international human rights standards.
Patrick joined GI&T Law Office in October 2023.
Education
2004 BA History, Oxford University
2007 BPP Law School, London
2010 Admitted as a Solicitor, England and Wales
2011 Qualified as a Solicitor Advocate, England and Wales
2015 British Computer Society, Certificate in Data Protection
2018 Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E)
Work History
2008 – 2015 Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Associate, London
2015 – 2021 British Telecom plc, Senior Counsel, London
2023 Joined GI&T Law Office, LC
Languages
- English
Counsel
Nobuhiro Matsuo
松尾宣宏
Overview
Nobuhiro Matsuo had been engaged in the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases at various local prosecutor's offices since 2005. From 2015 to 2017, he worked as a government attorney at the International Cooperation Department (ICD) of the Ministry of Justice’s Research and Training Institute, where he was involved in providing legal system development support to Asian countries, such as training programs for legal and judicial personnel from target countries in Japan, as well as planning and operation of high-level official invitation programs for legal and judicial institutions. From 2017, Nobuhiro participated in the Vietnam Legal and Judicial Support Project of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and was dispatched to Vietnam as a long-term legal expert for two years. Working alongside local legal and judicial institutions, he was involved in planning and implementation of seminars and workshops to share knowledge and experience of Japan's legal system. In September 2019, he received the " Commemorative Medal for Contribution to Procuracy Operations" from the Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam, one of the counterparts of the same project. Since 2019, Nobuhiro has been engaged in investigation and prosecution of criminal cases at various local prosecutor's offices again, where he applies his experience and skills in thorough and efficient collection of evidence, including interviews with related parties, and in making accurate claims and evidence in disputes, as well as experience in legal system development support work to support cross-border legal services in Asian countries and beyond.
Publications and Articles
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"Overview of Vietnam's 2015 Criminal Procedure Code", ICD NEWS No. 79, International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Justice's Research and Training Institute, June 2019
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"Overview of Vietnam's 2015 Penal Code", ICD NEWS No. 80, September 2019
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Revised and supplemented translation of Vietnam's 2015 Penal Code (after the 2017 revision and supplementation), the Ministry of Justice's website
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Revised and supplemented translation of Vietnam's 2015 Criminal Procedure Code (same as above)
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"Phone fraud cases : Successfully conducted investigation through the use of related laws and regulations to establish the facts of the crime and to successively secure the custody of the suspects for pushing-up investigations", Sousa Kenkyu, Tokyo Horei Publishing, June 2011
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"Intention is Embodied in Action - From Two Common Cases", Sousa Kenkyu. Tokyo Horei Publishing, October 2013
Work History
2004 Judicial apprentice at the Supreme Court
2005-2015 Prosecutor, local prosecutor's offices (Tokyo,Osaka,Hiroshima,Chiba,Yokohama,Okayama)
2015-2017 Government Attorney, the International Cooperation Department (ICD) of the Ministry of Justice's Research and Training Institute
2017-2019 Long-term legal expert in Vietnam, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
2019-2023 Prosecutor, local prosecutor's offices (Tokyo, Mito, Chiba)
2023 Registered with the Tokyo Bar Association and joined GI&T Law Office, LC
Education and Admission
Nobuhiro received his LLB from Kyoto University. He is a member of the Tokyo Bar Association and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations. He is also a non-voting member of Committee for International Judicial Cooperations of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations and a member of Special Committee for Countermeasures for Anti-social Forces of the Tokyo Bar Association.
Languages
- Japanese, English, Vietnamese
Senior Associate
山本祐司
Yuji Yamamoto
Overview
Yuji Yamamoto joined GI&T Law Office in September 2020. Prior to joining GI&T Law Office, Yuji served as corporate counsel at one of the largest frozen food and logistics companies in Tokyo from 2017, where he was responsible for reviewing domestic and international contracts, managing M&A transactions, ensuring GDPR compliance and adherence to other personal data protection laws, handling labor law cases, and overseeing risk management related to compliance violations.
In addition to these areas, he provides services related to investigations of compliance violations for companies in Japan and abroad, supports the establishment and operation of global whistleblowing systems, and handles litigation and dispute resolution both domestically and internationally. He also provides services to the logistics and warehousing industries.
Publications
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Co-author and editor, "Legal Practices in the Logistics, Warehousing, and Delivery Industries: Q&A Guide", Chuokeizai-sha, October 2022, Language: Japanese.
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Co-author, "Practical Operations for Global Hotline System", Chuokeizai-sha, May 2022, Language: Japanese.
Work History
2014 Admitted in the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, the Tokyo Bar Association
2014 Joined a law firm in Tokyo
2017 Corporate counsel at the frozen food and logistics company in Tokyo
2020 Joined GI&T Law Office, LC
Education and admission
Yuji received his LLB from Waseda University, and his LLM from the University of Tokyo, Graduate Schools of Law. Yuji is a member of the Tokyo Bar Association.
Languages
- Japanese, English
Associate
知念竜之介
Ryunosuke Chinen
Overview
Ryunosuke Chinen joined GI&T Law Office in February 2022. Prior to joining to GI&T Law Office, he worked at MASS PARTNERS Law Firm, where he mainly handled intellectual property matters and corporate litigations. Ryunosuke gained LL.B. from Keio University in 2014 and LL.C. from Chuo University in 2016, and he started his practice in MASS Partners Law Firm
He primarily provides comprehensive support regarding intellectual property matters, including reviewing a draft of patent/design/trademark applications, creating expert opinions concerning success or failure of infringement litigation and representing clients in intellectual property litigation.
Work History
2019 Associate, Mizota Seki Law Office
2019 Associate, MASS Partners Law Firm
2022 Associate, GI&T Law Office, LC
Education and admission
Ryunosuke received his LLB from Keio University, and his LLM from Chuo University, Graduate Schools of Law. He is a member of the Tokyo Bar Association.
Languages
- Japanese, English