Notice of the appointment of our new partners

Prior to joining Nishimura & Asahi in 2017, Natalie worked in London and in Singapore and has acted as counsel in more than 50 arbitration, mediation, and adjudication matters extending across a large range of industries, including shipping, engineering, onshore and offshore construction, aviation, oil and gas, international trade, asset finance, telecommunications, motor racing and automotive distribution. Aside from acting in contentious proceedings, Natalie regularly advises on dispute prevention and risk management. In 2015, Natalie was named Asia Women in Business Law’s “Rising Star for Litigation”. She is ranked in the 2021,2022 and 2023 editions of Who’s Who Legal (Arbitration).She is also ranked in the 2021 and 2022 editions of the Legal 500 (for Real Estate and Construction). Natalie is a contributing author to Singapore International Arbitration: Law and Practice (2nd ed., 2018 , edited by David Joseph, QC and David Foxton, QC).

Toshihito (Toshi) is a member of our corporate and M&A practice groups. He advises corporate clients, both Japanese and non-Japanese, on domestic and cross-border corporate transactions involving various industries and deal structures, including stock and asset acquisitions, mergers, corporate splits, group reorganizations, joint ventures, and strategic alliances. He has extensive experience in representing international clients in their investments into Japan and their ongoing general commercial transactions, as well as assisting Japanese clients with their investments and business expansions into Asia, Europe, the U.S., and other parts of the world, working closely with local counsel. He has a wealth of international experience, including living in the U.K. for seven years and three years in the U.S. Toshi also has expertise in providing strategic advice on other general corporate matters, including corporate governance, compliance, commercial contracts/transactions, and commercial disputes.

In his career as a judge, Ichita Matsunaga has worked in several district courts such as the Tokyo District Court and the Sapporo District Court. In those courts he handled wide range of civil cases such as corporate disputes, labor disputes, and other various cases for damages as well as administrative cases including tax disputes and disputes related to financial products. When he worked for the Secretariat of the Supreme Court, he handled judicial administrative affairs regarding intellectual property disputes and was in charge of preparatory work for the digitalization of civil proceedings. While working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was in charge of international cooperation on counter terrorism, counter transnational organized crime and anti-corruption as well as domestic implementation of those matters. He also handled domestic implementation of the recommendations developed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). While working for the Sapporo District Court, he gave a lecture on civil procedure and practice at Hokkaido University Law School as visiting professor.

Since becoming an attorney-at-law in 2006, I have consistently been involved in bankruptcy and business revitalization practices, gaining experience in diverse cases influenced by the specific industry and business conditions. With these experiences, I have also dedicated efforts to supporting complex business restructuring, devising withdrawal scenarios, and facilitating simulations.

Azusa has been based in N&A’s NY Office since its opening in 2018. Her practice focuses on international arbitration under a wide variety of arbitral rules and often involves complex commercial litigation. As a resident of New York, she often engages in legal proceedings in the US, such as those concerning contractual disputes, M&A-related disputes, consumer litigation including class actions and product liability litigation, and labor disputes involving Japanese companies. Azusa has advised multinational companies in diverse industries, including the pharmaceuticals, automobile, insurance, aviation, construction, solar energy, telecommunications, and electronics fields. She has extensive experience with court proceedings in Japan relating to domestic litigation, arbitration, and multi-jurisdictional disputes. She also assists clients with crisis management matters, including internal investigations, product recalls, and cyber incidents in the United States. Based on her extensive practice experience in both Japan and the United States, she provides timely and thorough support to Japanese companies doing business in the United States.

He served as Director for Foreign Direct Investment Issues at the Ministry of Finance of Japan for three years from 2019 to 2022. During his tenure, he was the chief architect and strategist of the amendment of the FEFTA in 2020, where the threshold for prior mandatory notification for the acquisition of listed company shares by foreign investors was lowered from 10% to 1%. After the enactment of the amendment, he was in charge of reviewing the scope of designated business for the mandatory notification (addition of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment for communicable diseases, and critical mineral resource-related industries), strengthening the operation of screening and post-transaction monitoring, and strengthening cooperation in investment screening with relevant authorities of like-minded countries, including CFIUS of the U.S. He was also engaged in the planning and drafting of the revision of the FEFTA in 2022 (related to crypto assets) and the prohibition of new investment in Russia in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

He is the co-author of a section-by-section commentary on FDI screening under the FEFTA (“Sho-kai Gaitame-hou, Inward Direct Investment and Specified Acquisition Edition” (Shoji Homu, June 2021). He was also a speaker at webinars on FDI screening for government officials of member countries organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

May 2021 – Webinar on Transparency, Predictability and Accountability for investment screening mechanisms
May 2022 – Regulatory proportionality of investment screening mechanisms

He graduated from the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Frontier Sciences (M.S.) in 2004. Due to his technical background, he advises clients on various technology matters, including artificial intelligence (AI), data protection, medical field, healthcare, software, system, cloud computing, information technology, and DX. He has deep knowledge of artificial intelligence because he studied neural networks, which is the main technology of artificial intelligence, in an academic lab for three years. He successfully passed the Japanese patent attorney examination in 2002, and he has been admitted in Japan since 2009. Therefore, he advises clients on various intellectual property law matters due to his technical background and knowledge as a Japanese patent attorney. Regarding dispute matters of intellectual property, he has handled patent litigation, litigation regarding employee inventions, trade secret litigation and so on. Especially, he has considerable experience in trade secret disputes, and he provides a support service on countermeasures against divulging trade secrets, including drafting company regulations, data management practice, and employee training.He graduated from the University of Tokyo (Graduate School of Frontier Sciences) with an M.S. in 2004, passed the Japanese patent agent examination in 2002, and has been admitted to practice law in Japan since 2009. He regularly draws on his technical background and expertise to advise clients on various technology matters, including AI (particularly generative AI), data protection, med-tech, healthcare, software, systems, cloud computing, information technology, DX, and quantum computing. He has a deep understanding of artificial intelligence due to his research on neural networks, and uses his experience as a Japanese patent attorney to advise clients on a wide range of legal matters. He also handles litigation involving patents, employee inventions, trade secrets and other tech and intellectual property issues, and has considerable experience with trade secrets disputes and supporting clients with the establishment and implementation of countermeasures to protect trade secrets, including drafting company regulations, designing data management practices, and conducting employee training.

In 2015, Mr. Takefumi Suzuki was dispatched to a leading foreign law firm in Myanmar, where he was stationed for one year. He was also engaged as a special researcher to research legal affairs and markets in Myanmar for two years by the Ministry of Justice of Japan. He has experience in legal education/public interest projects, such as the project to draft the business legal affairs text book for judges in Myanmar with the cooperation of the Supreme Court of Myanmar, and delivered legal lectures to judges in Myanmar on business legal affairs. He has been engaged in a large number of cross-border transactions, such as cross-border M&A and joint venture transactions, and strives to flexibly handle the cases to adjust to and respect local customs and practices based on his broad experience in emerging and developed countries. He also has extensive experience in providing advice to governments and quasi-governmental organizations in Japan and foreign countries.

Satoru has been engaged in M&A transactions, business alliance/collaboration deals including cross-border transactions since 2010. Also, Satoru was seconded to a legal department and a new business office of listed companies in Japan for 4 years in total, and he dealt with many transactions, such as investment and business alliance/collaboration from the sourcing of the transactions through to the negotiation of the agreement, implementation of the necessary procedures and PMI, and assessing the alliance effect after the closing. Based on this experience, Satoru provides multifaceted legal advice in a timely and flexible manner in accordance with the size and nature of the individual transaction.

Having been stationed at the Hanoi office from 2016 to 2017 and subsequently at the Singapore office since 2019, Tomomi brings a wealth of experience in international construction and infrastructure projects. Her portfolio spans a diverse range of cases, encompassing all areas from negotiation and drafting construction contracts to handling issues arising during project execution, addressing construction disputes, and conducting regulatory research related to construction in both domestic and international projects.

Leveraging her experience in Singapore and Vietnam, she collaborates with qualified lawyers in various jurisdictions, contributing to her extensive expertise in construction projects across the Southeast Asian region. In addition, she actively holds seminars and in-house training sessions on FIDIC, one of the leading standard forms of contract for international construction.
Beyond her focus on construction and infrastructure, she provides broad legal advice on issues related to new investments, joint ventures, and labor matters in Southeast Asian countries, with a particular emphasis on Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Suguru Sato has broad experience and expertise in handling domestic M&A transactions between listed companies, investments in startup companies, acquisitions by private equity funds, going private transactions through tender offer, and cross-border transactions, including strategy planning, structuring, and execution. He gained experience on secondment to two major corporations and had the opportunity to be involved in their internal decision making regarding investments in closed companies and capital and business alliances. Based on this experience, he is able to support his clients in the execution of their transactions, including internal decision making, from a client-friendly viewpoint. He also has substantial experience in advising on shareholder meetings, post-merger integrations, and domestic and cross-border general corporate transactions． Suguru Sato strives to provide his clients with flexible and prompt legal services in line with their particular needs.

Yukihiko handles various types of labor law cases, including those relating to dismissal, termination of employment, recommendation for resignation, claims for overtime pay, reduction of working conditions, personnel transfers, harassment, employment of the elderly, working conditions for non-regular workers (equal pay for equal work), dispatch and disguised contracting, work accidents, claims for damages, unfair labor practices, and others.
He offers a range of options for resolution and focuses on devising effective, practical responses to each type of dispute, and he works in tandem with his clients to achieve optimal solutions for them by putting himself in their shoes.
Owing to Yukihiko, one of our firm's unique strengths is its experience with labor law issues arising from corporate restructuring.
Yukihiko is admitted to the Labor Legislation Committee of the Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association (2011) and the Management Lawyers Council (2018).

Engaged in general corporate legal affairs with a focus on domestic and international M&A transactions, and possessing more than 10 years’ experience in M&A, international restructuring, and fraud investigations relating to China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Based on my practical experience during my secondments to Mainland China and Hong Kong, I am able to resolve difficult cases for Japanese companies with respect to local legal practices and business customs. As a key member of the firm's China Practice Team, I am able to efficiently and expeditiously resolve matters using my connections with several leading firms and other professionals in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Sanshiro primarily handles corporate legal affairs, with a focus on domestic and international M&A, general corporate, and business restructuring matters.
In addition to general M&A cases, he has extensive experience in M&A cases for the purpose of business revitalization and succession (e.g., sale of unprofitable businesses, withdrawal from business, sponsorship, acquisition of successors, etc.). His support is broad, covering issues from general corporate to litigation, international arbitration, and misconduct arising in business operations after M&A transactions. He has also worked on a variety of matters on the client side while on secondment to a manufacturer. In addition, he spent two years stationed in Europe, where he majored in EU law including GDPR and EU consumer law at LL.M. program. He is also known for his detailed and logical seminars.

Michelle’s practice covers advising on various M&A and joint venture transactions across a large range of industries including IT, manufacturing, finance, real estate, retail trade, and energy. She also regularly advises clients on other corporate and commercial matters such as licensing, doing business, labour, data privacy and protection, and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining N&A, Michelle was a lawyer with one of the top law firms in the Philippines. Through her experience, she gives clients invaluable insights into Philippine culture and enhances their understanding of the legal and commercial practices in the country, making clients better equipped to do business in the Philippines.

Yusuke Suzuki has extensive experience in handling corporate crisis management matters across a variety of industries and legal disciplines.
The wide array of corporate scandals he has handled involve issues such as bribery, bid-rigging/cartels, violations of the Subcontracting Law, quality fraud, trade secret infringement/information leaks, accounting irregularities, insider trading, harassment, and industrial accidents; when dealing with such complex matters, he draws upon his experience as a news reporter to strategically collaborate with not only legal and compliance departments, but also public relations departments.
In the area of crisis communication, his comprehensive support covers timely disclosures, preparation of releases, preparation of anticipatory questions and answers, advising on media responses (individual interviews, press conferences, background briefings, etc.), and advising on countermeasures against slanderous remarks found on the Internet and SNS. On a frequent basis, he provides a wide range of advice, including on the development of crisis management public relations manuals and misconduct publicity standards, mock press conference training, and legal checks of public-relations-related tasks.
When carrying out fact-finding and cause analysis of corporate scandals, Yusuke Suzuki applies his journalistic perspective to go beyond superficial cause analysis and delve into the “real causes,” such as the industry structure and organizational climate. He then takes the lead in the planning and implementation of various measures, such as internal and external messages from top management, formulation of corporate philosophies, workshops for different levels of management, and employee awareness surveys, in order to ensure the effective implementation of recurrence prevention measures, which often involve making changes to the organizational climate and the awareness of executives and employees.
In addition to his proven track record of success in handling legal cases, Yusuke Suzuki also regularly delivers seminars and publishes writings on crisis management with respect to both contingency and peacetime situations. He is widely known for his original and practical seminars and his hands-on, in-house training programs on crisis communication and organizational climate reform.

Narongcachon joined the firm in 2012 as a member of our Intellectual Property Practice Group. While in the IP department, he has conducted patent prosecution, advising relating to intellectual property matters, conducting patent searches and providing analysis and draft opinions based on the analysis. He is also very hands-on with giving advice on the patentability of an invention, infringement and opposition. He has extensive technical experience in preparing patent specifications, preparing and reviewing design drawings and descriptions, as well as preparing and filing patent, design and utility model applications and responses to office actions with the Thai Patent Office. He is also active in intellectual property and information technology court matters, as well as providing legal advice on emerging legal issues. Previously, Narongcachon worked in the telecommunications industry as a Technical Service Engineer and Service Manager, in the fields of telecommunications and data network technologies, with Siemens Limited Thailand, Siemens AG (Germany) and Nokia Siemens Networks (Thailand) Ltd. As a result, he has high technical expertise in telecommunications and data networks. With a long working history in the telecommunications industry and his academic background in engineering, Master of Business Administration (MBA) and related laws, he is a technical/business minded lawyer and is well attuned to legal developments in the intellectual property, telecommunication and information technology industries.

Based on hands-on experience at leading law firms in Korea and a deep understanding of both Japanese and Korean cultures and practices, Won Yoon advises clients on cross-border matters between Japan and Korea, including M&A, commercial transactions, and litigation. The main focus of his practice includes advising Korean companies on inbound investments and doing business in Japan, while he has a wealth of experience in advising Japanese companies on legal issues in their Korea-related business.

Thiti has an extensive record representing clients in various type of real estate development project, i.e. residential, commercial, and manufacturing aspect. His works include, among others, establishment of housing project, condominium, hotel, commercial, factory, industrial estate and REIT. His works also expand to the field of compliance aspect relating to real estate development such as property tax, factory licenses, environmental compliance for real estate development project for residential, commercial and manufacturing site. He has been representing two of the largest retail & wholesale operators in Thailand for its aggressive expansion across country. Moreover, his expertise also includes new business of data center development, energy plant, commercial ports and land acquisition as well.