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Nishimura & Asahi Receives Outstanding Results at ALB Japan Law Awards 2024
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"Kozo Kawai has long been called upon for his sector-leading knowledge of non-contentious and contentious antitrust issues, including those relating to M&A transactions, cartels and unilateral behaviour. "Mr Kawai is the doyen of the competition Bar, with an incredible amount of knowledge and experience in the field. He is a true force to be reckoned with whom you want to have on your side," says one client."
Chambers, Competition/Antitrust - Japan (Asia-Pacific 2022) -
Kozo Kawai focuses on anti-dumping investigations, often representing Japanese government bodies and local industry as petitioners or targets of foreign investigations. Kozo also handles matters pertaining to export tariffs. He is known for his experience and knowledge in both international trade and competition laws, one source explaining: "Kozo Kawai is a pioneer of international trade law in Japan and has a strong policy and industry background."
Chambers, Competition/Antitrust - Japan (Asia-Pacific 2022)
Kozo focuses on anti-trust/competition matters and international trade affairs. He has handled merger regulations and international cartel cases, as well as large scale dispute cases and domestic and foreign regulatory investigations.
Kozo’s anti-trust/competition practice covers every area of the practice, i.e., violation cases such as cartel and unilateral conduct, merger regulations, and compliance to prevent violations of Japanese and foreign competition laws. Kozo continues to be recognized by international law journals as one of the top practitioners in Japan in the area of competition law. He has handled large scale international cartel cases and has contributed to the realization of prominent merger regulations. In the area of international trade law, Kozo is widely recognized as a pioneer of trade law practice in Japan and has advised both the private sector and governmental agencies. He has been involved in most of the trade remedy investigations, such as those for the imposition of anti-dumping duties and subsidy countervailing duties as counsel to Japanese and foreign clients, and in some overseas trade remedy investigations to defend Japanese clients. In addition, Kozo’s practice covers international disputes, corporate crisis management, and regulatory investigations.
Representative Work
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- 2017 - 2019
- Acquisition of Sanyo Special Steel Co., Ltd. and Ovako AB by Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
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- 2012 - 2015
- Trade secret misappropriation litigation against the Korean steelmaker, POSCO
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- 2012 -
- International cartel investigation into the auto shipping service sector
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- 2011 - 2013
- Merger between Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal
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- 2019 - 2020
- Anti - dumping measures on Tris (chloropropyl) phosphate originating from China
Awards & Rankings
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24 Nishimura & Asahi Lawyers Named Thomson Reuters “Stand-out Lawyers 2024”
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Nishimura & Asahi Receives Top Rankings in Chambers Global 2024
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Outstanding Results for Nishimura & Asahi at the Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024
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37 Nishimura & Asahi lawyers ranked in Who's Who Legal 2023
Seminars
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Trade and antitrust: will trade wars make antitrust law great again?
Tokyo
External Seminars
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The Latest Taiwanese Law Seminar
Tokyo
External Seminars
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Antitrust Roudtable:Investigating, Defending and Settling Multijurisdictional Antitrust and Cartel Cases
Miami
External Seminars
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M&A and Antitrust Clearance
External Seminars
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Nishimura & Asahi Legal Forum 38th
Investments in Myanmar
Nishimura & Asahi Seminars
Publications
News
- Notices
- Kozo Kawai has been listed by the Joint Committee under the EU-Japan EPA as qualified to serve as an arbitrator of a panel under the EU-Japan EPA
- Appointment
- Kozo Kawai appointed as a member of Meeting to Discuss Policy Measures Aimed at Regions
- Media
- Cross-border M&A and Chinese competition law: The Nikkei on July 28, 2018
- Media
- MLex (May 27, 2016)
Education
- 1994
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (LL.M., EC Law, magna cum laude)
- 1993
- Columbia University School of Law (LL.M.)
- 1988
- Legal Training and Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan
- 1984
- The University of Tokyo (LL.B.)
Professional Experience
- Member, Meeting to Discuss Policy Measures Aimed at Regions
- Bar Examiner of the National Bar Examination Commission (Competition Law)
- Lecturer, University of Tokyo, School of Law
- Ad hoc Member of Industrial Structure Council
- Ad hoc Member of Industrial Property Council
- Deputy Director, Trade Agreement Administration Division, WTO Affairs, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Tokyo
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Brussels
- Research Associate (Joshu) of The University of Tokyo