Chuo Sogo LPC

Managing Partner: Masahiro Nakatsukasa

Number of partners: 27

Number of lawyers: 69

Languages: English, Japanese, Polish 

Firm Overview

Firm Overview: 

Chuo Sogo LPC (ex-Chuo Sogo Law Office, P.C.) is a Japanese general practice law firm founded in 1968 by then solo practitioner Mr. Tsugujiro Nakatsukasa. It has offices in Osaka, where it was founded, as well as in Tokyo and Kyoto. With around 70 lawyers, Chuo Sogo delivers a comprehensive range of litigation and corporate services to both international and domestic clients, leveraging integrated expertise and many years of experience in an efficient and tailored manner. The firm's lawyers are leaders in their respective fields of practice, frequently lecturing in professional seminars, and publishing numerous books and articles on complex and leading-edge legal issues.

For more information, please visit our website or read our brochure.

Areas of practice: 

Chuo Sogo's practice evenly spans transactional work and litigation/dispute resolution, with its litigators appearing almost daily in courts throughout Japan. The substantive legal areas of the firm's expertise encompass corporate and commercial law (antitrust, compliance and risk management, corporate governance and matters concerning shareholders meetings, employment/labour law, incorporation and commercial registration, international trade and commercial transactions, real estate, unfair competition prevention law, data privacy law, anti-bribery and anti-corruption), mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance (bank transactions, security transactions, cross-border financial transactions, derivatives transactions, debt collections and execution, litigation arising from financial transactions, FinTech), insurance and reinsurance law, intellectual property law (patent rights, utility model rights, design rights, trade mark rights, copyrights, protection of know-how and trade secrets, IT-related contracts, IP litigation), and insolvency and restructuring (bankruptcy, civil rehabilitation, corporate reorganisation, special conciliation, special liquidation, corporate arrangement, establishment of reorganisation plans, negotiations with financers and sponsors).

Financial Services Agency (FSA) Experience:  

Beginning 2005 and continuing on a yearly basis, Chuo Sogo has been loaning its attorneys to work at the FSA. This unique experience has given the firm insights into and better understanding of the workings of this complex governmental agency.

Representative industries: 

Chuo Sogo serves domestic and overseas clients in numerous industries, such as financial and securities markets, insurance and reinsurance, banking, leasing, real estate, manufacturing, healthcare, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, life sciences, film and television, casino and gaming industry, transportation, logistics, education, energy, chemical, hotel, technology, ICT, software and automotive industries.

International Work

Chuo Sogo’s practice is well-balanced between domestic and international clients. About half of what it does is working for overseas entities and individuals or working on international transactions. By way of example, it regularly facilitates entry to Japan for multiple businesses, establishing their presence in Japan, obtaining regulatory authorisations and servicing their ongoing operations. As an active member of the major global networks of legal professionals such as Globalaw and TAGLaw, it is engaged on matters involving other member firms’ clients virtually on a daily basis.

Main Areas of Practice

Main Areas of Practice and Contact Persons 

M&A/Corporate: 

M&A (including due diligence, contract drafting of SPAs, SHAs), general corporate matters, technology and telecommunications, real estate, labor and employment, competition and antitrust, corporate governance.

Key Contacts: Masahiro Nakatsukasa, Yusaku Akasaki, Katsuya Hongyo, Takashi Oguchi, Chiyu Abo

Banking & Finance: 

Commercial banking, credit cards, loans and mortgages, mobile payments, private equity, regulatory (including matters involving the Financial Services Agency).

Key Contacts: Koji Kanazawa, Katsuya Hongyo, Masao Kuniyoshi

Insurance & Reinsurance: 

Advising in relation to regulatory issues and non-marine coverage, and disputes involving (re) insurers and insurance brokers and agencies. Having experience working for the Insurance Business Division of the Financial Services Agency.

Key Contacts: Hironori Nishikino, Koji Kanazawa

Intellectual Property:  

Patents and other IP litigation, licensing, trademarks and copyrights, Internet and E-commerce.

Key Contacts: Naoko Nakatsukasa

Litigation & Dispute Resolution:

Complex business litigation and arbitration, domestic and international litigation, white-collar criminal defense.

Key Contacts: Masahiro Nakatsukasa, Naoko Nakatsukasa, Koji Kanazawa, Yasuhiro Fujii, Yusaku Akasaki, Katsuya Hongyo

Insolvency & Restructuring:  

Bankruptcy, special liquidation, civil rehabilitation, corporate reorganisation, out-of-court restructuring, distressed M&A, DIP Finance.

Key Contacts: Akihisa Yamada

Data Privacy:  

Cross-border data transfer regulations, reporting obligations in case of data breach, drafting and revising privacy policies under the APPI (Japan), GDPR (EU), CCPA/CPRA (California).

Key Contacts: Jun Niizawa

International Trade & Commerce:  

International commercial transactions; cross-border litigation and dispute resolution; assisting foreign businesses with entry to the Japanese market and servicing their ongoing operations.

Key Contacts: Koji Kanazawa, Yusaku Akasaki

Offices

Osaka (Head Office) 

Osaka Dojimahama Tower 15th Floor, 1-1-27 Dojimahama, Kita-ku, Osaka, 530-0004 Japan

Tel.: +81-6-6676-8834 

Fax: +81-6-6676-8839 

Tokyo 

Hibiya Kokusai Building 18F, 2-2-3 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 100-0011

Tel: +81-3-3539-1877 

Fax: +81-3-3539-1878 

Kyoto 

Kyoto Mitsui Building 3F, 8 Naginataboko-cho Karasuma-Higashi-iru, Shijo-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-city, Kyoto 600-8008, Japan

Tel: +81-75-257-7411 

Fax: +81-75-257-7433