Hitoshi Ishihara

Practice Areas

Having extensive focus and knowledge concerning the Japanese casino and gaming laws including the Japanese Integrated Resort (IR) Act, provides advise on gaming regulations to various stake holders, including operators, equipment manufacturers, foreign law firms, and state agencies.

Also has extensive experience in sports and entertainment related matters, advising various stakeholders in gaming industory (e.g. developers, publishers, licensors and licensees) and sports industory (e.g. federations, sports clubs, club owners, professional athletes, sponsors) regarding various M&As, licensing matters, formation of regulations, JV formaiton, and player transactions.

Backed by over seven years experience in the United States, effectively bridges the linguistic and cultural gap faced by his clients and provides one-stop legal services to international and foreign-affiliated clients establishing and doing business in Japan, with an exceptional focus on cross-border business negotiation, dispute resolution, M&A, international trade, and corporate/commercial matters (including advice concerning corporate governance, compliance, JV management, and internal investigations).

Professional Memberships

Japan (2003), California (2013)

Publications

Gambling Law Comparative Guides (Legal 500, 2023)

The Gambling Law Review (The Law Reviews, 2023)

Languages Spoken

Japanese (Native)

English (Native)

Education