Mr. Shinji SUMIDA was admitted as an attorney in Japan in 2003. He graduated from Waseda University in 1999 and joined Akasaka International Law, Patent and Accounting Office as a partner upon being admitted as an attorney. Following this, he entered the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern California. After graduating in 2006 with a Master of Laws, he completed an internship at Barg Coffin Lewis & Trapp LLP in San Francisco.

In 2011, Mr. SUMIDA completed a training course of the Paris Bar Association and became managing partner of Akasaka International Law, Patent and Accounting Office in 2012. In 2022, he completed Wharton’s Executive Compensation program at the University of Pennsylvania. 

He has a broad range of experience assisting in international business transactions, including M&A, and is also specializes in general corporate law including: company law, intellectual property law and labor law, as well as issues associated with in-bound and out-bound investment. He also has extensive experience with international succession cases. 

Languages

• Japanese, English, French

Major publications

• 「An article on the legal aspects of corporate restructuring and reduction of employees in Japan」(website of Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan『Monthly Newsletter point juridique』July 10, 2009) (in French)
• 「Public-private partnerships in Japan, the case of local communities」(website of Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan『Monthly Newsletter point juridique』April 14, 2010) (in French)
• 「General outline (1) of Uniform Act on Commercial Companies and the Economic Interest Group in OHADA (Organisation for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa)」 (『Journal of the Japanese Institute of International Business Law 』Vol.41, No.10 2013) (in Japanese)
• 「Environmental Law CSR Management through a Legal Violation Case Study Remarks on Waste Storage by Corporations – Citation of an open-air yard case」(『Kankyo Kanri』 Vol.39, No.6 2013) (in Japanese)
• 「Legal Remarks on Shale Gas」『Kankyo Kanri』Vol.50, No.12 2014 (in Japanese)
• 「General outline (2) of Uniform Act on Commercial Companies and the Economic Interest Group in OHADA (Organisation for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa)」 (『Journal of the Japanese Institute of International Business Law 』Vol.42, No.9 2014) (in Japanese)
• 「General outline (3) of Uniform Act on Commercial Companies and the Economic Interest Group in OHADA (Organisation for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa)」 (『Journal of the Japanese Institute of International Business Law 』Vol.42, No.12 2014) (in Japanese)
• 「The Global Fight against Trademark Trolls: Using Japan’s Trademark Protection System to Prevent Bad Faith Applications for Famous Abbreviations Arising from Famous Trademarks」（『A.I.P.P.I』Vol.39 No.1 2014） (in English)
• 「Lettre du Japon：L’utilisation du système japonais de protection des marques pour prévenir le dépôt mal intentionné d’abréviations dérivées des marques célèbres」（Title：「Letter from Japan: Use of the Japanese Trademark Protection System to Prevent Misleading Use of Abbreviations Derived from Famous Trademarks（「Revue Propriétés intellectuelles」Januaray 2015 N° 54）
• 「Roadmap into Africa」（「Business Legal Affairs」September 2015 Vol.15 No.11 CHUOKEIZAI-SHA, Inc.)
• 「Africa Business and Legal Affairs」(Japanese)（CHUOKEIZAI-SHA, Inc.）Co-authored with Takuya Kinjo No.1 Best Seller on Amazon for the month of August 2017 in the category of “Finance of other countries”

Mr. Masahiko SUMIDA has enjoyed a broad career spanning over 45 years in both the diplomatic and legal fields. After graduating from the Faculty of Law at Waseda University, he entered the Japanese Foreign Ministry and shortly thereafter was posted to the Japanese Embassy in Paris in 1969. After returning to work in Tokyo, he was admitted as an attorney in 1981. He began his legal career at Tokyo Aoyama Law Office (which is affiliated with Baker & McKenzie), but by 1984, having been admitted as a patent attorney, established SUMIDA INTERNATIONAL LAW & PATENT OFFICE.

His career highlights include:

• Successfully representing the Canadian Province of Prince Edward Island regarding the Anne of Green Gables trademark, and obtaining a favorable precedent-setting judgment in the Tokyo Intellectual Property High Court in 2006;
• Executing the will of renowned Japanese artist Léonard Foujita, notably by helping to donate his works to a museum in Reims, France. 

Amongst his broad experience and expertise, he currently specializes in International Arbitration (ICC).

Languages

• Japanese, English, French

Major articles/essays

• “Droit International de l’homme d’affaires 1994” Publisher Editions Dalloz
• “Francis Lefebvre International Law Series – Japan Business Law”, Lefebvre Publishing (France); December 1995 (in French)

Mr. Motohiko SUZUKI is a licensed Administrative Scrivener. Since graduating from the Legal Department of Chuo University, he has amassed impressive expertise and experience over a career of nearly 40 years.

Mr. Keiichiro MAEDA, a partner and co-founder of the firm, is a graduate of Waseda University and an experienced Certified Public Accountant, enjoying over 35 years experience in his field. He was first licensed as a CPA in 1980, after which he established an independent accounting practice. He then co-established Akasaka International Law, Patent & Accounting Office in 1986.

Mr. Tadashi TAKAHASHI, a graduate of Keio University, was formerly employed by Showa Kansa Hojin, Accountants, and later established an independent accounting practice. He joined this firm with over fifteen years of experience as a Certified Public Accountant.