Masuda & Partners Law Office

General Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Cross-Border Transactions, Compliance & Corporate Governance, Labour Matters (including unfair competition prevention), Risk Management, Corporate Litigation (including Transnational Litigation) and Dispute Resolution.

Founding & Managing PartnerMr. Masuda provides a wide range of legal advice not only on general corporate law matters, but also on M&A, regulations including insider trading and other prohibited practices under the financial instruments and exchange law. He provides comprehensive advice on compliance matters and risk/crisis management regarding white-collar crime, including corporate crime and corporate liability for employee misconduct, relying on the practical experience he gained from serving as general counsel (private client group) and executive officer of Merrill Lynch Japan Securities Co Ltd. In addition, he also provides a full range of legal advice and services on personnel and labour law. His teamwork-oriented dispute resolution group is strong and focused. He works on large-scale and complex commercial disputes that cover both domestic and cross-border jurisdictions, acting as lead counsel or providing advice on aspects of Japanese law.

Professional Experience Legal Training and Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan, Legal Apprentice (Shiho Shushusei) (1988-1990)Nishimura & Asahi Law Office (current name) (1990-1998)Merrill Lynch Japan Securities Co., Ltd., General Counsel and Executive Officer (last position held) (1998-2002)Niimura Law Office-Partner (2003-2008)Masuda & Partners Law Office-Founding & Managing Partner (2008-present)

Professional Licenses Admitted to the Japanese Bar, Japan (1990) Legal Training and Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan (Diploma,1990)Admitted to the New York State Bar, USA (registered as “Kaname Masuda”) (2006)

Awards and Recommendations Selected by Best Lawyers International in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.Selected by The Legal 500 in 2014 and 2015 as recommended lawyers and as highly recommended lawyers in 2013 regarding Labour and Employment (Asia Pacific version).Received (Employment Law Firm of the Year) Law award in 2013 from Finance Monthly, ACQ 5, Lawyer Monthly and DealMakers).Received (Corporate Firm of the Year in Tokyo) Law award in 2014 from DealMakers.Received (Securities Law Firm of the Year-Japan) M&A award from Acquisition International). Selected by IFLR1000 in 2015 as a Notable and Recognized Law Firm regarding Capital Market and M&A.Selected by IFLR 1000 as a Notable and Recognized Law Firm for Finance and Corporate in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Publications and Significant Unpublished Legal WorksComplete Legal Forms Annotated, Volume 29, “International Civil Litigation”(Co-author), Sanseido, 1994 -Wrote a main section entitled “Enforcement of Judgment in Japan based on foreign judgment”, which describes the detailed rules and practices regarding the enforcement of the foreign judgment in Japan. Areas covered include the Code of Civil Procedure, Civil Execution Act, the judicial precedents rendered in Japanese courts, and Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Matters.

“Internal Control System and Compliance at Securities Firm” Record of Seminar held at the Securities Business Committee at the Association of the Tokyo Stock Exchange Regular Members, 2000

International Business Lawyer Data File (Co-author) “Corporate Crime in the U.S. and the Role of Japanese Lawyers”, Chuo Keizaisha, 2000 -Explains the current status of corporate crime in the U.S. and the necessity of risk management for prevention and to minimize damages.

(Thesis written at Yale Law School, unpublished)“Beyond the Principal of Extra Territorial Jurisdiction of Law” -Proposed an application of a new paradigm to the extraterritorial application of municipal laws based on a theory of complexity.

“High Net Worth Business and Compliance” Monthly Report Issued by the Regional Banks Association of Japan, 2005

Practice under the New Japanese Corporation Law (Co-editor), Chūkei Syuppan, 2005

“Internal Control System at Securities Firms under the New Inspection System of the Financial Service Agency” Record of Seminar held at the Japan Securities Dealers Association, 2005

“Suitability regarding Financial Instruments” 77 Kin’yū Compliance 8, 2005

“Prefatory Note” 87 Kin’yū Compliance 1, 2006

“Technique to achieve a purpose” (Auther) Compliance Diamondsya, 2007

“Buying and Selling Listed Stocks by Persons Responsible for Loans regarding Insider Trading” 592 Financial Compliance 30 (Co-author), 2008

“Points to Keep in Mind to Avoid Anti-Money Laundering regarding Bank Deposits and Account Opening Process” 606 Financial Compliance 25 (Co-author), 2009

"Tadashii Koto wo Suru Gizyutsu [Methodology of How to Do the Right Thing", Diamond Publication, 2009

“Prefatory Note” 924 NBL 1, 2009 “Why Insider Trading continuously occurs?” Vol.12 No.9, Business Houmu, 2012

“Mou Yameyou Sono Compliance” [How to Change Our Mind to Achieve Compliance in a Corporate Society], Forest Publication, 2012

Why Insider Trading continues to be committed?" Businesslaw Magazine Vol.12, No9, 2012

“Let's stop! the compliance with laws and regulations” (Auther) Compliance Forestsya, 2012

“Striving To Change Your Life: The Rules” (Auther) Compliance Kanki, 2014

“Social Media Risk Management” Business Law Journal:     -April, 2015, No.85　    -May, 2015, No.86     -June, 2015, No.87　    -July, 2015, No.88　    -August, 2015, No.89

Japanese and English

Professional Activities, Memberships and AppointmentsMember of the Securities Business Committee of the Association of Tokyo Stock Exchange Regular Members (2000-2002)

Member of the Disclosure Working Group at the First Committee of the Financial System Council of the Financial Service Agency (2001-2002)

Observer (1998-2000) and Member (2001-2002) of the Wholesale Retail Working Group at the First Committee of the Financial System Council at the Ministry of Finance of Japan

Mediator of the Financial Instruments Mediation Association Center (2004)

Corporate Takeover Committee Member for (i) Hikari Business Form Inc. (2007-2010), (ii) GMO Internet, Inc. (2006), (iii) BULL-DOG SAUCE CO. LTD. (2007)

Compliance Committee Member for (i) Mitsui Fudosan Investment Advisors, Inc. (2007), (ii) Jibun Bank Corporation (2008), (iii) Japan Securities Dealers Association (2006),(iv) Japan Hotel and Resort K.K. (2005-2010)

Executive Officer of Japan Hotel and Resort K.K., a Real Estate Investment Trust listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (2010)

Outside Statutory Auditor (Shagai Kansayaku) of several major Japanese companies, including: (i) Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd., a listed company (2009-2011), (ii) paperboy & co. Inc., a listed company (2008-2014), (iii) Jibun Bank Corporation, a joint venture of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. and KDDI CORPORATION (2008), (iv) GMO Internet, Inc. (2014)

Outside Director (Shagai Torishimariyaku) (i) Kando Co., Ltd. (2014)

Chuo University, Faculty of Law, Japan (1987, LL.B.)Scholar at Yale University Law School, USA (1996-1997)Columbia University Law School, USA (2003, LL.M.)