General Civil Litigation

Litigation and disputes are becoming more complex with the increase of speed in which rules change, and the use of information technology.

Our attorneys have experience in corporate litigation and disputes related to M&A, including trials concerning demands for purchase of shares in connection with M&A and trials concerning cases in which resolutions were passed to issue stock acquisition rights or split shares in response to a hostile takeover. We also handle general commercial litigation and disputes, including provisional injunctions against the issuance of new shares and stock acquisition rights, corporate control disputes between directors, and shareholder derivative actions.

Although Japan is traditionally not a litigious society, recent years have seen an increase in both companies and individuals resorting to legal action to settle disputes, particularly over contractual claims and the infringement of intellectual property rights. Recently, we have experienced a marked increase in foreign companies and other entities taking action before the Japanese courts. Our Firm also handles outbound litigation by helping Japanese clients locate appropriate counsel in foreign jurisdictions and by assisting with fact-finding and discovery requests.

We handle a wide range of general civil litigation for both domestic and foreign clients, including actions related to:

Sales, leases, outsourcing, and other commercial agreements
Debt collection
Claims for tort and other types of non-contractual damages
Real estate-related litigation
Shareholder litigation
Personal disputes, such as divorce and inheritance
Payment demand procedures
Preservation procedures, such as demands for payment, provisional attachment, and provisional disposition
Execution procedures, such as attachment and public auction

We also handle new types of cases, such as data deletion and disclosure requests for defamation on the Internet, and have a proven track record in this area.

In addition, we have a one-stop system to handle some court proceedings, including preservative procedures, litigation (trial on the merits), and compulsory execution.

When advising foreign clients, our firm can field a team of expert Japanese lawyers and foreign lawyers who have relevant experience and bi-cultural sensitivity. Our team can do business and draft documents in Japanese, English, German, Mandarin, Hindi, Korean, and Marathi, and provides services around the clock through our global affiliated offices.