GLOBAL PRACTICE

In order to meet the cross-border and overseas legal needs of our Japanese clients, Iwata Godo maintains cooperative relationships with leading law firms in various countries, and has attorneys stationed overseas to efficiently provide one-stop, high-quality legal services. We also respond to a wide range of legal needs related to Japanese law for our overseas clients.

Available Areas

Lawyers

In addition to having affiliated and cooperating offices in key jurisdictions, including ASEAN, the United States, Europe, and China, Iwata Godo has joined TerraLex, a global legal network, and PrivacyRules, thereby building a structure that can respond to the legal needs of our clients in various countries and jurisdictions.

TERRALEX
TerraLex is a global network of leading law firms in more than 120 countries with over 22,000 lawyers.

Iwata Godo is a member of TerraLex. We leverage this network to advise Japanese clients on matters requiring overseas legal advice and multinational projects (outbound matters), and overseas clients on Japanese law (inbound matters).
PRIVACY RULES
PrivacyRules is an international association of lawyers, law firms, cybersecurity firms, and IR firms specializing in data privacy. This organization offers high-quality services efficiently for cross-border data privacy matters. It provides a platform for collaboration on data privacy and IoT/technology issues, as well as developing training programs and establishing protocols for responding to data breaches (a platform for timely response to data breaches that occur simultaneously in multiple countries, including reporting to regulators and media relations).
As one of the founding members of PrivacyRules, Iwata Godo collaborates actively with a number of law firms in this network.

PRACTICE AREAS

  • Cross-Border Transactions・M&A
  • Dispute Resolution
  • Other International Matters
  • Cross-Border Insolvency and Family Cases
  • Investment in Japan/Inbound Projects

Cross-Border Transactions・M&A

We advise on an extremely wide range of cross-border transactions, including M&A and other corporate transactions (e.g., acquisitions and equity investments in overseas companies, sales of overseas subsidiaries, incorporation and development of overseas business and establishment of joint ventures), financial transactions (e.g., overseas power generation, aircraft and ship leasing, real estate finance, formation of investment funds), IT-related transactions(in which cross-border transactions have recently been increasing in number, particularly in new businesses), regulatory matters (e.g., regulation of foreign investment, e-commerce regulation, consumer protection, competition law, financial regulation, environmental law), and matters related to employment law and IP law.

Dispute Resolution

Our international disputes resolution practice includes litigation in foreign courts, settlement negotiations in foreign countries, and international arbitration. In arbitration and settlement negotiations, we sometimes collaborate with a foreign law firm and sometimes handle the matter alone. For proceedings in foreign courts, we always collaborate with foreign law firms, and in such cases our role is coordination, management and supervision. In particular, we handle some complex cases in which there is litigation at the same time in Japan and a foreign country, and we coordinate with the foreign law firm to ensure that arguments and evidence are not contradictory. There are as well often situations of potential disputes, i.e. differences of interpretation concerning contracts, including their renewal, amendment and termination. In such cases, we advise on contractual interpretation and negotiation. We are particularly strong in disputes involving ASEAN countries and Asia generally, in which we leverage the experience of our lawyers who have worked for the Singapore International Arbitration Centre and our collaborative relationships with local law firms. For the resolution of international disputes without delays, we have the necessary experience and know-how.

Other International Matters

Our international work includes large M&A deals which require filings with foreign government agencies, investigations of international cartels, and information leaks across multiple countries that require notifications to foreign authorities. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of investigations of corruption and misconduct in the foreign subsidiaries of Japanese companies (Crisis Management). In employee misconduct cases, if assets related to white collar crime are concealed in many jurisdictions, it is necessary to collaborate with local police in each country and take procedures for litigation and provisional remedies in each country.




In international legal work, speedy and accurate translations are of the utmost importance for contracts, litigation materials and other legal documents in order to allow our clients to make appropriate decisions quickly and to protect their interests. Our firm has a professional translation team which collaborates with both Japanese and foreign lawyers to ensure quick and accurate translation from both linguistic and legal standpoints.

Cross-Border Insolvency and Family Cases

We generally handle cross-border insolvency in two types of situations: (1) when the bankrupt resides outside Japan but owns property in Japan, we advise clients on preserving and enforcing judgments against the property, and (2) when the bankrupt resides in Japan but owns property outside Japan, we collaborate with foreign law firms to preserve and enforce judgments against the property. Cross-border family cases are cases involving a citizen or resident of a foreign country, in which there may be procedures with government agencies or courts in other countries.

Investment in Japan/Inbound Projects

Iwata Godo has extensive experience in advising foreign companies on investment in Japan, incorporation, M&A, foreign exchange law-related business, business licenses and regulatory approvals and filings, including antitrust, real estate and employment law matters.

Publications Related to Global Practice

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Lectures, Seminars and Conferences Related to Global Practice

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News Related to Global Practice

  • 202501

    We have launched the "Global Practice" page to introduce our firm's global practice

    Through cooperative relationships with leading law firms in various countries and the establishment of the ASEAN Desk, we respond to cross-border cases and overseas legal needs of domestic clients, as well as to a wide range of legal needs related to Japanese law for overseas clients.

  • 202501

    Effective January 1, our ASEAN Desk is open.

    To respond actively to client needs, we newly opened this year an ASEAN Desk to provide more flexible and enriched legal services to our clients doing business in ASEAN countries.By having the case handled by the lawyer in charge, including lawyers seconded to each country, we will strengthen our system to be able to respond more flexibly to the legal needs of our clients in each ASEAN country.
    ASEAN Desk Lawyers: Matsuda Akira, Beppu Fumiya

  • 202209

    An interview with our special counsel Noguchi Motoo on the special court in Cambodia, "Atrocities Cannot Escape Justice: The Importance of Setting an Example" appeared in Asahi Shimbun Digital on September 22

  • 202208

    A comment by Landry Guesdon appeared in the article "Japan Pushes Businesses to Postpone Mandatory Retirement Ages Amid Declining Workforce" in International Employment Lawyer on July 28.

  • 202207

    An interview with our special counsel Noguchi Motoo, "How Should a War Leader be Judged?" appeared on the "Saturday Watch 9" section of the NHK website on July 5.

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