Competition/Antitrust Law

Since the founding of our firm in 1902, we have been serving clients in a wide variety of industries and with a wide range of business models. In competition and antitrust law, we provide both Japanese and overseas clients with full-service support, including advice on day-to-day issues, compliance and internal controls, training for directors and employees, antitrust review of M&A and business collaborations, internal investigations, leniency, and dealing with regulatory inspections and investigations.
９　Information Technology
  • Responding to Investigations
  • Business Combinations
  • Advice on Doing Business
  • Subcontract Act

Responding to Investigations

The importance of competition law has increased dramatically, as authorities in Japan and other countries have strengthened enforcement.




Leveraging our experience, we take prompt and accurate measures to avoid and mitigate administrative penalties in investigations by authorities in Japan and other countries. We advise on dealing with governmental inspections and investigations, and represent clients in litigation to revoke sanctions. In cases of bid-rigging and cartels, we represent clients in applications for leniency to obtain exemption from financial penalties. In cases of private monopoly and abuse of superior bargaining position, we represent clients in applications to avoid sanctions by offering to make a commitment to change business methods.




We also represent clients when alleged competition law violations lead to lawsuits seeking injunctions or damages, including shareholder derivative suits, and provide advice when alleged violations lead to issues in dealing with shareholders, suppliers, customers and the media, as well as employee disciplinary procedures. In international antitrust and competition law cases, we collaborate with foreign law firms to negotiate with the authorities in the relevant countries.

Business Combinations

For clients studying potential business combinations, as well as for clients who have decided to carry them out, we provide essential advice on the necessity of JFTC filings, and represent our clients in JFTC procedures and in negotiations with the JFTC. Our advice extends to the full range of applicable competition and antitrust laws, including "gun-jumping" rules, and is provided in accordance with the client's objectives and deal schedule. We have analyzed and assessed competition law risk in a wide range of business combinations and in many industries, and provided legal opinions.




For issues under competition law regulations in other countries, we leverage our strong network of foreign law firms to confirm whether regulatory filings are necessary and arrange for the drafting and submission of any required documentation and filings.

Advice on Doing Business

In many business activities, including business alliances, planning for sales channels, participation in tenders, and licensing technology, it is essential to keep competition law in mind, and deal with it strategically. We advise businesses in many industries on points to consider when entering into a business alliance, setting terms and conditions in a vertical agreement, participating in a bidding procedure or making a competitive quote, and setting terms and conditions for licensing of technology.




We also provide extensive support for the establishment and operation of compliance programs, including drafting internal rules and manuals for competition law, and hold seminars for directors and employees.

Subcontract Act

Recently, the enforcement of the Subcontract Act has been strengthened as part of a policy to protect SMEs, and as a result it has become more important than ever to pay attention to it.




The Subcontract Act is often formalistic, and is different from the abuse of superior bargaining position doctrine found in antitrust law. As a result it is often violated unexpectedly. In many kinds of transactions we advise on avoiding Subcontract Act violation, carry out training for directors and employees, and support the establishment of internal controls and drafting of internal rules. In the event of a suspected violation, we conduct a prompt investigation and assist with a leniency application if necessary. When our clients are investigated by a government agency, we negotiate with the authorities strategically to avoid a formal warning, leveraging our experience with many cases of Subcontract Act violations.

Publications Related to Competition /Antitrust Law

  • 202504

    How to Succeed in Freelance: A Guide to Communicating Freedom and Harassment

    In the article titled "How to Succeed in Freelance: A Guide to Communicating Freedom and Harassment," Nakano Masayuki, Ishikawa Teppei authored and Matsuda Taiki and Suzuki Riko edited 'Q & A Explanation of the Freelance Law' Publisher: Morning edition page 32 of Nikkei dated March 29, 2025

    Author：
    NAKANO Masayuki　 ISHIKAWA Teppei　 MATSUDA Taiki　 SUZUKI Riko　
  • 202502

    Freelance Act Q&A（Sanseido）

    Author：
    NAKANO Masayuki　 ISHIKAWA Teppei　
    Editorial assistant：
    MATSUDA Taiki　 SUZUKI Riko　
  • 202501

    A review of Ishikawa Teppei's new book on doing business with vendors with consumption tax exemptions

    Business Houmu carries a review of Ishikawa Teppei's new book on doing business with vendors with consumption tax exemptions
    Publisher：Business Houmu

    Author：
    ISHIKAWA Teppei　
  • 202412

    Sasaki Tomoo authors a commentary on the Consumer Affairs Agency's corrective actions order against Taisho Pharmaceutical for stealth marketing of dietary supplements (Shoji Homu Portal website)

    Author：
    SASAKI Tomoo　
  • 202411

    Tomita Moriyuki authors a commentary on the JFTC's study group on business transactions (Shoji Homu Portal website)

    Author：
    TOMITA Moriyuki　

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Lectures, Seminars and Conferences Related to Competition /Antitrust Law

  • 202410

    Nakano Masayuki gives a webinar "Getting Ready for the New Freelance Act" at Rodo Shimbun

    Speaker： NAKANO Masayuki　

  • 202311

    Matsuda Akira, Ikeda Minako and Sekiguchi Akimasa gave a webinar "The Unfair Competition Prevention Act and the Information Society" for Business & Law LLC

    Speaker： MATSUDA Akira　 IKEDA Minako　 SEKIGUCHI Akimasa　

  • 202311

    Okushi Kenichi and Ishikawa Teppei lecture on "Subcontract Act Compliance" at the Business Research Institute

    Speaker： OKUSHI Kenichi　 ISHIKAWA Teppei　

  • 202310

    IG holds a webinar "Competition Law in the US, EU and China: Updates for 2023"

    Speaker： TAGO Shinya　 KARASAWA Akira　 OKAMURA Yu　 YU Zhiming　

  • 202307

    Eiguchi Manabu lectures on "Subcontract Act Compliance" at the Business Research Institute, including an update on JFTC practices and issues in passing on cost increases

    Speaker： EIGUCHI Manabu　

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News Related to Competition /Antitrust Law

  • 202204

    11 lawyers of our firm were recognized in The Best Lawyers in Japan 2023.

    Best Lawyers
    ■ Litigation
    TOJI Yoshihiro
    WAKABAYASHI Shigeo
    MOTOMURA Takeshi
    URANAKA Hirotaka

    ■ Product Liability Litigation
    TOJI Yoshihiro

    ■ Insolvency and Reorganization Law
    TAGO Shinya
    URANAKA Hirotaka

    ■ Labor and Employment Law
    TAGO Shinya

    ■ Arbitration and Mediation
    UEDA Atsushi

    ■ Banking and Finance Law
    SAKAMOTO Tomoko

    Best Lawyers - "Ones to Watch"
    ■ Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
    KARASAWA Akira
    FUKUCHI Takumi

    ■ Arbitration and Mediation
    SAITO Hiroki

    ■ Privacy and Data Security Law
    HORITA Koji

  • 202108

    Matsuda Akira's comment was introduced in the article of the Nikkei.

    Matsuda Akira's comment appeared in the Nikkei. His comment appeared in the August 7, 2021 Nikkei article "US to Step Up Enforcement Against No-Poach Agreements and Other Employer Cartels"

  • 201808

    Matsuda Akira's comment is introduced in Global Data Review.

    Matsuda Akira's comment concerning adequacy finding which allows for transfer of personal data between EU countries and Japan is available in Pre-Launch Edition (dated July 27) of Global Data Review, a popular publication in the area of data protection.

  • 201807

    Matsuda Akira's comment was introduced in the article of the Nikkei.

    Matsuda Akira's comment was introduced in the article entitled "Agreement on Prohibition on Soliciting Employees may Violate the Antimonopoly Act" on the page 11 of the morning edition of the Nikkei dated July 30, 2018.

  • 201807

    Matsuda Akira's comment was introduced in the article of the Nikkei.

    Matsuda Akira's comment was introduced in the article titled "EU is More Strict on US IT Majors: Google was Imposed a Record EU Antitrust Fine" on the second page of the morning edition dated July 19, 2018.

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Practice Areas

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