Antitrust and Competition Law
Iwata Godo is recognized as having a strong antitrust practice in the Japanese market. The firm provides specialized advice in all areas of Japanese competition law.
Merger control: Iwata Godo represents corporate clients, financial institutions and their boards of directors with respect to sensitive antitrust matters in domestic and cross-border transactions, including joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions and disposals. The firm works closely with its clients and foreign law firms to satisfy multi-jurisdictional merger control clearance requirements. It regularly advises on the Japanese part of cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and handles and coordinates merger control filings before the Japan Fair Trade Commission. It assists clients in in-depth investigations and reviews, and also supports them in remedy cases.
Antitrust advisory and litigation: Iwata Godo has a strong antitrust litigation practice with specialists with hands on experience and expertise on matters such as cross-border cartel investigations, dawn raids and leniency applications, and domestic bid-rigging cases. The antitrust team regularly appears before major competition authorities, courts and tribunals in Japan and other jurisdictions, including in the US and the EU, directly or through “best friend” law firms. The antitrust practice also advises clients on their day to day business practices, antimonopoly law violations (unfair trade practices, including abuses of superior bargaining position) and violations of the regulations governing payments to subcontractors. The firm also provides compliance training (including the conduct of mock dawn raids) and advisory services. It regularly advises companies in the healthcare, automotive, consumer products, leisure/tourism, technology and financial services industries. It is also counselling industrial clients on antitrust law and JFTC guidelines applicable to intellectual property transfers and licenses.