Akira focuses his practice in the areas of domestic and international litigation, antimonopoly law, intellectual property and cross-border agreements including joint ventures, technical assistance and sales agency agreements. Akira specializes in the field of international and domestic dispute resolution including litigation and arbitration. His experience also includes providing a wide range of advice to international and domestic clients concerning the Antimonopoly Law in relation to matters such as mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, distribution agreements, joint research and development agreements, and other cooperation agreements. He has also assisted clients in general corporate matters, including joint ventures, mergers & acquisitions, intellectual property and labor matters. Akira has extensive experience in antitrust related cases, and domestic and international dispute matters, including the following deals: Domestic antitrust cases (internal investigations, investigations by the Japanese Fair Trade Commission, hearings, litigation seeking the revocation of certain decisions of the Japanese Fair Trade Commission, merger and acquisition reviews, and establishment of compliance systems) EU and US antitrust cases Antitrust class action cases (US) Criminal antitrust cases (US) Antidumping cases (Japan) Provisional injunction regarding the issuance of warrant bonds Provisional injunction regarding the use of golf courses Provisional injunction regarding the deletion of descriptions on a web site Representing foreign and Japanese financial institutions in land development related litigations Representing clients in the US in litigation concerning land transactions Representing clients based in the US and Germany in litigation concerning joint ventures Representing clients based in Switzerland and the US and dealing with criminal investigations Presentations “Current PMI Issues that need to be contemplated” organized by Baker & McKenzie GJBJ Tokyo Aoyama Aoki Koma Law Office (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise, KPMG, FAS Group, and Mercer Japan K.K.) (July 23, 2010) “Hearing Procedure of the EU competition law and Protection of Procedural Rights,” organized by the Foreign Competition Law Study Group of the Fair Trade Institute (June 16, 2010) “Fundamental of M&A Regulation at the European Commission,” organized by the Business Research Institute (March 26, 2010) “Evonik Japanese Antimonopoly Act Compliance Training,” organized by Japan Aerosil K.K. (October 29, 2009) “Evonik Japanese Antimonopoly Act Compliance Training,” organized by DSL Japan K.K. (October 28, 2009) “Evonik Japanese Antimonopoly Act Compliance Training,” organized by Evonik Dugessa Co., Ltd. (October 27, 2009) “Evonik Antitrust Compliance Training,” organized by Evonik Industries AG (October 26, 2009) “Practical Tips about Crisis Communication for Japanese Entrepreneur,” organized by the Japanese Management Training Center (July 29, 2009) “Fundamental of the EU Competition Law,” organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (December 17, 2008) “Hearing Procedure of the EU Competition Law”, organized by the Japanese Fair Trade Commission (October 24, 2008) “Crisis Manual to Deal with Negligent and Willful Corporate Crimes and Scandals,” organized by the Japanese Management Training Center (September 18, 2008) “Crisis Communication for Japanese Entrepreneur,” organized by the Japanese Management Training Center (May 28, 2008) “The Seminar to Lecture How Internationally Respond to Leniency of Anti-trust in a Practical Manner” (participated as a panelist), organized by Nippon Keidanren and Baker & McKenzie (February 27, 2008) “Anti-trust: Key Issues and Developments” (participated as a panelist), organized by Baker & McKenzie (February 26, 2008) “Practical Issues for ‘Corporate Risk Management’: Learning from Recent Corporate Misconduct,” organized by the Japanese Management Training Center (July 6, 2007) “Compliance with Regulations on Financial Transactions under the Anti-Monopoly Law,” organized by Kinyu Facsimile Simbun Sha (June 14, 2007) “Fundamental of Anglo-American Law,” organized by the Japanese Management Training Center (February 26, 2007) Corporate Protection from Antitrust Related Risk (US Antitrust Law),” as part of the “Must-Know U.S. Law Series,” organized by Lexis Nexis Business Law School (July 14, 2006) Lecture for the 2005 LL.M. Conference at Cornell University Law School, “Oligopsonized Market on B2B” (April 16, 2005) Lecture for University of Virginia School of Law, “Japanese Antitrust Regulations on Cartels” (March 3, 2005) Publications and Articles “M&A Handbook on Conducting Business Practically” Language: Japanese (co-author, Chuokeizai-sha, June 2010) “The Recent Trend of Relevant Market Definition Under EU Competition Law,” Kokusai Shoji Homu, Vol. 38, No. 5 (2010) “Recent Trend in Relation to Remedial Measure of the Federal Trade Commission,” NBL, Vol. 928 (2010) Global Leniency Manual 2010(Co-Author in Charge of Japan Chapter) (Oxford University Press, 2010) “Analysis of the Recent Trend and Practice of Enforcement by the Competition Authorities to Non-Reportable Business Combination under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976,” Fair Trade, Vol. 714, No. 4 (2010) “Recent Trend of Business Combination Regulation by the European Commission,” NBL, Vol. 920 (2010) “Criminal Enforcement to Cartel under Competition Laws in UK (1)-(2),” Fair Trade, Vol. 709, No. 11 to Vol. 710, No. 12 (2009) “Pre-Merger Antitrust Analysis and Procedure to Take Over Bid,” Kokusai Shoji Homu, Vol. 37, No. 10 (2009) “Overview of Proceeding at the European Court of First Instance (1)-(2),”Fair Trade, Vol. 705, No. 7 to Vol. 706, No. 8 (2009) “Analysis of the Guidance Paper of the European Commission concerning Application of EC Treaty Article 82,” Kokusai Shoji Homu, Vol. 37, No. 7 (2009) “Reform to the U.S. Leniency Policy by the Department of Justice,” Kokusai Shoji Homu, Vol. 37, No. 4 (2009) Risk Management for Human and Labour Department-Risks Potentials to Human and Labour Matters and the Basic Method to Deal Therewith-included in the book titled “Risk Management of Human and Labour Matters-Compliance and Legal Knowledge and Practical Way to Deal Therewith to Prevent Troubles” (Business Research Institute, 2009) Procedure and Practice of EU Competition Law (Civil Law Research Institute, 2009) International Contract Manual (Co-Author in Charge of Japan Chapter) (Thompson West, 2008) How the 2007 Amendment to the M&A Guideline Has Changed Merger Control Policy in Japan (Global Competition Policy, May 2008 (2)) Global Leniency Manual (Co-Author in Charge of Japan Chapter) (Baker & McKenzie, 2008) Japanese Antidumping Investigation (Law Gazette (An Official Publication of the Law Society of Singapore), December 2007) “Arbitrating International Antitrust Related Disputes in Japan,” (IBA Competition Law International, Vol. 3 No. 2, October 2007) “Japanese Antitrust Law Manual: Law, Cases and Interpretation of the Japanese Antimonopoly Act,” (Kluwer Law International) (July 2007) (Reposited in the Library of Congress and the Japanese Diet’s Library) “Recent Developments in the Japanese Merger Control Regime,” (Law Gazette (An Official Publication of the Law Society of Singapore) May 2007) “Merger Control Regimes Under the Chinese Antimonopoly Act,” (Law Gazette (An Official Publication of the Law Society of Singapore) November 2006) “Japan Tightens the Rules of Play,” (Asian-Counsel vol. 4 Issue 5, July/August 2006) “The Great Step Forward: The Reform to the Japanese Antimonopoly Act,” （Law Gazette (An Official Publication of the Law Society of Singapore), August 2006) “The Recent Amendment of the Japanese Antimonopoly Law,” (Japan Business Law Review, Vol. 1, No.1 April 2006, ILS Publishing, Inc.) “The Recent Development of the Potential Competition Doctrine in the United States,” (Inter-Pacific Bar Association Journal No.40, December 2005) “Antitrust Analysis of B2B Transaction (revised version),” Master's Thesis reposited in the University of Virginia School of Law Library (May 2005) “Antitrust Analysis of B2B Transaction,” Nellco Repository (May 2005) “Analysis of the Settlement Procedure Introduced to the EU Competition Law,” Kokusai Shoji Homu, Vol. 36, No. 12 (2008) Practice of Cross-Border M&A (Co-Author) (Chuo Keizai Publishing, 2008) “Overcoming EU Competition Law Crucial Stage of Oral Hearing at the European Commission,” Business Homu, October 2008 “The Recent Trend of the European Commission’s Imposition of Fines,” Business Homu April 2008 The Golden Rules to Extract Important Lessons from Corporate Crisis (1) –(12) (Business Research No. 1004-No.1015) Book to Make Best Use of Intellectual Property Rights for Person to Become Representative (Co-Author) (Nikkei Newspaper Publishing, 2007) “Recent Movement in Antitrust Regulation of Standard Setting,” Lexis Kigyo Homu No. 10 (2007) “Oligopsonized Market on B2B,” (Yushodo (Pro Quest for Int. Pri.), 2007) (Dissertation reposited in the Japanese Diet’s Library) “Practical Measures for Investigation Procedures Taken by Competition Authorities under the Antitrust Law,” Lexis Kigyo Homu, No. 9 (2007) “Practical Measures for Investigation Procedures Taken by the Japan Fair Trade Commission,” Lexis Kigyo Homu, No. 6 (2007) “Jumping the Gun Issue under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976,” Kokusai Shoji Homu, Vol. 35, No. 5 (2007) “Practical Matters Concerning Merger Filing in Cross-Border Transactions,” Lexis Kigyo Homu, No. 3 (2007) “Practical Matters Concerning Internal Investigation of Antitrust Violations,” Lexis Kigyo Homu, No. 2 (2007) “American Antitrust and Points to Keep in Mind in Drafting Compliance Manuals,” Lexis Kigyo Homu, No. 1 (2007) “American Antitrust Regulation of M&A,” Lexis Kigyo Homu, No. 12 (2006) “B2B Compliance Bible” (Lexis Nexis Japan, 2006) “Consideration of a Potential Competition Theory,” Kokusai Shoji Homu, Vol. 34, Nos. 8 and 10 (2006) “Leniency in Corporate Legal Affairs,” Lexis Kigyo Homu, No. 5 (2006) “Japanese Leniency Practice,” (Lexis Nexis Japan, 2006) “Consideration of Competition-Law Related Issues Concerning B2B (1)-(8),” Kokusai Shoji Homu, Vol. 33, Nos. 10-12 & Vol. 34, Nos. 1-5 (2005 & 2006) “Practical Matters Concerning Real Estate Acquisition Tax in the Restructuring of Enterprises,” Zeiri (November 2002) “Analysis of a Defense Counsel's Legal Fee,” Chuo University Graduate School Law Review (1998) “How to Improve the Court Appointed Attorney System,” Master's Thesis, reposited in Chuo University Graduate School Library (March 1998) Akira was admitted to the Tokyo Bar Association in 2000 and to the New York Bar State Association in 2006. He is a member of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association and the Competition Law Forum. Chuo University (LL.B., 1996 Scholarship Student, exemption from school tuition); graduate study, Chuo University Graduate School (LL.M., 1998 Scholarship Student, exemption from school tuition); The Legal Training and Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan, 1998-2000; graduate study, University of Virginia (LL.M., 2005 with distinction); Chuo University (Ph.D., 2007)