Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)’s ‘exceptional‘ antitrust and competition team in Toyko, widely praised for its ‘deep expertise and global reach‘, regularly handles high-profile merger control, monopolisation, and unfair trade practice matters. Recent highlights for the group also include work on global cartel investigations concerning HDD spring technology and capacitor products. With expertise encompassing cartel investigations and multijurisdictional merger control issues as well as experience working at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Junya Ae leads the team alongside Akira Inoue, who stands out for his experience in international cartel cases. Michio Suzuki’s practice covers merger control, cartel, and compliance work. Former Secretary General of the Japanese Fair Trade Commission Shuichi Sugahisa is also a key contact. Cartel specialists Hiroaki Nagahashi and Ryo Yamaguchi are noted for their contribution to the team.

Morrison Foerster’s large antitrust team in Tokyo handles a wide range of matters, from merger reviews to investigations into cartels, monopolisation agreements, and unfair trade practices. The team regularly advises both Japanese and foreign clients, including major companies in the tech, auto, transport, pharma, logistics, and consumer products sectors. Practice head Tomohiko Kimura boasts considerable experience in merger control, cartel, and unfair trade practice matters as well as antitrust litigation. Litigator Chie Yakura is strong in antitrust and competition cases, while Takahiro Nonaka advises multinationals on US antitrust law and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act issues.

Jones Day’s antitrust and competition law team leverages the firm’s international network to offer antitrust advice to domestic and international clients in a broad range of sectors, including manufacturing, automotive, and electronics. Practice head Hiromitsu Miyakawa’s broad experience covers merger filings, cartel investigations, and compliance. Chizuru Yoshida provides key support, particularly on merger filing analysis in relation to business combinations.

White & Case LLP - White & Case Law Offices (Registered Association)’s competition team in Tokyo acts for major Japanese and international corporations in relation to various antitrust and competition law issues, including merger filings. With considerable experience advising on cartel, abuse of position, and price maintenance matters, as well as merger control, Toshio Dokei leads the group. Takako Onoki, a name to note for antitrust investigations and global merger notification proceedings, plays a key role in the team.

Clifford Chance (Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo)’s antitrust team in Tokyo benefits from the firm’s international network to offer ‘seamless support’ to clients in the private equity, infrastructure, and tech sectors, among others. Masafumi Shikakura, promoted to partner in May 2024, leads the practice. He focuses on merger filings, foreign investment regulations, and tech antitrust matters. Yuki Hoshinaga, who plays a key role in the team, has notable experience advising on domestic and global merger filings as well as tech antitrust matters.