Anderson Mori & Tomotsune‘s team advises clients across a broad range of industries, including financial services, pharma, aviation, telecoms and e-commerce, on employment matters regarding compliance, workforce management and dispute resolution, amongst others. The team’s workload spans employment structuring and restructuring, litigation and internal investigations. Leading the team is Yukiko Imazu who specialises in harassment prevention, Kensuke Otsuki who focuses on litigation, labour tribunal proceedings, and complex employment disputes, and Yuka Kamio whose expertise lies in employment compliance, dispute resolution and corporate governance. Kazutoshi Kakuyama is well-regarded for his capabilities in workforce restructuring, collective dismissals and contentious employment issues, while Sho Ando is a key contact for drafting internal employment rules and conducting investigations into harassment and compliance breaches. Hideki Thurgood Kanoh is a name to note also.

Mori Hamada's team is well-placed to advise on a wide range of employment matters, including compliance with labour laws, staff transitions, terminations and benefits, internal policies and documentation, as well as trade union relations, collective agreements and disputes. The team is led by Chisako Takaya who is known for her experience in complex employment issues, litigation, cross-border transactions, M&A and general corporate matters; Taichi Arai who is highly regarded for advising on international labour matters and resolving employment disputes for foreign-affiliated companies in Japan; and Yoshikazu Abe who focuses on dismissals, overtime claims, workplace harassment, workforce reductions, and labour union issues. Fumiko Hama is also a key contact for dismissal-related matters, overtime allowances and personnel restructuring. Shiho Ono is a key member of the team, with a strong track record representing corporations in labour disputes involving dismissals, unpaid wages, and staffing changes across various forums.

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu‘s group advises on the full range of employment matters, including collective bargaining, harassment investigations, contracts, work rules, and regulatory compliance. The team is also recognised for its involvement in numerous M&A projects, advising clients on employment and labour-related issues arising from corporate restructurings, mergers and acquisitions. The team is led by Satoshi Hosokawa who specialises in employment documentation and labour issues linked to M&A. Eriko Ogata brings strong expertise in handling investigations by labour authorities. Misae Shimizu is a key contact for day-to-day employment advice for multinational clients and regularly represents them in labour disputes and tribunals. Soh Inoue is noted for his expertise handling disputes involving dismissals, disciplinary action, harassment, demotions and salary reductions.

Nishimura & Asahi's team provides comprehensive legal support to both domestic and international clients. The team is co-led by Yuri Sugano who advises on restructuring, M&A, PMI, harassment investigations, whistleblower issues, union negotiations and labour disputes. Sugano spearheads the practice alongside Jiro Abe who focuses on restructurings, post-merger integration, negotiations with unions and labour authorities and dispute resolution cases. Yukihiko Watanabe is highly regarded for his expertise in union negotiations, labour disputes and HR restructuring. Another key contact is Takeo Tsukamoto who advises both foreign and domestic clients on a wide range of employment matters.

City-Yuwa Partners advises domestic and international clients across sectors such as IT, transportation, manufacturing and finance on litigation, labour tribunal proceedings, and collective bargaining. Noriko Higashizawa's workload incorporates labour disputes, while Tetsuya Munakata advises a broad range of Japanese clients from listed companies to family-owned businesses and start-ups. Sayako Tsukamoto handles various labour matters including contracts, harassment, wage disputes, disciplinary actions and terminations, and Akira Nagasaki focuses on complex employment litigation alongside providing compliance advice and counselling to both large institutions and smaller companies. The four helm the group.

The team at TMI Associates is led by Mie Fujimoto who advises both domestic and international clients on restructuring, M&A transactions, and non-compete obligations; Motoi Fujii who brings experience advising foreign clients across industries such as retail, finance, IT, manufacturing, and HR; and Keisuke Kondo who handles harassment, workplace accident and unfair dismissal disputes, as well as overtime claims and union negotiations. Seiji Kurihara is a key contact for advice on personnel systems, transfers, changes to employment conditions, and workforce reductions. Rie Taiko advises on employee management and workforce restructuring.

Vanguard Lawyers Tokyo‘s offering advises on employment documentation, executive compensation, workforce management, regulatory compliance and handles dispute resolution. The team supports multinational clients on employee relations matters such as performance management, disciplinary actions, restrictive covenants and workplace investigations. The practice is led by Akiko Yamakawa who advises on a wide range of employment issues, including managing underperformance, redundancies, dismissals and overtime claims. Kazuki Okada advises global companies on union and employee-related matters.

Atsumi & Sakai‘s team advises on employment agreements, directors’ and officers’ service contracts, work hour management, poor performance, and employment aspects of corporate transactions. The team is led by Tatsuo Yamashima who focuses on restructurings, disputes and collective bargaining matters, amongst others; Emi Uchida who advises non-Japanese companies entering Japan on employment, immigration and HR policies; and Hisashi Miyatsuka who frequently advises on reorganising personnel systems and handles labour tribunal proceedings and litigation.

Iwata Godo‘s cohort advises on HR strategy, organisational change, trade union matters, whistle blower schemes, contracts, harassment claims, and workplace health and safety issues in domestic and international contexts. The team is co-led by Hiroki Fujiwara who advises on recruitment, hiring, disability management, accommodations, workforce reductions, and disability benefits claims, and Daisuke Tokumaru who focuses on issues arising from corporate transactions. Landry Guesdon advises foreign SMEs and multinationals on recruitment protocols, pre-termination strategy and policy development.

Miura & Partners' team assists clients with drafting and reviewing internal policies, handling labour tribunal procedures and managing employment-related crises. Tsuyoshi Omura heads the team and brings significant expertise in day-to-day employment matters, preparing internal company regulations, liaising with regulatory authorities, managing employment disputes and advising on HR restructuring in the context of corporate reorganisations. Hiroto Sugahara is a key contact for matters involving staffing agency regulations, as well as handling workplace harassment and other labour-related investigations.

Ushijima & Partners' collective has strong expertise in employment litigation, negotiations and investigations. The practice is led by Rikisuke Yamanaka who frequently advises Japanese companies and foreign clients and is particularly well-versed in advising on the employment issues faced by overseas employers operating in Japan. For matters relating to the protection of personal information and trade secrets, clients turn to Shinobu Yanagita. Hiroshi Watanabe advises on harassment and gender-related issues, as well as the management of remote workforces.

Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners' offering advises on all aspects of personnel and labour management. The team is led by Daisuke Mure who handles matters such as collective bargaining with non-company unions, investigations by the Labour Standards Office, mediation before prefectural labour bureaus, and issues relating to pension schemes; Ayako Kanamaru whose practice incorporates harassment cases, corporate reorganisations, redundancies, and labour disputes; and Ryotaro Yamamoto who is noted for his expertise in large-scale restructuring and consolidation projects involving Japanese subsidiaries of foreign companies.