Tokyo, Japan – Morrison & Foerster LLP today announced the continued expansion of its practice in Japan with the addition of Kei Amemiya to its Japanese joint venture, Ito & Mitomi. Ito & Mitomi, formed in 2001, works closely with Morrison & Foerster to provide integrated U.S. and Japanese law advice.
Mr. Amemiya joins the Firm as an associate from the Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), the competition authority in Japan. From 2001 to 2004 at the JFTC, he handled a number of cartel, monopoly, unfair trade practice and surcharge (kachokin) cases, advised JFTC staff on other matters including M&A, and lectured on a variety of legal issues for the JFTC executives and staff.
Mr. Amemiya is only the fourth attorney hired from the outside by the JFTC in its history, and the first to be hired specifically to advise in the Investigation Bureau. Mr. Amemiya also has had broad experience in international business transactions and corporate matters and litigation, in law firms in Japan and the United States.
Ken Siegel, Managing Partner of the firm’s Tokyo office commented: “Mr. Amemiya brings a wealth of experience in antitrust and competition law to the firm. His perspective as a former investigator with the JFTC makes him an ideal fit for our cross-border transactional work, and he will also help expand our commercial litigation practice in Japan.”
Fuyuo Mitomi, Head of Ito & Mitomi, added: “Mr. Amemiya joins us during a period of rapid expansion of our Japanese capabilities, and his expertise will add depth and breadth to the firm.”
Morrison & Foerster maintains one of the largest full-service international law offices in Tokyo, with close to 60 U.S.-, Japanese- and English-qualified attorneys providing legal services to both Japanese and international clients. In November 2003, The American Lawyer featured Morrison & Foerster’s Tokyo practice on its cover and heralded the Firm’s practice as a template for success in Japan, saying, “Morrison & Foerster’s decade of growth in Tokyo looks like a model for the future.” A critical aspect of that practice is the firm’s joint enterprise, Ito & Mitomi, a firm of 15 Japanese-qualified attorneys who represent both Japanese and non-Japanese corporations, investment banks and other financial institutions on a range of legal matters.
Mr. Amemiya received his LL.B. degree from Chuo University in 1989 and his LL.M. degree from University of Michigan Law School in 1998. He completed the courses of the Legal Training & Research Institute and was admitted to practice law in Japan in 1993, and was admitted in New York in 1999. Mr. Amemiya is a member of the Tokyo Bar Association and Japan Federation of Bar Associations, and also a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the International Bar Association.
