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Japan Desk

Frost Brown Todd’s Japan Desk combines attorneys from different practice areas with a particular focus on the Japanese market. This combined skill set allows us to handle a range of legal issues that may arise during the start-up and day-to-day operations of international companies in the United States, Japan and other parts of the world.

We have extensive experience advising international clients in both business transactions and litigation matters in a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, information technology, financial services, engineering and construction. Our depth of experience in each of these industries allows us to better understand our Japanese clients’ needs across different legal issues. We also play an instrumental role in helping U.S. companies do business effectively in Japan.

Japan Desk Contacts

A smiling individual with curly hair dressed in a business suit with a red tie against a white background.
Robert V. Sartin

Chairman

Nashville, TN

How We Help Clients

Capabilities

Mergers, Acquisitions & Direct Investments

Our Japan Desk team supports clients across the full gamut of structuring, tax, antitrust, intellectual property, workforce, global trade, customs, ERISA and environmental matters. In particular, we help clients establish foreign subsidiaries and tax-effective holding structures for operating across international borders.

International Trade

We help develop internal policies and procedures that will aid company directors, officers, owners and employees in their efforts to comply with international trade regulations. We also counsel on audits, trade remedies, exporting issues, voluntary self-disclosures, giving clients the security and leverage needed to compete efficiently in the international sphere.

Environmental

Our attorneys defend civil and criminal enforcement actions, counsel clients on regulatory matters, conduct audits and internal investigations, and provide environmental representation on real estate and corporate transactions. We bring our deep regulatory knowledge to bear to help clients address a broad range of complex environmental issues, including insurance and zoning requirements as well as the cleanup or redevelopment of contaminated sites and industrial properties.

Dispute Resolution

Our lawyers have significant experience litigating claims both in the U.S. and abroad, particularly in the areas of antitrust, restrictive covenants, trade disputes, intellectual property, products liability, anti-bribery laws and the U.N. Convention for Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. But it is our comprehensive approach and commitment to protecting our clients’ business interests that set us apart. We also stand ready to vigorously defend our results on appeal.

International and State Tax

We advise clients on transactional and operational issues and defend them before various taxing authorities in administrative as well as judicial forums. We also keep close tabs on the ever-evolving laws and regulations governing international and jurisdiction-specific tax/reporting requirements, helping clients anticipate and understand how various tax implications stand to impact their bottom line.

Labor & Employment

Our experienced lawyers provide guidance on complex labor and employment issues to minimize exposure arising from personnel issues. We secure visas and work permits for managers and employees inside and outside of the U.S. We also advise on expatriate tax, international tax secondment and assignment agreements, and all other matters relevant to achieving tax efficiency across borders.

Intellectual Property

Our IP lawyers build cost-effective strategies and execute those strategies on a worldwide basis. We also help businesses license technology and conduct global technology transfers. If infringement occurs, our IP litigators are experienced in enforcing intellectual property rights in both alternative dispute resolution and courtroom settings.

Experience Highlights

  • Lead counsel to a large Japanese manufacturer involving the reorganization of multiple U.S. subsidiaries and affiliates.
  • Counsel to a large Japanese company in the sale of a minority interest of a subsidiary of a Japanese company.
  • Counsel to a large Japanese corporation involving a global product liability investigation and bankruptcy filings.
  • Counsel to various Japanese companies involving multi-faceted legal issues, including entity formation, visa applications, trademark and patent filings, labor and employment matters, review of lease and property purchase agreements, product liability litigation and drafting various commercial agreements.

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