Ex-Paul Hastings disputes practice head Yoshihiro Takatori, along with his team, have joined the Tokyo office of Orrick as the firm looks to increase its resources in this fast-growing area.
The additions bring Orrick’s total bengoshi and foreign lawyer count in Tokyo to 32. The firm aims to strengthen its Japanese litigation capability – with a particular emphasis on IP – in a bid to capture a growing pipeline of litigation work.
“We have seen a big increase in the amount of Japanese and cross-border litigation among both Japanese and non-Japanese clients in the last few years,” said the firm's Tokyo managing partner, Mark Weeks.
According to reports, Japanese commercial litigation rose 52% in the last three years, to 974,175 cases in 2009.
Takatori advises clients on cross-border compliance issues concerning asbestos-related products and Yakura focuses on IP, product liability, anti-trust, medical, pharmaceutical, and other commercial disputes. He also counsels clients on antitrust matters.
