The 17th ALB Japan Law Awards, a virtual event which was held on Sept. 30, honoured the outstanding achievements of individuals, law firms, in-house teams and legal work in and related to the country.

Nishimura & Asahi picked up seven awards on the night, which included Managing Partner of the Year for Masaki Hosaka, Woman Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm) for Hikaru Oguchi, Japan Deal Firm of the Year, and Japan Law Firm of the Year.

Meanwhile, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu went home with four awards, including Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year for Koki Yanagisawa and Japan Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year.

Among other awards, the Dealmaker of the Year title went to Mori Hamada & Matsumoto’s (MHM) Katsumasa Suzuki. MHM picked up two other titles: Real Estate Law Firm of the Year Tax and Trusts Law Firm of the Year

Masataka Ogasawara from ZeLo, this year’s Rising Law Firm of the Year, was the winner of Young Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm), while Atsumi & Sakai’s Ian S. Scott claimed Foreign Lawyer of the Year.

Meanwhile, Vanguard Lawyers was named Boutique Law Firm of the Year; Morrison & Foerster was awarded International Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year; Steptoe & Johnson won Japan Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year; and the Litigation Law Firm of the Year title went to Anderson Mori & Tomotsune.

In the in-house categories, Accenture received In-House Lawyer of the Year (for Emi Takeda), in addition to Innovative In-House Team of the Year and Japan In-House Team of the Year.

Airbnb’s Yuichiro Watanabe claimed the title of Young Lawyer of the Year (In-House), while Mari Hiraizumi of GSK was named Woman Lawyer of the Year.

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