Japanese law firm Atsumi & Sakai has continued its expansion with the addition of two partners. Akiko Hosokawa (L) joins from Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise), while Dio Inoue was Japanese legal head for American pharma company Guardant Health.
Hosokawa has been a banking and finance partner at Bakers since 2006, specializing in structured finance and financial regulation. She also has particular experience in aviation and ship financing, as well as in digital platforms and financial technology.
Inoue comes with over two decades of corporate in-house experience, having worked with Morgan Guaranty Trust Co. of New York, Société Générale Corporate and Investment Bank, and Chugai Pharmaceutical before moving to the top job at Guardant. He has also spent two years at Sidley Austin’s Japanese practice, Sidley Austin Nishikawa Foreign Law Joint Enterprise.
Earlier this year, Atsumi & Sakai hired banking and finance expert Atsushi Tabata as a partner from an in-house role at SMBC Nikko Securities. Sri Lanka-qualified commercial disputes lawyer Damintha Pathirana also joined the firm as a partner in March.
Atsumi & Sakai also expanded its European presence with a new office in Brussels in May.
