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Japanese Law Firm with Strength in IT
MONOLITH LAW OFFICE consists of 30 attorneys, including the founding lawyer Toki Kawase, 16 IT Consultants, and 85 staff members (including Part-Time and Student Interns). We have served as legal counsel to approximately 1087 companies, mainly Japanese IT and Startups. To date, we have provided legal services to 1855 clients in the IT industry.
We are currently looking for foreign attorneys, experienced paralegals, and law clerks as well. If interested please take a look at our “Careers” page.
The experience of our Managing Attorney in working as an engineer and running a business
We are more than just legal advisors.
You can count on us as your IT and Internet law experts!
Managing Attorney: Toki Kawase
[Biography]
Formerly an IT engineer, he has been involved in the management of IT companies. Served as legal counsel to more than 100 companies, ranging from top-tier organizations to seed-stage Startups. He is a Representative Director of Easter Inc. and Auditor of oVice Inc. and Chief Legal Officer of TOKIUM Inc.
[Education & Affiliations]
Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, Faculty of Law-The University of
Tokyo
Affiliations -Japan MENSA
Partner Attorney: Satoshi Tanikawa
[Education & Affiliations]
Meiji University Faculty of Law
Meiji University Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
Internet, Fundraising, Intellectual Property Law, and other General Coprorate Matters (Corporate Law, Labor Law, Contracts, and etc.)
Web3 Team
Senior Associate Attorney: Jun Kizaki
[Education & Affiliations]
Chuo University Faculty of Law
University of Tokyo Law School
[Work Highlights]
2021 - Lecturer at University of Tokyo Law School
2023 - Member of Tokyo Bar Association Special Committee on Labor Legislation (Incumbent)
2026 - Member of the Board of Directors, Tokyo Bar Association (FY2026), Delegate, Japan Federation of Bar Associations (FY2026)
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
Human resources and labor law, personal information law, IT law, YouTuber/VTuber law, and other general corporate law.
[writing]
Tokyo Bar Association Special Committee on Labor Law, ed. "New Labor Case Practical Manual, 6th Edition" (Gyosei, co-authored)
Hiroyuki Oe and Takaaki Suzuki, eds., "Medical Law for Lawyers: Management, Labor, and Business Succession Edition" (Daiichi Hoki, co-authored)
Tokyo Bar Association Law Friends Association, "Collection of Sample Clauses for Wills, Inheritance Division Agreements, etc." (Shin Nippon Hoki, co-authored, responsible for the section on "Inheriting NFTs")
Senior Associate Attorney: Kosuke Takahashi
[Education & Affiliations]
Osaka University
Keio Univeristy Law School
2020~21 Tokyo-based Law Firm Handling IT Related and General Civil Cases
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
Entertainement Law, IT-related Law, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Non Life Insurance (traffic accidents, insurance fraud and etc.)
VTuber Team
Senior Associate Attorney: Naoto Takeda
[Education & Affiliations]
Chuo University
University of Tokyo Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate Legal Affairs, Contracts and etc.
PMD Act Team
Senior Associate Attorney: Isamu Yoshioka
[Education & Affiliations]
Fukuoka University Faculty of Law
Waseda University Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate Law, Contract Law
Web3 Team
Senior Associate Foreign Attorney 李 徳君 (Li, Te Chun)
[Education & Affiliations]
National Taiwan University LL.B.
Waseda University LL.M.
[Bar Admission]
Taiwan
[Working Experience and Areas of Practice and Expertise]
2018-2023 Taiwan Lin & Associates Maritime Law Office
2025 Registered as a foreign lawyer at the Tokyo Bar Association (original qualification: Taiwan)
International Transaction, Maritime Law, Data Protection, corporate, Contracts
Associate Attorney: Shota Akiyama
[Education & Affiliations]
LL.B., Faculty of Law, The University of Tokyo
J.D., Keio University Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate and Commercial Law (including contract drafting and review)
IT and Technology Law
Associate Attorney: Shu Akegami
[Education & Affiliations]
Ritsumeikan University Faculty of Law
Osaka University Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate, Fundraising, Bankruptcy/civil rehabilitation related, contracts, and etc.
Associate Attorney: Shuto Ishimura
[Education & Affiliations]
LL.B., Faculty of Law, Chuo University
J.D., Keio University Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate and Commercial Law (including contract drafting and review)
IT and Technology Law
Associate Attorney: Mizuki Kobayashi
[Education & Affiliations]
LL.B., School of Law, Waseda University
J.D., Waseda University Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate and Commercial Law (including contract drafting and review)
IT and Technology Law
Associate Attorney: Mizuki Koyama
[Education & Affiliations]
Graduated from the Department of Law, Faculty of Law, Doshisha University, and Osaka University Graduate School of Law
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General corporate law, various contracts, etc.
Associate Attorney: Takamasa Shibata
[Education & Affiliations]
Chuo University
University of Tokyo Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General corporate law, IT law, various contracts, etc.
Associate Attorney: Ryusei Juman
[Education & Affiliations]
Graduated from Meiji University Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General corporate law, IT law, internet law such as requests for disclosure and deletion of sender information, handling of various contracts, etc.
Associate Attorney: Miki Takatsuki
[Education & Affiliations]
LL.B., College of Law, Ritsumeikan University
J.D., Senshu University Law School
Engaged in sales operations at a foreign-affiliated insurance company
Operated a private lodging (minpaku) business as a sole proprietor in Kyoto
Engaged in legal affairs at an entertainment company
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate and Commercial Law (including contract drafting and review)
IT and Technology Law
Associate Attorney: Sumie Takahashi
[Education & Affiliations]
Niigata University Faculty of Law
Waseda University Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate Law, Personnel and Labor Matters, Contract Law
Associate Attorney: Toko Takayanagi
[Education & Affiliations]
LL.B., Faculty of Law, Meiji University (Graduated Early)
J.D., Meiji University Law School
2026–present: Part-time Lecturer in Administrative Law, Meiji University Law School
Editorial/Proofreading Contributor: Hiroyuki Hashimoto, [Revised Edition] Fundamentals of Administrative Law Interpretation: Understanding It From “Structure” (Nippon Hyoron Sha)
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate and Commercial Law (including contract drafting and review)
IT and Technology Law
Associate Attorney: Ayumu Nakagawa
[Education & Affiliations] Graduated from Hitotsubashi University Faculty of Law, and completed Waseda University Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise] General corporate law, Real estate law, Various contract work, etc.
Associate Attorney: Kosuke Matsunaga
[Education & Affiliations]
Chuo University Faculty of Law
University of Tokyo Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate Law, Contract Law
Web3 Team
Associate Attorney: Yusuke Mizutani
[Education & Affiliations]
Graduated from Keio University
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
Internet legal affairs such as requests for disclosure and deletion of sender information, IT legal affairs, YouTuber and VTuber legal affairs, cross-border business, other general corporate legal affairs, etc.
Associate Attorney: Daisuke Mineta
[Education & Affiliations]
Chuo University Faculty of Law
Hitotsubashi University Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
Internet legal affairs such as requests for disclosure and deletion of sender information, platform legal affairs for e-commerce and content distribution, IT legal affairs, YouTuber and VTuber legal affairs, legal affairs for specific industries (Employment Security Act, Entertainment and Amusement Act, etc.), other general corporate legal affairs, etc.
[writing]
"Don't Stumble Over These Troublesome Things! 21 Methods for Dealing with Internet Posting Troubles" (Daiichi Hoki), edited by the Shinwa Full-Term Chapter of the Tokyo Bar Association
"Q&A: Inheritance Practices in the Digital World - Cloud-Based Data, Online Assets, Social Media Accounts, Point Programs, etc." (Shinnihon Hoki), edited by the Shinwa Full-Term Chapter of the Tokyo Bar Association
Associate Attorney: Yusuke Muto
[Education & Affiliations]
Graduated from Hitotsubashi University Faculty of Law and Graduate School of Law (majoring in constitutional law)
2019-2020: Worked in systems development as a system engineer at an independent SIer
2022: Passed preliminary examination
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General corporate law, IT law, various contracts, etc.
Associate Attorney: Yumetaro Yanagawa
[Education & Affiliations]
Graduated from Chuo University Faculty of Law, completed Keio University Law School
2023 - Assistant Professor, Keio University Law School (2023 - Commercial Law and Civil Law Comprehensive / 2026 - Civil Law Comprehensive I and Civil Law Comprehensive II)
2025 - Member, Special Committee on Consumer Affairs, Tokyo Bar Association
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General corporate law, system and IT-related law, YouTuber/VTuber/influencer law, platform law, advertising review, general civil law, etc.
[writing]
"Collection of Examples of Clauses in Wills and Inheritance Division Agreements" (Shin Nippon Hoki), edited by the Tokyo Bar Association's Law Friends Association
"Traffic Accident Practice Manual, Third Edition" (Gyosei), edited by the Tokyo Bar Association's Law Friends All-Time Association Traffic Accident Practice Study Group "Evidence Collection Practice Manual, 4th Edition" (Gyosei), edited by the Tokyo Bar Association's Law Friends All-Time Association Civil Litigation Practice Study Group "Inheritance Division Practice Manual, 5th Edition" (Gyosei), edited by the Tokyo Bar Association's Law Friends All-Time Association Inheritance Practice Study Group "Checkpoints for Unfair Clauses in Consumer Transactions - Examination and Judgment of Unfairness" (Shin Nippon Hoki), edited by the Tokyo Bar Association's Special Committee on Consumer Affairs
Associate Attorney: Mitsuya Yamagiwa
Graduated from Shizuoka University Faculty of Information Studies, Yokohama National University Law School
2006-2011 Engaged in system development, operation, and maintenance work as an SE at an independent SIer.
2016-2024 Worked at a law firm in Tokyo that handles general civil matters
Transferred to Monolith Law Office in April 2024
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
IT legal affairs, intellectual property, general civil matters such as debt consolidation, traffic accidents, divorce, etc.
Associate Attorney: Keita Yokoyama
[Education & Affiliations]
Graduated from Chuo University Faculty of Law, Tokyo University Graduate School of Law
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General corporate law, IT law, various contracts, etc.
Associate Attorney: Akira Yoshida
[Education & Affiliations]
Graduated from Meiji University Faculty of Law and Hitotsubashi University Law School
Transferred from a Tokyo law firm that handles criminal cases, domestic relations cases, and other general civil matters to Monolith Law Office.
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General corporate law, various contracts, criminal cases, general civil matters such as domestic relations cases, internet law such as requests for disclosure and deletion of sender information.
Associate Attorney: Ryo Watanabe
[Education & Affiliations]
LL.B., Faculty of Law, Sophia University
J.D., Keio University Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate and Commercial Law (including contract drafting and review)
IT and Technology Law
Foreign Associate: Evgeniia Saveleva
[Education]
National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russia, Moscow, Faculty of Law, Bachelor’s degree.
National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russia, Moscow, Law of International Trade, Finance, and Economic Integration, Master's degree.
Stockholm University, International Commercial Arbitration, LL.M.
[Areas of Practice]
Qualified in Russia
International Transactions, International Arbitration, General Corporate, Contracts
[Research experience]
Prepared research papers addressing the issues of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) reform led by UNCITRAL Working Group III.
Foreign Associate: Allen Andrew
[Education & Affiliations]
William and Mary Law School, Juris Doctor
2019-2024: Worked as a Virginia-qualified attorney at international law firms in the United States and Tokyo
2025 - Rikkyo University, Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Department of International Business Law (current position)
[Areas of Practice]
International Transactions, Corporate, Contracts, M&A
Cross-border Team
Foreign Associate: Patralapa Gumchai
[Education & Affiliations]
Thammasat University, Faculty of Law, Bangkok, Thailand, LL.B. with Second Class Honors
Keio University, Graduate School of Law, Tokyo, Japan, MEXT Research Student Program
Keio University Law School, Tokyo, Japan, LL.M. in Global Legal Practice
[Professional Experience]
2018-2021: Rajah & Tann (Thailand) Limited
[Areas of Practice]
Qualified in Thailand (Attorney-at-Law and Notarial Services Attorney)
International Transactions, Corporate, Contracts, M&A, Data Protection
Affiliated Attorney: Hiroki Takenaka
Partner, Ozora Yamamura Law Office
[Education & Affiliations]
・Sophia University, Faculty of Law
・Waseda University Law School
[Areas of Practice]
・IT/Technology Law (including contract drafting and review, APPI compliance, compliance with the Freelance Act and related regulations, and system development disputes)
・Labor and Employment (including litigation)
・Entertainment Law
・Online Defamation and Reputation Management (including petitions to identify anonymous posters, takedown requests, and criminal complaints)
Advisor Attorney: Kenji Shinjo
Belonging to Ueda Koichi Law Firm
[Education & Affiliations]
Keio University Faculty of Law
[Work Highlights]
Active in the forefront of prosecution practice, including the investigation of the Aum Shinrikyo case, which attracted tremendous public attention.
Former Prosecutor at Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office, Former
Prosecutor of Legal Training and Research Institute, Former Specially Appointed Professor at Meiji University Law School
Advisor: Tomohito Ebine
Former Representative Director of Opt Co., Ltd. (now Digital Holdings), currently Founder of Eif Co., Ltd., and Director of Aucfan Co., Ltd., engaged in investment and business creation
Graduated from Keio University, completed MBA program at Sanno University Graduate School. Establishing a company in Malta to provide business support within the European region.
