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Japanese Law Firm with Strength in IT
MONOLITH LAW OFFICE consists of 21 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 810 companies, mainly Japanese IT and Startups. To date, we have provided legal services to 1469 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
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate Legal Affairs, Various Contracts, Personnel and Labor Matters, Venture Buisness, IT Legal Affairs, etc.
[Work Highlights]
2021~ Lecturer at University of Tokyo Law School
2023~Member of Tokyo Bar Association Special Committee on Labor Legislation (Incumbent)
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: Hiroki Takenaka
[Education & Affiliations]
Waseda University Law School
~2022 A law firm handling general civil matters and IT relataed cases
Feb. 2022~ MONOLITH LAW OFFICE
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
Entertainment Law, IT Related Law
VTuber 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
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: Keita Sato
Entered Miyazaki University Faculty of Engineering, graduated from Chuo University Faculty of Law, completed Kyushu University Law School.
After working as an in-house lawyer for an IT company and a patent law firm in Tokyo, he transferred to Monolith Law Office in March 2024.
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
Intellectual property law, litigation/dispute resolution, IT-related legal affairs, international corporate transactions, various contracts, etc.
[writing]
'Outline of the revised Patent Law enabling online oral proceedings and procedures for soliciting third-party opinions and its impact on practice' Business Law, 2021-06, Vol. 21 (6).
'Publicly worked products in the chemical field and patents registered by others' Intellectual Property Management, No. 71, Vol. 8, p. 848
Determination of the technical scope of a patented invention and the effect and mechanism of action of the invention in patent infringement litigation" (co-author) Intellectual Property Management, Vol. 73, No. 6, p. 666
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: 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
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: Kazuki Tatsuta
[Education & Affiliations]
Department of Integrated Natural Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
Legal matters related to expressions on the Internet, AI-related legal matters, general corporate legal matters, various contracts, etc.
Associate Attorney: Toshiharu Nagahama
[Education & Affiliations]
University of Tokyo Faculty of Law
University of Tokyo Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate Law, Startup Law, Intellectual Property and IT Law
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: 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, IT legal affairs, YouTuber/VTuber legal affairs, and other general corporate legal affairs, etc.
[writing]
Tokyo Bar Association Shinwa Zenkikai (ed.), 'Don't Stumble at This Point! 21 Methods for Internet Posting Troubles' (Daiichi Hoki).
Associate Attorney: Hiromi Myoken
[Education & Affiliations]
Waseda University Faculty of Law
Waseda University Law School
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate Law, Contract Law
Associate Attorney: Yumetaro Yanagawa
[Education & Affiliations]
Graduated from Chuo University Faculty of Law, completed Keio University Law School
Transferred to Monolith Law Office in September 2024 from a law firm that handles startup support and IT legal matters.
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
IT-related legal affairs, YouTuber/VTuber legal affairs, internet legal affairs such as requests for disclosure of sender information and deletion requests, advertising reviews, various contracts, etc.
[Work Highlights]
Keio University Law School, Assistant Professor (Commercial Law, Civil Law) 2023-Present
[writing]
“Collection of example clauses for wills, inheritance division agreements, etc.” (co-author) (2024 Shin Nihon Hoki)
“Third Edition Traffic Accident Practical Manual” (co-authored) (2024 Gyosei)
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: Akira Yoshida
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.
Foreign Associate: 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
International Transaction, Maritime Law, Date Protection, Cooperate, Contracts
Foreign Associate: Lucas B. Slobodticov
[Bar admissions]
Sao Paulo, Brazil.
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
Corporate, Data Protection, Contracts.
Foreign Associate: Sergio G. Elias-Wilson
[Bar admissions]
California, New York, Washington, D.C. and Oregon.
[Areas of Practice and Expertise]
General Corporate, Web3, Blockchain, etc.
Web3 Team
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
