Our firm's mission is to provide the highest quality bilingual legal assistance to corporations, law firms and individuals in their business dealings and disputes relating to Japan.
The firm’s principal, Mr. Freeman, is among a handful of lawyers capable of negotiating, drafting, and advising with equal proficiency in Japanese and English. The first American to pass the Japanese bar examination, Mr. Freeman holds degrees from the prestigious University of Tokyo (LL.B) and the Legal Training and Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan. He also spent seven years in New York, earning a J.D. from Columbia Law School where he was a James Kent Scholar and a Notes Editor of the Columbia Law Review. Before establishing the firm, he practiced law at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP for five years.
The scope of our firm’s work is significantly enhanced and supported by two brilliant Japanese attorneys.
Firm Partner Ms. Ayako Tsuru, who joined in 2014, is a highly regarded attorney who practiced at the acclaimed litigation department of Mori, Hamada & Matsumoto, Japan’s premier corporate law firm. Ms. Tsuru graduated with an LL.B. from the University of Tokyo, and a J.D. from the University of Tokyo, School of Law. Ms. Tsuru advises clients on a wide range of business transactions and disputes, including international arbitration matters, and her counsel is considered indispensable by many of our clients.
Ms. Kana Tahara joined us in 2025, bringing with her broad interests in economics, data science, and law. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Keio University in 2021, during which time she studied data science at the Division of Commerce, University of Otago, New Zealand. She subsequently graduated with a Master of Laws from the Graduate School of Law at Keio University in 2024. With her interdisciplinary background, Ms. Tahara assists clients on a broad range of business and legal matters.
Aided by our diverse and solid backgrounds, our firm is prepared to undertake complex, one-of-a-kind legal matters, particularly where a fundamental understanding of the Japanese and US legal systems provides unique value.
The firm maintains a broad network of Japanese and international law firms, including top-tier Japanese firms, to meet specific client needs.
Location
Our new office is conveniently located in the Toranomon area newly developed as a global business center in Tokyo and is adjacent to the Japanese traditional landscaped gardens of the Hotel Okura Tokyo.
Please see our map and directions.