Japanese Crack Down on Unregistered Foreign Associates

Japan’s umbrella Bar group has shaken up the country’s international legal community by stating that all foreign lawyers, regardless of position, must be formally registered to practice. Most foreign law firm partners are registered as such, but the majority of associates and counsel are not. In recent years, top law school graduates with strong Japanese language skills have been highly sought by foreign firms’ Tokyo offices, but such hires would be stymied by the new requirements. Continue…