Profile

The main areas of my work involve vessel collisions, groundings, sinkings and other maritime accidents including handling of passenger injury cases, handling of all contractual disputes such as charterparties and bills of lading, disputes concerning NVOCCs/forwarders, review of various contract documents and recovery of claims. In particular, having worked for a domestic non-life insurance company, I am also familiar with insurance practices and am able to work closely with insurance companies on accident response and other matters. I have also handled a number of domestic passenger ship accidents and can provide advice on accident response and passenger handling in relation to passenger ships and aircraft.

Career

Mar. 1993	Graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University (Faculty of Economics)
Apr. 1993	Worked for a domestic non-life insurance company
Sep. 2007	Completed Legal Training and Research Institute, registered as a lawyer (Tokyo Bar Association) (60th term) Joined Okabe & Yamaguchi
Sep. 2012	Graduated from Law School of Swansea University (LLM International Maritime Law)
Jan. 2016	Appointed Partner, Okabe & Yamaguchi

Position/Qualifications

Marine Counselor, Legal Committee Chairperson of Japan International Freight Forwarders Association (JIFFA)

Field of expertise

Vessel collisions, groundings, allisions, sinkings and other maritime accidents (including arbitration and litigation); handling of passenger accidents; handling of disputes arising from charterparties, bills of lading and other contracts (including arbitration and litigation); domestic and international logistics (dispute resolution relating to domestic carriage, NVOCCs, forwarders and others; preparation of various contracts, including carriage document clauses; debt collection); ship arrest; insurance; bankruptcy

Handling experience

• Vessel collision, stranding and allision
• NVOCC, forwarder dispute resolution
• Handling of accident and response to victims in domestic passenger ship accidents
• Vessel arrest

Publications

• "Latest development of the law for contract of carriage – new system of carrier’s liability"　Liberty and Justice Vol.73 No.6 (p.18) (2022)
• [Co-author] "Standard Conditions of Contract for Carriage of Goods by Sea" The Report of the Japanese Maritime Law Association, Reprint No.64 Vol.93 (p.9) (2020)

Seminars

• JIFFA Seminars
  "Basic course on transport clauses" (e-learning)
  "Commentary on Standard Terms and Conditions (2020)"
  "Q&A for forwarders"
  "Key points for concluding mutual agency agreements"
  "Responsibilities of NVOCCs under the revised SOLAS Convention and measures to be taken"