Profile

I frequently act for shipowners, charterers, hull & machinery underwriters , P&I clubs and salvors, both domestic and foreign, in maritime casualty cases. I have extensive experience in handling both domestic and overseas cases. In general, marine casualty requires a multifaceted perspective to handle cases. For this reason, I believe in not only advising clients from a purely legal perspective, but also providing them with total support based on the knowledge of experts and others in various technical or commercial fields, and I regularly communicate closely with domestic/foreign experts in the fields of shipping, ports, cargo and other areas. In addition, I also provide advice from a strategic perspective, drawing on my experience as a management consultant.
With regard to various maritime cases, I have extensive experience in litigation (including shipowners' limitation of liability cases), arbitration and arrest of ships in Japan, as well as in litigation, arbitration and mediation in other jurisdictions. In recent years, I have dealt with litigation and arbitration in the U.K., Germany, Greece, Brazil, the U.S., South Africa, Mauritius, Libya, Singapore, Brunei, China and South Korea, and have developed a close network with maritime lawyers in these countries.
I have handled numerous cases concerning charterparties, shipbuilding contracts, ship transactions, seafarer issues and other international commercial transactions, and have dealt with litigation and arbitration in relation to these areas, as well as assisting clients in drafting and negotiating various contracts. In recent years, I have also been involved in criminal and administrative cases involving foreign nationals, including seafarers.
In addition, because of my practical experience as an administrative official and familiarity with national and local government practices, I frequently handle cases relating to ports and coasts, instructed by public authorities, including national and local governments in Japan, or handle various cases, on the instruction of foreign governments.

Career

Mar. 2004	Graduated from the University of Tokyo (Faculty of Law)
Apr. 2004	Worked for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Jan. 2008	Worked for a foreign consultancy firm
Mar. 2012	Graduated from Graduate School of Law and Politics, the University of Tokyo (School of Law)
Dec. 2013	Completed Legal Training and Research Institute, registered as a lawyer (Tokyo Bar Association) (66th term)
Jan. 2014	Joined Okabe & Yamaguchi
Sep. 2019	Seconded to The Japan Shipowners' Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (until Mar. 2020)
Feb. 2024	Admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales

Position/Qualifications

Marine Counselor, Solicitor in England and Wales

Field of expertise

Maritime accidents (ship collision, oil pollution, fire, stranding/sinking, etc.), salvage, contract drafting and contract disputes (charterparties, shipbuilding contracts, towage contracts, ship transactions, crew relations, etc.), insurance, international commercial transactions, bankruptcy and foreign bankruptcy, antitrust law, administrative relations (national, local and foreign governments), criminal cases

Handling experience

• 2014Response to a collision between Brunei Navy patrol vessels and a car carrier
• 2014Response to a collision between Brunei Navy patrol vessels and a car carrier
• 2014Response to a bulk carrier stranding incident and cargo salvage case in Brazil (the U.K. arbitration)
• 2017Response to a collision between a U.S. destroyer and a container ship
• 2018Response to oil spill incident in Kagoshima and Okinawa
• 2019Response to a fire of a car carrier in the Philippines
• 2019Response to a stranding incident in Libya
• 2020Response to a major oil pollution incident in Mauritius

Publications

• "TOMAC Arbitration Award (Case no. 2015013/2015016): What can sellers claim where buyers don’t take over the vessel under NIPPONSALE 1993?" WaveLength, JSE Bulletin No.62 (p.20) (2017)
• "Structural Analysis of Foreign Investment Regulations: Comparative analysis and case study of foreign investment regulations for national security" University of Tokyo Law Review, Vol.6 (p.127) (2011)
• "Academic Freedom and University Autonomy" University of Tokyo Law Review, Vol.7 (p.66) (2012)