Profile

I have been engaged for about 30 years in the maritime and transport law practice. I offer a wealth of knowledge and experience in the legal practice of maritime, domestic and international transport, aviation, freight forwarding, and warehousing. The area of my practice includes risk assessment and damage control from a legal perspective relating to various freight contracts, such as voyage charterparties, bills of lading, air cargo waybills, etc., mainly on behalf of cargo interests, Japanese and overseas insurers. I also have extensive experience in handling cargo recovery litigation cases.

Career

Mar. 1989	Graduated from Kyoto University (Faculty of Law)
Apr. 1991	Completed Legal Training and Research Institute, registered as a lawyer (Fukuoka Bar Association) (43rd term)
Dec. 1993	Registered with Tokyo Bar Association, joined Okabe & Yamaguchi
Apr. 1996	Practical training at law firms in London (Hill Taylor Dickinson / Clyde & Co) and the U.S. (Hill Rivkins & Hayden LLP)
Jan. 1998	Appointed Partner, Okabe & Yamaguchi

Member Organizations

The Maritime Law Association of Japan, The Air Law Institute of Japan, Association of Average Adjusters of Japan

Position/Qualifications

Arbitrator of The Japan Shipping Exchange, Inc., Marine Counselor

Field of expertise

Disputes relating to cargo transport, freight forwarding, air freight forwarding services and import/export trade (including disputes concerning cargo lashing and packaging, bad bunkers/fuels, etc.), marine insurance, domestic and international maritime litigation and maritime arbitration proceedings

Handling experience

• Transport (sea and air) cargo damage claims/defense cases
• Charterparty/COA contract dispute cases (quantity and price disputes, bad bunkers)
• Cargo delivery dispute cases
• Cases confirming non-existence of obligation to pay insurance claims Product liability, ship/building fire-related cases
• Cancellation or confirmation of non-existence of resolutions of shareholders' meetings, petitions for appointment of inspectors for general meetings
• Customs clearance disputes, cancellation of overpayment of property taxes, state compensation claims, electronic fraud remittance injunction cases (procedures in the country of remittee)
• Construction conciliation, litigation, aircraft accidents (maintenance defects)
• Labor tribunals and mediation cases (employer's side)
• Execution of Will, etc.

Publications

• [Co-author] Maritime Law Hand Book (Kluwer, 2022)
• [Co-author] International Multimodal Shipping Operations Handbook [10th revised edition] (Japan International Freight Forwarders Association Inc. (JIFFA, 2020)
• [Co-author] The Rotterdam Rules in the Asia-Pacific Region (Shojihomu, 2014)

Seminars

• "Handling Cargo Claims in Japan: How is it similar to and different from the United States?" at 'Webinar: CARGO CONVOS' organized by Maloof & Browne LLC (New York) (Nov. 2022)