City-Yuwa Partners is noted for its expertise in a wide range of practice areas, including banking and finance, M&A, as well as dispute resolution and employment. With many of the lawyers at City-Yuwa having additional professional qualifications and expertise, such as being patent lawyers and certified public accountants, the firm is highly capable in solving any legal issues. Tomohiro Tanamura and Nobuyuki Sakuraba are key contacts. Partner Nobuyuki Sakuraba left firm to set up Sakuraba Law Firm in May 2023.
Client feedback
"Even though the JV projects include many complicated matters including some disputes and sensitive issues inside and outside, the firm are handling them very well with the viewpoint of total optimisation." – Corporate and M&A
"They are excellent lawyers, are attentive to the client, communicate clearly, and are easy to work with." – Dispute resolution
"They are very responsive, and their legal analysis is clear, thorough, and practical. They are effectively bilingual and understand both the Japanese culture and the Western approach to doing business and resolving disputes." – Dispute resolution
"High-quality human resources. There are professionals in all fields." – Dispute resolution
"Responsive, practical, helpful." – Labour and employment
"The speed of response and the ability to imagine the feelings of each stakeholder and meticulously propose and implement actions." – Labour and employment
"Flexibility from the client's point of view." – Real estate
"Creative thinking and giving practical advice on interpretation of Japanese law and best applications to project-specific objectives. Very responsive and fair value." – Real estate
"They are always acting proactively to help clients resolve matters within a tight timeline." – Real estate
"City-Yuwa Partners has demonstrated their high proficiency in legal solutions to complex and sophisticated matters by offering us clear, coherent and comprehensive advice and counsel, based on various legal viewpoints accumulated over time, while taking our bank's unique stance to each financing transaction as a foreign bank well into consideration, while ensuring compliance with local regulatory requirements. Their accurate advice for intricate legal matters has significantly enhanced our bank's ability to evaluate complicated financing transactions with precision and in a timely manner. City-Yuwa Partners has shown these sophisticated abilities by operating collaboratively among partners and associate lawyers as a team to deliver optimal legal solutions tailored to our bank's own needs. This collaborative approach facilitates the exchange of capabilities and experiences within the firm, ensuring a collective reservoir of expertise. Furthermore, it fosters a culture of continuous self-learning, whereby each lawyer's skill and insight are continuously deepened, thereby consistently raising their ability for excellence in legal service. They efficiently gather extensive and wide-ranging information and provide crucial legal advice, primarily during the documentation phase. This comprehensive approach enables us to consistently receive seamless legal services in depth and breadth, spanning from the initial consultation stage through to the final closing of financings and loan disbursements. Additionally, through effective coordination and cooperation among all departments and sections within the firm, they consistently deliver top-quality legal services to our bank. City-Yuwa has always proactively engaged in innovative financing schemes without being bound only by traditional or stereotyped structures. Their specialty and superiority are incomparably valuable, with positive passion, energy, experience, know-how, and internationality." – Real estate
Yusuke Asou
"In addition to his excellence in professional legal skills and experience, he always understands well the issues we have and clearly explains what is important for us now and advises us what kind of risks we have and our options therefore in every situation, by which we can make timely and appropriate decisions."
Noriko Higashizawa
"Responsive, practical, positive, fees are reasonable."
Yoshiko Koizumi
"She forms a team to handle each case."
Yoko Maeda
"She's a standout lawyer, very commercially savvy and incisive. She's the reason I would use City-Yuwa Partners."
Tetsuya Munakata
"The ability to respond quickly and to propose and implement solutions while imagining the feelings of each stakeholder in each case."
Daigo Nomura
"Quick to respond."
"Listens, thinks, and involves skill sets of other team members to result in a collective opinion with practical and actionable advice."
"Always tries to help clients resolve the problem. Helps to coordinate and explain the client's matter with the others in the meeting."
Masamichi Sakamoto
"Mr. Sakamoto's involvement in our bank's financing transactions has been impressive. He excels in decision-making, legal knowledge, client support, and innovative solutions. His extensive experience, effective coordination, and excellent leadership contribute to the firm's success. He demonstrates strong teamwork, maintains a broad network, and manages time rigorously. Mr. Sakamoto consistently meets our bank's requirements promptly, even under tight deadlines, ensuring timely completion of tasks before financial closings despite any obstacles."
Work highlights
Representing Tokyo Electric Power in over 40 class action lawsuits related to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. These cases, involving more than 10,000 plaintiffs seeking damages exceeding $100 million, are unprecedented in their social impact, legal complexity, and public interest. The firm has managed multiple concurrent cases, addressing novel legal arguments such as the foreseeability of a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, and the scope of reasonable damages. The ongoing litigation has already resulted in numerous district court, high court, and Supreme Court judgments, highlighting its significance in Japanese jurisprudence.
Advising FTI Consulting as receiver in a complex, multi-jurisdictional financial fraud case involving over ¥20 billion ($139 million). The dispute centres on alleged fraud related to investments by J Trust in companies controlled through a British Virgin Islands (BVI) entity. Handling multiple court litigations in Japan and defending against various disputes, the case spans Japanese, BVI, Thai, and Singaporean law. This ongoing matter is significant due to its substantial value, complexity, and international nature, raising intricate legal issues such as the validity of foreign receivership orders and the exercise of shareholder rights across jurisdictions.
Key clients
Contrack Watts, Y Jacobs Medical
