The Nikkei " Top-performing Lawyer " in 2025

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune has been ranked 3rd in the Nikkei’s "Reliable Law Firm” ranking in 2025, an annual survey ranking Japan’s leading law firms. Our lawyers have also been named in the Nikkei’s “Top-performing Lawyer” in 2025 as selected by companies and overall (by both companies and lawyers ) in their respective practice areas. Our ranked lawyers are as below.

The Nikkei, also known as the Nihon Keizai Shimbun is one of the four national newspapers in Japan and the world's largest financial newspapers.

We are honored to have been recognized by an esteemed establishment like the Nikkei and will continue to provide only the highest quality legal services to our clients.


Ranking selected by companies

<Corporate Law>

Hideo Tsukamoto (2nd),  Keiko Kaneko (8th)

<Antitrust and Competition Law>

Kiyoko Yagami (9th), Yusuke Nakano (13th)

<AI Governance>

Takashi Nakazaki (4th), Wataru Shimizu (8th)

<Cross Border M&A>

Hiroki Kodate (4th), Hiroshige Nakagawa (6th)


Comprehensive ranking selected by companies & private practice lawyers

<Corporate Law>

Hideo Tsukamoto (2nd),  Keiko Kaneko (13th)

<Antitrust and Competition Law>

Yusuke Nakano (6th)

<AI Governance>

Takashi Nakazaki (2nd), Wataru Shimizu (14th)

<Compliance>

Hidetaka Miyake (7th)

<Cross Border M&A>

Hiroki Kodate (2nd)

Award Recipients

Hiroki Kodate
HirokiKodate
Tokyo
Partner
Kodate Hiroki
Tokyo
Partner
Hiroki Kodate is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and engaged principally in the fields of M&A and general corporate matters, and regularly advises both Japanese and non-Japanese clients in this regard. In addition to his professional experience at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Mr. Kodate worked for the Civil Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, where he was in charge of the legislative project to modernize Japanese corporate laws (2002-2005). He also worked for Slaughter and May in London as a foreign secondee (2000-2001).
Hiroki Kodate is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and engaged principally in the fields of M&A and general corporate matters, and regularly advises both Japanese and non-Japanese clients in this regard. In addition to his professional experience at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Mr. Kodate worked for the Civil Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, where he was in charge of the legislative project to modernize Japanese corporate laws (2002-2005). He also worked for Slaughter and May in London as a foreign secondee (2000-2001).
Yusuke Nakano
YusukeNakano
Tokyo
Partner
Nakano Yusuke
Tokyo
Partner
Yusuke Nakano is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, with broad experience in the areas of antitrust, business dispute resolution, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property. In the antitrust area, he has particularly broad experience in cartel investigation and merger control, including international ones. Further, Mr. Nakano has assisted many Japanese companies and individuals involved in antitrust cases in foreign jurisdictions, in close cooperation with co-counsel in those jurisdictions. He has also represented various companies in administrative, civil and criminal litigation, mass and complex litigation, innovative mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and licensing arrangements. In addition to his professional experience at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Mr. Nakano worked for the New York law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, as a foreign intern (2001 to 2002).
Yusuke Nakano is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, with broad experience in the areas of antitrust, business dispute resolution, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property. In the antitrust area, he has particularly broad experience in cartel investigation and merger control, including international ones. Further, Mr. Nakano has assisted many Japanese companies and individuals involved in antitrust cases in foreign jurisdictions, in close cooperation with co-counsel in those jurisdictions. He has also represented various companies in administrative, civil and criminal litigation, mass and complex litigation, innovative mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and licensing arrangements. In addition to his professional experience at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Mr. Nakano worked for the New York law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, as a foreign intern (2001 to 2002).
Hiroshige Nakagawa
HiroshigeNakagawa
Tokyo
Partner
Nakagawa Hiroshige
Tokyo
Partner
Hiroshige Nakagawa is a partner handling a wide range of corporate matters with a focus on cross-border transactions, competition issues, and litigation/arbitration cases, involving Japanese entities. He also handles China-related matters, especially in M&A transaction and dispute matters. In addition, he regularly advises foreign and domestic clients on international trade matters, including anti-dumping investigation.
Hiroshige Nakagawa is a partner handling a wide range of corporate matters with a focus on cross-border transactions, competition issues, and litigation/arbitration cases, involving Japanese entities. He also handles China-related matters, especially in M&A transaction and dispute matters. In addition, he regularly advises foreign and domestic clients on international trade matters, including anti-dumping investigation.
Keiko Kaneko
KeikoKaneko
Tokyo
Partner
Kaneko Keiko
Tokyo
Partner
Keiko Kaneko focuses her practice on corporate M&A and M&A-related transactions. In addition, she provides advice to a wide variety of clients on general corporate matters, labor issues, and dispute settlement. Ms. Kaneko has extensive experience advising on and conducting transactions in heavily regulated sectors, such as energy and natural resources and pharmaceutical. She also routinely advises clients in the automotive and food industries.
Keiko Kaneko focuses her practice on corporate M&A and M&A-related transactions. In addition, she provides advice to a wide variety of clients on general corporate matters, labor issues, and dispute settlement. Ms. Kaneko has extensive experience advising on and conducting transactions in heavily regulated sectors, such as energy and natural resources and pharmaceutical. She also routinely advises clients in the automotive and food industries.
Hidetaka Miyake
HidetakaMiyake
Tokyo
Partner
Miyake Hidetaka
Tokyo
Partner
Fraud Investigation/Crisis Management With his background as a public prosecutor, an investigator at the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC) and a fraud investigator/forensic accountant at a Big 4 accounting firm, Hidetaka specializes on investigation of white collar crimes and fraudulent activities such as accounting fraud, market manipulation, insider trading, embezzlement, bribery and cybercrime and handles government inquiries of criminal and administrative authorities. Disclosure Regulations/ Accounting and Auditing With his experience in enforcing disclosure regulations in accounting frauds as an SESC investigator and addressing fraud risk in financial statements audit procedures at a Big 4 accounting firm, Hidetaka advises on disclosure regulations and accounting and auditing issues. Financial Regulations With his experience of being seconded to a foreign asset management and to a domestic major bank, investigation experience of foreign institutional investors' market manipulation and other fraudulent trade and foreign financial institutions' excessive entertainment for public pension fund, Hidetaka generally advises on financial regulations. Compliance Hidetaka generally advises on enhancement of compliance program to address bribery risk, antitrust risk and other compliance risk in response to foreign and domestic enforcements and on issues related to Japanese companies' management of their foreign subsidiaries.
Fraud Investigation/Crisis Management With his background as a public prosecutor, an investigator at the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC) and a fraud investigator/forensic accountant at a Big 4 accounting firm, Hidetaka specializes on investigation of white collar crimes and fraudulent activities such as accounting fraud, market manipulation, insider trading, embezzlement, bribery and cybercrime and handles government inquiries of criminal and administrative authorities. Disclosure Regulations/ Accounting and Auditing With his experience in enforcing disclosure regulations in accounting frauds as an SESC investigator and addressing fraud risk in financial statements audit procedures at a Big 4 accounting firm, Hidetaka advises on disclosure regulations and accounting and auditing issues. Financial Regulations With his experience of being seconded to a foreign asset management and to a domestic major bank, investigation experience of foreign institutional investors' market manipulation and other fraudulent trade and foreign financial institutions' excessive entertainment for public pension fund, Hidetaka generally advises on financial regulations. Compliance Hidetaka generally advises on enhancement of compliance program to address bribery risk, antitrust risk and other compliance risk in response to foreign and domestic enforcements and on issues related to Japanese companies' management of their foreign subsidiaries.
Takashi Nakazaki
TakashiNakazaki
Tokyo
Partner
Nakazaki Takashi
Tokyo
Partner
My practice focuses on assisting domestic and international clients with personal data and privacy, AI, metaverse and other advanced areas, internet and IT-related matters, copyright, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, and cross-border transactions. For domestic clients, I have also assisted many clients with overseas compliance in the EU and elsewhere. I also deal with a number of more specialised areas, such as cyber security, where ransomware has recently become an issue, economic security, where security clearances are a hot topic, and technical areas such as Radio Act and satellite-related matters. Outside of work, I was a member of a working group that drafted the recently published AI Guidelines for Business, and I serve on a number of expert committees for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Cabinet Office and other government departments. Also I have been commissioned to carry out various surveys for the Personal Information Protection Commission. In Internet-related matters, I have been involved in various service launches and overseas expansion support for SNS, cloud, metaverse and online games, domain disputes and security, as well as compliance with the Personal Information Protection Act, the Funds Settlement Act, the Provider Liability Limitation Act, the Telecommunications Business Act and various other business laws and regulations, and in IT and systems, I have been involved in system development, security and open source software development. The firm assists clients in Japan and abroad with a focus on system development, security and software disputes, including open source.
My practice focuses on assisting domestic and international clients with personal data and privacy, AI, metaverse and other advanced areas, internet and IT-related matters, copyright, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, and cross-border transactions. For domestic clients, I have also assisted many clients with overseas compliance in the EU and elsewhere. I also deal with a number of more specialised areas, such as cyber security, where ransomware has recently become an issue, economic security, where security clearances are a hot topic, and technical areas such as Radio Act and satellite-related matters. Outside of work, I was a member of a working group that drafted the recently published AI Guidelines for Business, and I serve on a number of expert committees for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Cabinet Office and other government departments. Also I have been commissioned to carry out various surveys for the Personal Information Protection Commission. In Internet-related matters, I have been involved in various service launches and overseas expansion support for SNS, cloud, metaverse and online games, domain disputes and security, as well as compliance with the Personal Information Protection Act, the Funds Settlement Act, the Provider Liability Limitation Act, the Telecommunications Business Act and various other business laws and regulations, and in IT and systems, I have been involved in system development, security and open source software development. The firm assists clients in Japan and abroad with a focus on system development, security and software disputes, including open source.
Hideo Tsukamoto
HideoTsukamoto
Tokyo
Partner
Tsukamoto Hideo
Tokyo
Partner
Hideo Tsukamoto is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and has engaged principally in the fields of M&A, corporate governance, commercial litigation, and general corporate matters.
Hideo Tsukamoto is a partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and has engaged principally in the fields of M&A, corporate governance, commercial litigation, and general corporate matters.
Wataru Shimizu
WataruShimizu
Nagoya
Partner
Shimizu Wataru
Nagoya
Partner
Mr. Wataru Shimizu has been involved with an extensive range of intellectual property issues, including: - Drafting and negotiating various technology transfer agreements; - Drafting and arguing complaints, motions, and other pleadings for litigation arising in relation to technology transfer agreements and compensation for employee's invention etc.;. - Advising Japanese companies on industry-university cooperation, brand management, and intellectual property management, etc. In addition, recently, Mr. Shimizu has been dealing with many legal and intellectual property issues in Asia and Emerging Countries (especially, China and ASEAN countries). Mr. Shimizu has also assisted domestic clients in general corporate matters, such as corporate governance, employment law compliance, and competition compliance, etc.
Mr. Wataru Shimizu has been involved with an extensive range of intellectual property issues, including: - Drafting and negotiating various technology transfer agreements; - Drafting and arguing complaints, motions, and other pleadings for litigation arising in relation to technology transfer agreements and compensation for employee's invention etc.;. - Advising Japanese companies on industry-university cooperation, brand management, and intellectual property management, etc. In addition, recently, Mr. Shimizu has been dealing with many legal and intellectual property issues in Asia and Emerging Countries (especially, China and ASEAN countries). Mr. Shimizu has also assisted domestic clients in general corporate matters, such as corporate governance, employment law compliance, and competition compliance, etc.
Kiyoko Yagami
KiyokoYagami
Tokyo
Partner
Yagami Kiyoko
Tokyo
Partner
Kiyoko Yagami mainly handles anti-monopoly and competition-related matters, joint venture, and direct investment in Asia and emerging countries. She also has extensive experiences in cross-border contract negotiation and dispute resolution.
Kiyoko Yagami mainly handles anti-monopoly and competition-related matters, joint venture, and direct investment in Asia and emerging countries. She also has extensive experiences in cross-border contract negotiation and dispute resolution.