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Koichi Saito

Koichi Saito
Koichi Saito
Koichi Saito
Koichi Saito

Partner

Tokyo
LEGAL AWARDS
Thomson Reuter "Stand-out Lawyers 2026"
The Best Lawyers in Japan 2025/ Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Japan (2025 Edition)
Key Practice Areas
Corporate
United States
M&A/Business Restructuring
Support for Start-ups
Internal investigations and organizing third-party committees
TEL: 81-3-6775-1095
/FAX: 81-3-6775-2095
Contact
2024.02.21
Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers - independently rated lawyers
2024.04.18
The Best Lawyers in Japan™・Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Japan™ (2025 Edition)
2026.11.12
Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers 2026
2026.11.12
Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers 2026
2026.11.12
Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers 2026
Koichi Saito is a partner in employee and executive incentive practice group. He is a leading attorney in this field in Japan. He advises on all aspects of share- and cash-based incentive plans. He provides advice on the selection of types of awards, design of the incentive plan, due diligence on legal and tax issues in Japan as well as other jurisdictions, implementation of the incentive plan, and operation of the plan. Furthermore, he advises Japanese listed and private companies on issues relating to incentive plans generally, in M&A situations and on IPOs. He also advises global corporations on extending their incentive plans into Japan. Also, he is well versed in a range of outbound and inbound cross-border transactions, including M&A (particularly involving the United States), joint venture (JV) formations, and corporate reorganizations.
SERVICES
Practice Areas
Key Practice Areas
Corporate
Corporate and Commercial Transactions
Corporate Governance
Shareholders' Meetings and Relationships with Shareholders
Support for Start-ups
International Practice
United States
M&A
M&A/Business Restructuring
Joint Ventures
Startup M&A/Venture Capital
Cross-border M&A
Public M&A
Government Investigations and Crisis Management
Internal investigations and organizing third-party committees
Intellectual Property
IP Transaction, M&A (License, IP Due Diligence)
Related Practice Areas
Corporate
Shareholder Activism/
Corporate Disputes
Government Investigations and Crisis Management
Data Breach and Cyber incident response/
Media control and public relations
Labor and Employment
Labor and Employment Disputes/
Workplace Harassment and Other Misconducts/
Labor and Employment Issues Associated with Corporate Restructuring/
Executives (Board Members and Auditors)/
Non-regular Employment, Temporary Staffing, Outsourcing, Freelancing
Media and Entertainment
Entertainment/Content Transaction
Competition/Antitrust
International Cartels and Leniency/
Merger Control
Dispute Resolution
Securities Disputes and Other Corporate Scandals/
M&A and Corporate Disputes/
IT Disputes
LEGAL AWARDS
Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers 2026
asialaw Awards 2025
汎用受賞ロゴ
汎用受賞ロゴ
The Best Lawyers in Japan™・Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Japan™ (2025 Edition)
Award Logo
Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers - independently rated lawyers
汎用受賞ロゴ
汎用受賞ロゴ
The Best Lawyers in Japan™ 2024
汎用受賞ロゴ
汎用受賞ロゴ
Best Lawyers 2023
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RELATED INSIGHTS
SEMINARSSeminars

Cross-border M&A: Practical insights and recent trends

2026.07.09

Legal matters for management of foreign subsidiaries - including risk controls and incentive compensations -

2024.01.31

Global Equity Incentive Seminar: Issues on Legal and Taxation of Global Equity Compensation under Japanese law

2023.11.09

Global Equity Incentive Webinar: Issues on Legal and Taxation of Global Equity Compensation under Japanese law

2022.11.17

Introduction to overseas legal matters – based on experience of supports for clients as a lawyer

2022.07.15

Equity Incentive Seminar for UK subsidiaries of Japanese Companies

2020.11.12
VIEW ALL
PUBLICATIONSPublications

Japan Legal Update : Legislation related to LGBTQ Matters

2024.03.13
Others

Practice of Introduction and Operation of Equity Incentive Plan for Employees（Ⅱ）

2023.11.25
Articles

Practice of Introduction and Operation of Equity Incentive Plan for Employees（Ⅰ）

2023.10.25
Articles

"Partial amendment to "Treatment of Income Taxes in relation to the Act on Special Measures Concerning Taxation" (notification to interpret laws and regulations)", released by the National Tax Agency Japan

2023.07.28
Media

Case Study of Global Equity Incentive Plan

2020.09.18
Articles

Practice of Global Equity Compensation Plan --- Aiming at True Globalization ---

2020.09.14
Articles
VIEW ALL
CAREER
Mar 1999
Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo (LL.B.)
2001
The Legal Training and Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan (54-ki); admitted to the bar (Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association)
Jun 2008
Harvard Law School (LL.M.)
Sep 2008 - Jun 2009
Visiting Researcher at Harvard Law School
2009
Admitted to the New York State Bar (New York State Bar Association)
Jan 2013
Appointed as a partner at our firm
PROFESSIONAL ADMISSIONS
Japan (2001)
New York (2009)
PROFESSIONAL AND
ACADEMIC ASSOCIATIONS
Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association
New York State Bar Association
LANGUAGES
Japanese (first language)
English
Profile
Services
Achievements
Insights
Background
Koichi Saito
Koichi Saito
TEL: 81-3-6775-1095
/FAX: 81-3-6775-2095
Corporate
United States
M&A/Business Restructuring
Support for Start-ups
Internal investigations and organizing third-party committees
Contact
Koichi Saito
Saito Koichi