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Ken Kawai

Ken Kawai

TEL:
81-3-6775-1205
FAX:
81-3-6775-2205

Ken Kawai has extensive experience advising financial institutions, fintech startups, investors and corporate clients on complex finance and financial regulatory matters. Ken's focuses primarily on the fintech industry, and regularly advises fintech companies, financial institutions, international organizations and industry organizations on legal issues surrounding fintech, including the complex legal framework governing cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings and blockchain.

Ken also specializes in derivatives, and has counseled global banks, broker-dealers and investors on regulatory matters and best practices in respect of derivatives and related products. He derives his deep and practical knowledge in this area from his 17-year career at MUFG Bank, Ltd. (formerly known as The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and, prior to that, The Bank of Tokyo Ltd.), where he was involved in derivatives trading and marketing.

Ken's practice also involves corporate bankruptcy, insolvency and reorganizations. He has represented debtors or creditors in several insolvency cases that involve complex financial transactions and cross-border issues. He also advises several G-SIFIs and related institutions on Bank Recovery and Resolution Regimes.

Kawai Ken

Practice Areas

Key Practice Areas

Related Practice Areas

Practice Groups

  • Financial Services & Transactions Group
  • Financial Restructuring & Insolvency Group
  • Data Privacy & Digital Group
  • Capital Markets Group

Background

Mar 1988 Kyoto University (LL.B.)
Apr 1988 - Mar 2005 The Bank of Tokyo Ltd. / The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi (presently MUFG Bank, Ltd.)
Mar 2008 Kobe University Graduate School of Law
2008-2009 The Legal Training and Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan
Jun 2021 Advisor, Global Financial City OSAKA Promotion Committee

Publications

The Virtual Currency Regulation Review: Japan The Virtual Currency Regulation Review
Sep 2023
Fintech Laws and Regulations 2023 | Japan Fintech Laws and Regulations 2023 | Japan
Sep 2023
ICLG: Digital Business 2023 - Japan ICLG: Digital Business 2023
Jun 2023
Global Legal Insights - Fintech 2022 Global Legal Insights - Fintech 2022
Aug 2022
JAPAN Law and Practice Global Practice Guide Chambers Global Practice Guides - Blockchain 2022
Aug 2022
Fintech 2022 The International Comparative Legal Guide - Fintech 2022
Aug 2022
Report on Data Privacy Regulation (2021-2022) Report on Data Privacy Regulation (2021-2022)
May 2022
Global Legal Insights - Fintech 2021, 3rd Ed. Global Legal Insights - Fintech 2021, 3rd Ed.
Aug 2021
Fintech 2022 - Japan LEXOLOGY Getting The Deal Through : Fintech
Aug 2021
Fintech 2021 The International Comparative Legal Guide - Fintech 2021
Jun 2021
Issues surrounding perfection of transfer of tokenized securities Kinyu Homu Jijo, No.2158 Kinyu Homu Jijo, No.2159
Mar 2021
The Legal 500: Blockchain Country Comparative Guide (Japan chapter) The Legal 500: Blockchain Country Comparative Guide
Nov 2020
The Legal 500: Fintech Country Comparative Guide (Japan chapter) The Legal 500: Fintech Country Comparative Guide
Nov 2020
Global Legal Insights : Fintech 2020 Global Legal Insights : Fintech 2020
Aug 2020
The Legal 500 & The In-House Lawyer Comparative Legal Guide Japan: Blockchain The Legal 500: Blockchain Country Comparative Guide
Nov 2019
Nov 2019
Fintech 2020 (Japan Chapter) LEXOLOGY Getting The Deal Through : Fintech
Sep 2019
Legal Issues of Crypto Asset Businesses Kinyu Homu Jijo, No. 2119
Aug 2019
Global Legal Insights : Fintech 2019 Global Legal Insights : Fintech 2019
Aug 2019
Japan: Fintech 2019 The International Comparative Legal Guides to: Fintech 2019
May 2019
The Legal 500 & The In-House Lawyer Comparative Legal Guide Japan: Fintech The Legal 500: Fintech Country Comparative Guide
Nov 2018
Oct 2018
Apr 2017
Legal Issues Surrounding Virtual Currency and Blockchain Studies on Practical Legal Issues Vol. 32 (2017)
Mar 2017
Fintech Legal Guide Shoji-Homu
Mar 2017
May 2015

Lectures

Oct 15, 2022
X-HUB TOKYO INBOUND PROGRAM 2022 Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC, JETRO
Feb 2022
FIN/SUM2021:Fintech Summit NIKKEI, Financial Services Agency
Mar 16, 2021
X-HUB TOKYO INBOUND PROGRAM 2021 Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC, JETRO
Feb 15, 2021
Sep 8, 2020
Nov 15, 2019
Overview of Crypto Asset Regulations in Japan Swiss Asia Crypto Alliance (SACA), dConference
Nov 8, 2019
Insights into Japan’s Ecosystem San Francisco Blockchain Week
Nov 1, 2019
Practical Legal Issues Regarding Crypto Assets Japan Association of the Law of Finance 36th Annual Conference
Oct 19, 2019
Sep 23, 2019
Jul 12, 2019
Outline of FATF Recommendations on Virtual Assets Japan Cryptocurrency Business Association
Jun 26, 2019
May 18, 2019
Outline of The Revised Crypto Asset Regulations of Japan Japan Cryptocurrency Business Association
Mar 22, 2019
Feb 28, 2019
Blockchain Hackathon 2019 Host:Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Manager: Recruit R&D
Feb 9, 16, 17, 2019
DLT and Cryptocurrency for Broker and Dealer’s Businesses Consortium of Security Brokers and Dealers
Oct 2, 2018
BLOCKFESTA 2018 Block Media, Korea blockchain Industry Promotion Association
Aug 22, 2018
Jul 27, 2018
May 16, 2018
May 11, 2018
Virtual Currency Seminar Tokyo Bar Association
Mar 30, 2018
The Future of Cryptocurrencies The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan
Feb 1, 2018
Jan 20, 2018
Legal Issues on ICOs Daini Tokyo Bar Association
Dec 19, 2017
Current Status of Cryptocurrency Busines Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market Committee
Jul 26, 2017
Virtual Currency and Banking Business Consortium for Domestic and Cross-border Payments
Jun 28, 2017
Jan 31, 2017
Workshop on Cross-Border Effectiveness of Resolution Action the Legal Expert Group of the Financial Stability Board
January 25, 2017
Legal Issues surrounding Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Tokyo Bar Association Financial Transaction Law Group
Sep 2, 2016

Achievements

Professional Admissions

  • Japan (2009)

Professional and Academic Associations

  • Tokyo Bar Association
  • Japan Association of the Law of Finance
  • INSOL International
  • East Asian Association of Insolvency & Restructuring
  • International Competition Network (ICN) Non-Governmental Advisor
  • Japan Competition Law Forum
  • Tokyo Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law Section
  • Tokyo Bar Association, Financial Transaction Law Section
  • Japan Cryptocurrency Business Association (Legal Advisor)
  • FinTech Association Japan
  • Member of the “Committee to Discuss the Legal System for Blockchain (Cross-sectoral Theme)” organized by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (2018)
  • Member of the “Study Group concerning Application of Blockchain Technology to Universities and Research Institutions for Ensuring the Credibility of Research Data and Findings and for Mobilization of Human Resources” Organized by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (2018 to 2019)

Languages

  • Japanese (first language)
  • English