US-based international labour and employment law firm Fisher Phillips has launched its second overseas office and first Asia branch in Tokyo, targeting cross-border employment work from a flow of bilateral investment between Japan and the US.
John Polson, chairman and managing partner of Fisher Phillips, said it was the only US-based firm focused on labour and employment law to have a presence in Japan.
On the reason for being in Japan now, Polson said the timing was particularly good for assistance in North America with Japanese companies increasingly investing and operating within the US where the firm helped them navigate a complex legal system.
“We looked at a number of key Asia markets but decided, ultimately, that Tokyo is the best fit for our firm’s global strategy. Japan continues to solidify its position as a leading foreign investor in the US – a trend that is expected to continue,” he said.
Polson said his firm wanted to be uniquely positioned as the only US-based labour and employment law-focused outfit to help global clients navigate complex cross-border employment issues they might be facing as they expanded their operations.
Registered as Fisher & Phillips Foreign Law Office, the Tokyo office currently has a team of seven lawyers headed by partner Nan Sato. Sato, who also serves as the co-chair of the firm’s international practice group, is a US lawyer and a Japan-registered foreign legal counsel with expertise in advising corporations on establishing new international operations, M&A-related employment and data privacy issues, among other matters.
Sato, who will be working with five of counsels – four of whom are admitted in Japan – will split her time between her US-based practice and developing the firm’s Asia presence, Fisher Phillips has said. She will also be assisted by senior business consultant Shikun Gao, who has more than two decades of experience in international law and the founder of Shimin Foreign Law Office in Tokyo. While serving as a business consultant at Fisher Phillips’ Tokyo office, Gao would remain affiliated with Shimin Foreign Law Office, the firm told Asia Business Law Journal.
Together the Tokyo office team will be focused on assisting American and multinational companies doing business in Japan and Japanese companies doing business in the Americas.
For US companies seeking to establish or expand their business in Japan and Asia, Polson said his firm could guide them on employment law and compliance, labour relations and workplace audits, data privacy, and immigration compliance.
For Japanese clients entering North America, the Tokyo office would help them understand US and Mexican labour laws, which differ significantly from Japan’s employment framework.
“We can assist with employment compliance with day-to-day workplace issues, litigation, internal investigations, labour relations and immigration issues. We can also help clients navigate site selection activities as Japanese companies continue to invest and operate within North America,” said Polson.
Before the Tokyo office launch, Fisher Phillips had opened its first international offices outside the US in Mexico – three in total – in 2023 with 30 attorneys on the ground.
