At Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise), practice head Tomohisa Muranushi ‘has built up a tremendous team of really competent professionals’ and the practice offers a ‘quick response and a highly detailed service’. Employment litigation forms a key part of the group’s work, with the practice often appearing before district courts, and the team also has notable experience handling negotiations with labour unions, assisting with policy development and advising on restructurings and reorganisations. The group also utilises the firm’s global network to handle cross-border work. Counsel Daichi Kiriyama is a key name to note, and is particularly highlighted for his knowledge of the employment elements of global transactions.

DLA Piper Tokyo Partnership Gaikokuho Kyodojigyo Horitsu Jimusho‘s team is ‘able to anticipate common issues for international clients operating in Japan’ and is particularly strong at investigations. ‘Knowledgeable, collaborative and business savvy‘ practitioner Keiji Nasuda leads the team in Tokyo; he regularly appears in labour tribunals and is well supported by senior associate Koji Ohtani, whose work centres around assisting international clients with workforce reductions, harassment cases and investigations in Japan. Other recent areas of work for the group, which handles the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious work, include providing general compliance advice and assisting with employee due diligence processes.

Tokyo-based K&L Gates ‘considers local laws as well as the needs of the client‘ and focuses exclusively on representing management-side clients in employment matters. The practice has seen an increase in contentious work and, on the advisory side, acts for a variety of public and private employers at a domestic and global level, leveraging the firm's large global network; it is particularly noted for its retail. banking and manufacturing sector expertise. Heading up the team are workplace dispute expert Takahiro Hoshino and managing partner Ryan Dwyer, while Nobuki Wada is also noted for his experience in employment litigation including dismissals and mental health-related issues.

Carol Tsuchida and Mitsuyoshi Saito, who is dual qualified in Tokyo and New York, lead Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP‘s labour and employment practice, which provides clients with advice on all aspects of employment issues, concerning both employees and former employees. Standout recent mandates have included advising international employers on regulation compliance, employment policies, and agreement drafting. At associate level, Nao Sato Terashima is also qualified to practice in New York, and assists clients with employment issues arising from corporate matters.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is able to provide Japanese law advice to international clients, and is highlighted for its knowledge of the technology industry while handling work across a variety of sectors. Practice head Yumiko Ohta is ‘excellent at both non-contentious and contentious matters’ and ‘has strong labour and employment expertise both in Japan and the US’. Senior associate Kane Huang is also able to advise on a range of employment matters domestically and internationally.