Araki International IP&Law (“AIL”) celebrated its third anniversary last year.
In the summer of 2021, the firm set out a plan to create a new full-service firm in the cross-border area of the Japanese legal market with the vision of “making people, companies, and technology shine in the global market including Japanese market”.

Building on the three years since our establishment, last year was a time of great progress in both practice and in terms of organization, as we moved closer to our vision.

We sincerely appreciate your support.

First of all, last year, we had the opportunity to be involved in a number of collaborative projects and cases with potential disputes, particularly in the field of intellectual property (IP), in which our firm has particular strengths. Many of the new cases our firm has been asked to handle in the IP field involve issues for which there are no precedents or templates, such as the creation of complex business schemes, and we are truly grateful to our clients for giving us the opportunity to work on these challenges together as “one team,” sharing the concerns and difficulties that come with such work.

Also, recognizing that the rapid development of AI has revolutionized the business environment and that this trend will further accelerate in the future, we have launched the AI Practice Group to build up our knowledge on domestic and international AI legal systems and regulations, and to disseminate information on this topic externally. Our AI Practice Group has also provided advice on legal issues related to the development of AI business in the Japanese market.

In terms of organizational development, last year we worked to strengthen our team with the goal of providing long-term, stable service to our clients. Our firm started in July 2021 with one attorney. As of January 2025, we have a total of five members (one attorney, one law clerk, two paralegals, and one staff member). Our bilingual team consists of three Japanese members and two non-Japanese members, strengthening our capability to handle cross-border matters.

This year, we hope to make further progress towards realizing our vision.

First, in our practice, we will further strengthen our capabilities in handling cases involving the use of IP. The use of intangible assets, including patents, is a major issue in the Japanese market, and many companies are addressing it as an important management issue. In particular, in today’s increasingly complex market, as companies develop their businesses in the global market, the creation of businesses through collaboration with others can be an extremely significant business opportunity. In this context, we will strengthen our response to areas such as the construction and promotion of creative business schemes that focus on IP, as well as dispute resolutions in relation to these. In order to respond to such matters, it is necessary to have an understanding not only of IP, but also of various related areas such as business, competition law, finance and taxation. It would also be necessary to reinforce our capability to deal with dispute resolution in overseas jurisdictions. In order to respond to these issues, this year we will not only increase our knowledge base and strengthen our team, but also further increase opportunities for collaboration with external partners.

In the area of AI, we have concrete plans to launch new services in the first half of this year to meet the expectations of the market. In addition, as we did last year, we will continue our efforts to disseminate information in the AI field, where there is a lot of movement worldwide.

In our organization, we have concrete plans to further strengthen our team as we did last year. In this context, we will work to embody our vision, which is to provide better service to our clients through creative collaboration within the team, while maximizing the initiative and abilities of each individual member. In particular, we will work to disseminate a vision and strengthen mutual trust to enhance the team unity in a multicultural environment, and to create a system to support this vision.

We are deeply grateful to our market-leading clients for selecting us as their business partner last year, and all of us at AIL feel an even greater sense of responsibility and pride.

Our firm will continue to support companies and people who shine in the global market, and our team will work hard together this year to continue to contribute to the Japanese and global markets as a platform to help our clients achieve their business goals.

Thank you for your guidance and encouragement.

January 8, 2025
Araki International IP&Law
Managing Partner
Akiko Araki, Attorney-at-Law, Japan and California State Bar