JAPAN Law and Practice Contributed by: Atsushi Igarashi, Yoichiro Kuriyama, Misa Takahashi and Kosuke Ojio, TMI Associates
TMI Associates has strived to create a law firm distinct from any other in Japan since its establishment in 1990. Over the last 30 years, the firm has experienced rapid organic growth in both headcount and geographical reach, while maintaining its progressive culture. Based in Tokyo, TMI Associates has, as of 6 January 2025, 630 lawyers and 102 patent/trade mark attorneys among a total of 1,231 personnel and it has become one of the five largest law firms in Japan. In addition to TMI Associates’ domestic
branch offices in Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Fukuoka, the firm has branch offices over - seas in Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Yangon, Phnom Penh, Bang - kok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Silicon Valley, Lon - don, Paris and Brussels. The firm’s sports and entertainment law practice constitutes a major aspect of its work, with the firm representing sports organising committees, sports federa - tions, professional leagues, teams and athletes.
Authors
Atsushi Igarashi is a partner in TMI Associates’ IP practice group, specialising in intellectual property, sports and
Yoichiro Kuriyama is a partner in TMI Associates’ IP practice group, specialising in sports and
entertainment, intellectual property, governance and compliance. After studying sports law in the UK, he obtained practical legal experience working in sports organisations across Europe. He has represented and advised Japanese organising committees of international sports competitions, national sports federations, professional sports leagues, teams, sports media, sports marketing companies and other sports-related clients. He is a member of FIFA’s Football Tribunal and of the AFC’s marketing committee. He has also been appointed as a member of the Sports Council for the Japan Sports Agency and a director of Japan Rugby Marketing, Inc. Furthermore, he contributed to the formation of the Sports Governance Code as a member of the Sports Integrity Committee of the Japan Sports Agency. He is a member of the Daini Tokyo Bar Association and the Japan Sports Law Association.
entertainment, data protection and telecommunications. He primarily represents and advises domestic and international companies in the sports, technology, telecommunications, media and entertainment industries on IP licensing, data protection and sports and entertainment deals. He has represented pre-eminent international sports competition organising committees, national sports federations and professional athletes. Admitted to practice in Japan and New York, he has not only been appointed as a vice-president of the Ski Association of Japan but is also a member of the legal committee of an international sports federation, the Tokyo Bar Association, the Information Network Law Association and the Entertainment Lawyers Network.
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