
Registered Foreign Lawyer
John Smith
- Bar admissions
- New York State Bar (2008)
- Languages
- English
- Practice areas
- China Practice
Profile
Admitted in New York, John supports Japanese companies expanding abroad and foreign companies investing into Japan. His work centres on drafting and negotiating English-language contracts, and he is at his most useful where the gap between Japanese and common-law thinking has become the obstacle to a deal.
After many years practising in Japan, his particular strength is proposing a realistic path to overseas counterparties while accounting for how decisions actually get made inside a Japanese company.
Education & career
- 2005
B.A., University of Michigan
- 2008
J.D., Cornell Law School
- 2008
Admitted in New York
- 2015
Relocated to Japan; joined the firm
Publications
- 2023
"Governing Law Clauses in Practice"
Lectures & seminars
- 2024
Negotiating English-Language Contracts
American Chamber of Commerce in Japan
