Masuda Funai Attorneys Featured in Business Houmu Magazine

Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd. attorneys were featured in a two-part roundtable discussion series published in Business Houmu, a leading legal publication by Chuokeizaisha widely read by Japanese attorneys and corporate legal professionals.

Roundtable Discussion Part I appeared in the May 2026 issue (released on March 19, 2026) and included George Kobayashi, Benjamin Gould, Frank Del Barto, Tadashi Tahara, and Fumiko Tokoyushi. The discussion focused on key considerations for Japanese companies navigating the U.S. legal landscape, including differences between Japanese and U.S. legal systems, commonly underestimated employment law risks, communication dynamics between Japanese headquarters and U.S. subsidiaries, and the role of U.S. counsel in cross-border matters alongside Japanese law firms.

Roundtable Discussion Part II was published in the June 2026 issue (released on April 21, 2026) and featured George Kobayashi, Kathleen Gaber, Timothy Hammersmith, Asa Markel, and Koichiro Sato. This discussion explored when Japanese companies benefit most from engaging U.S.-based counsel, how on-the-ground U.S. experience informs legal advice, and how Masuda Funai supports Japanese legal teams in aligning U.S. legal guidance with internal decision-making and corporate culture. Additional topics included balancing cost expectations with the realities of U.S. legal practice and emerging trends impacting the U.S. legal needs of Japanese companies.

Together, the two-part series highlights Masuda Funai’s depth of experience advising Japanese clients on U.S. operations and cross-border transactions, as well as the firm’s ability to bridge legal and cultural considerations in complex, multinational matters.

For more information on Business Houmu, please click here.

Masuda Funai is a full-service law firm with offices in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Schaumburg^.