Eric Sedlak Co-Chair	Hunter Hale Co-Chair	Arshad Karim Vice Chair

2007 COMMITTEE DESCRIPTION
Monitors legal and regulatory changes, legislative initiatives and other law-related issues that affect the foreign business community in Japan. Actively pursues liberalization of the rules restricting the activities of foreign lawyers in Japan and the Japanese lawyers engaged in practice with them.     

2007 COMMITTEE OBJECTIVES
•    Assist the American business and legal communities in Japan by keeping them informed about legal and regulatory changes, legislative initiatives and other law related issues.
•    Share information, coordinate ACCJ positions, and arrange presentations by knowledgeable speakers.
•    Advocate for the liberalization of the rules governing foreign lawyers in Japan and the Japanese lawyers engaged in practice with them.
•    Coordinate and advocate ACCJ positions on legal issues.


2007 ACHIEVEMENTS
Advocacy
•    ACCJ Legal Services Committee Public Comment to MIC on No Action Letter Procedure (Japanese)
•    ACCJ Legal Services Committee Comment to JFTC on Draft of the New Merger Guidelines (Japanese)
•    Viewpoint – Unrestricted Freedom of Association
•    Viewpoint – Public Comment Process


Speaker Programs & Networking
Jan 15    “Consumer Advocacy Groups:  Friend or Foe?”
    Daniel Lintz, Partner in Nagatacho Forum
    Attend:  42  @Roppongi Hills Club
    (Jointly sponsored by Government Relations Committee, Legal Services Committee and Corporate Counsel Subcommittee)    

Jan 26    “Foreign Legal Community Shinnenkai”
    Attend:  19 (ACCJ side) @Casablanca Silk, Marunouchi Bldg.
        (Jointly sponsored by Temple University Japan, Foreign Women Lawyers’ Assoc, Japan In-House Counsel Network and Roppongi Bar Association)

Feb. 1    “Your Board of Directors: Recruiting, Training, And Responsibilities”
Susan Shultz, Global Practice Leader, Boards of Directors, OakBridge, Inc.
Attend: 53 @Century Court

Feb. 9    “Depositions: Treaties, Transcription and the Room”
Edward McKeon, Consul General, U.S. Embassy Tokyo, and Jodi Harmon, President, American Realtime Court Reporters
    Attend:  26@City Club of Tokyo

Feb. 20    “Triangular Merger Update”
Panelists: Hiroshi Kondo, Managing Partner, Baker & McKenzie G.J.B.J. Tokyo Aoyama and Nicholas Benes, President, JTP Corporation
Moderator: Kenichi Osugi, Professor of Corporate Law and Securities Regulation, Chuo Law School
Attend: 105 @TAC
(Jointly sponsored by Tokyo Bar Association.)

April 12    “Business Negotiations With Chinese Business People And Lawyers”
Prof. Edward Yeh, Temple Law School
Attend: 62 @TAC


June 29    “The 2007 Evening of Wine”
Jointly sponsored by Roppongi Bar Assocication, the Foreign Women Lawyers Assoc., and the Association for Women in Finance)
Attend: 27 (ACCJ) @Brasserie Va-tout

August 3     “What Makes An Ethical Company? Integrity, Compliance, And
        Governance As Essential Elements Of Good Corporate Citizenship”
Brackett B. Denniston III, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, GE
Jointly sponsored by CSR and Corporate Counsel Subcommittee
Attn: 92 @TAC

October 10    “Developments in U.S. Immigration Policy And Practice”
Richard Goldstein, Senior Partner, law Offices of Richard S. Goldstein
Attn: 12 @ Century Court

October 24    “Whistleblowers – How U.S. And Japanese Companies Prepare And
        Respond”
Philip M. Berkowitz, Partner, Nixon Peabody NY, George A. Pierce, SVP and General Counsel, Toyota Tsusho America, Inc., and Shinya Watanabe, Partner, Jones Day
Attn: 49 @ TAC