Law 794:  Doing Business in Japan

The course provides an overview of critical legal issues under Japanese law that must be considered if a U.S. company plans to do business with Japanese counterparts. Students should learn how differences and similarities in culture and law influence legal risk management in international business involving individuals and companies from the U.S. and Japan. They should also learn some basic elements of comparative law as a method of analyzing and understanding differences in legal cultures and legal systems.

During Phase I, the instructor will present a summary of the basic Japanese business laws, permitting a broad comparison of the two legal systems in their judicial system, contractual relationship, labor regulations, business vehicles, competition and intellectual property .

Phase II will be devoted to students’ in-class discussions on real cases, led primarily by a U.S. lawyer, of these differences and similarities from the perspective of comparative law. The Japanese instructor will offer his own views on the issues discussed from the standpoint of a Japanese lawyer.

Sequence and Prerequisites: None

Evaluation: Grades are based primarily on a take-home examination (90%), in addition to class attendance (10%).