Greeting

Hello, I am Mikiko Takara, attorney at SAKURA Law Office. After registering as a lawyer, I engaged in litigation including medical-related cases and bankruptcy trustee work at a law firm in Tokyo. I then worked at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, where I was involved in corporate legal affairs, dispute resolution, and revisions to stock exchange regulations such as listing rules.

Inspired by involvement in supporting legal systems in developing countries, I became interested in international economic law, including international investment and trade. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I participated in economic treaty negotiations. At the Ministry of Justice, as in-house counsel, I worked on preventing and responding to disputes involving the government, including investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) and WTO dispute resolution, deepening my knowledge in international economic law and dispute resolution.

I also provided preventive legal support at the Ministry of Justice by advising administrative agencies on legal compliance of policies and litigation risks.

Most recently, at the Japan Exchange Group, I was involved in supporting listed companies in ESG and sustainability-related initiatives (environment, human rights, human capital, etc.) and disclosure matters.

Although my experience spans a range of fields, it is unified by the goal of solving problems and charting a path forward. I believe the role of a lawyer is to provide legal support to solve clients' issues and challenges based on advanced expertise, responsibility, and ethics. Understanding the true needs of clients through sincere listening and communication is key to finding optimal legal solutions. Especially in today’s rapidly changing business environment, I strive to offer timely, high-quality legal services.

Major Cases & Engagements

- Investor-state arbitration involving the Government of Japan
- Investor-state arbitration involving foreign governments
- Legal compliance and litigation risk analysis for administrative policy, contract reviews (preventive legal support)
- Treaty negotiations: TPP (Competition, SOEs, IP chapters), Japan-EU EPA (IP chapter), Japan-China-Korea FTA / RCEP (Competition), bilateral investment treaties with African and Latin American countries
- Delegate to UNCITRAL General Assembly and Working Group II (Dispute Settlement)
- Legal framework support for Myanmar Securities Law (drafting of stock exchange regulations and dematerialization rules)
- Domestic litigation: Medical malpractice case (defense for national university hospital), Design infringement injunction case (plaintiff), Currency option transaction loss case (plaintiff), Director liability case (defense)

Publications & Lectures

- "Investment Arbitration Case Study (144): Partial annulment of arbitral award due to lack of reasoning on damages for loss of opportunity" (JCA Journal, Vol. 69 No. 5, 2022)
- Lecturer for Bloomberg Sustainable Finance Program (regional financial institutions course): "ESG Initiatives in Listed Companies" (2024)

Other Activities

- Observer, Securities Law Study Group (Japan Securities Research Institute) (2013–2015)
- Member, JICA Myanmar Law Reform Project, Company Law Advisory Group (2015)
- Member, Japanese Association of International Law (since 2017); Public Relations Committee Member (2021–2022)