SAKURA Law Office is pleased to announce that Manaj Jyakhwo, an advocate licensed in Nepal with extensive experience in corporate and commercial law, commercial contracts, foreign direct investment, cross-border transactions, regulatory compliance, commercial disputes, construction law, intellectual property, and labour and employment law, has joined the Firm as Legal Counsel.
Mr. Jyakhwo received his B.A.LL.B. degree from Tribhuvan University in 2016 and, in 2017, passed the advocate licensing examination administered by the Nepal Bar Council and obtained an Advocate License in Nepal. He subsequently pursued further academic study and, in 2019, completed an LL.M. at Tribhuvan University with a specialization in Constitutional Law and Commercial Law.
Since qualifying as an advocate, Mr. Jyakhwo has developed broad experience in legal matters arising from corporate and commercial activities. His practice has included day-to-day corporate legal advice, the drafting and review of commercial agreements, investments by foreign companies into Nepal, regulatory matters relating to foreign direct investment, cross-border transactions, filings and applications before governmental and other regulatory authorities, corporate compliance, commercial disputes, and litigation.
His experience also extends to construction law, intellectual property law, and labour and employment law. Through matters in which commercial transactions, regulation, contractual arrangements, and dispute resolution intersect, he has developed a practical approach that seeks not only legally sound conclusions, but solutions that also reflect the client’s business objectives and commercial realities.
In 2020, Mr. Jyakhwo established Sovereign Office of Law and became involved in the management of his own legal practice. This experience further strengthened his belief that effective legal advice requires more than the identification and application of legal rules. It requires an understanding of the client’s business, management decisions, operational priorities, and commercial objectives, together with the ability to translate legal analysis into solutions that can be implemented in practice.
From September 2021 to September 2025, alongside his private-sector practice, Mr. Jyakhwo served for four years as an Expert Legal Consultant to the Labour and Employment Office, Teku, Kathmandu, under the Department of Labour and Occupational Safety, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Government of Nepal.
Through this governmental role, he addressed labour and employment matters not only from the perspective of businesses and private clients, but also from the perspective of a public authority responsible for the administration and enforcement of labour-related laws and policies. This experience has provided him with valuable practical insight into the interaction between commercial activity, employment regulation, and public administration. We believe this will be a significant strength in supporting Japanese companies expanding into Nepal and companies doing business with Nepalese enterprises, taking into account not only statutory regulations but also administrative practice and the actual operation of the regulatory framework.
In 2022, Mr. Jyakhwo became a member of the Nepal Council of Arbitration (NEPCA), further developing his knowledge of arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution in addition to court litigation. In 2024, he joined LAWASIA (The Law Association for Asia and the Pacific), expanding his engagement with legal practice and professional exchange across the Asia-Pacific region.
In 2025, Mr. Jyakhwo was registered as a Notary Public and as a Licensed Liquidator in Nepal.
Throughout his career, Mr. Jyakhwo has consistently placed equal importance on professional expertise and the relationship of trust between lawyer and client. His years of corporate practice have led him to the view that the highest quality of legal service depends not only on legal knowledge and experience, but also on a genuine understanding of the client’s business, values, circumstances, and long-term objectives.
Mr. Jyakhwo also regards law not merely as a system of restrictions on commercial activity, but as an essential framework for the sustainable development of society and the economy. Governments establish the legal framework within which responsible business activity can develop, while businesses contribute to society through investment, taxation, employment, and economic growth. In this relationship, he believes that corporate lawyers have an important role to play as a bridge between public legal frameworks and private enterprise.
His approach to corporate legal practice is therefore to assist clients in complying with applicable laws and regulations while enabling them to pursue their legitimate commercial potential. At the same time, he considers it an important responsibility of corporate counsel to understand the legal and policy difficulties businesses encounter in practice and to help guide those issues toward workable solutions.
SAKURA Law Office has, since its establishment, sought to contribute to the development of legal infrastructure by providing clients with legal services of the highest quality. The Firm advises clients across a broad range of areas, including corporate and commercial law, international matters, M&A, startup and venture legal affairs, litigation and dispute resolution, intellectual property, entertainment, Web3, AI, and other emerging areas of law.
As business becomes increasingly international, legal matters involving overseas expansion, foreign investment, cross-border M&A, capital alliances, international commercial transactions, and multinational business operations are becoming more sophisticated and complex. South Asia, in particular, continues to grow in importance for Japanese and international businesses from the perspectives of demographics, economic development, human resources, technology, and digital industries.
Against this background, the addition of Mr. Jyakhwo, with his experience in Nepalese corporate law, foreign direct investment, government legal advisory work, commercial disputes, and labour and employment law, will further strengthen SAKURA Law Office’s international capabilities and enhance the Firm’s ability to support matters involving Nepal and the wider South Asian region.
At SAKURA Law Office, Mr. Jyakhwo will draw upon the experience he has developed in Nepal in corporate law, foreign investment, cross-border transactions, commercial disputes, labour and employment matters, and related fields, with particular emphasis on international matters involving Nepal and South Asia.
He will also continue to broaden his knowledge and experience in M&A, startup and venture legal affairs, international transactions, web and digital matters, entertainment, and show business, with the objective of developing as a legal professional capable of understanding and bridging multiple legal systems, business practices, and cultural contexts.
SAKURA Law Office intends to further strengthen its capabilities in Nepal-related and South Asia-related legal matters following Mr. Jyakhwo’s arrival. The Firm will continue to develop its ability to provide practical and high-quality legal support to Japanese and international businesses in connection with market entry into Nepal, foreign investment, corporate establishment and operations, international commercial transactions, contracts, labour and employment matters, regulatory compliance, commercial disputes, arbitration, and other cross-border legal issues.
The Firm will continue to expand its international network and team of legal professionals in order to provide sophisticated legal support for clients whose business activities increasingly transcend national borders.
For further information regarding Manaj Jyakhwo, please visit his profile page below.
Inquiries Regarding Nepal and South Asia Legal Matters
For inquiries concerning market entry into Nepal, investment, corporate and commercial matters, foreign direct investment, cross-border transactions, contracts, labour and employment, regulatory matters, commercial disputes, arbitration, or other legal matters involving Nepal and South Asia, please contact SAKURA Law Office.
We also welcome consultations at an early stage, including where a specific transaction has not yet been finalized or where a company is still considering future expansion or investment in Nepal.
SAKURA Law Office – Contact Form
https://sakura-lawyers.jp/en/contact/
SAKURA Law Office
ARK Hills South Tower 4F
1-4-5 Roppongi, Minato-ku
Tokyo 106-0032, Japan
TEL: +81-3-6910-0692
FAX: +81-3-6910-0693
Web: https://sakura-lawyers.jp/en/
Kenshiro Michishita
Managing Partner