Associate – Labour & Employment Law

Associate – Labour & Employment Law at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto (MHM) is seeking a bengoshi to join its Labour & Employment Law Practice Group at the firm's Marunouchi, Tokyo office. MHM's employment practice is one of the largest in Japan and advises on the full spectrum of employment law issues.

About the Role

You will advise domestic and multinational employers on all aspects of Japanese employment law, including the Labour Standards Act (労働基準法 / Rōdō Kijun-hō), the Labour Contract Act (労働契約法), the Act on Equal Opportunity (男女雇用機会均等法), and the recent Work Style Reform legislation. The role involves both contentious and non-contentious employment matters.

Working from the Marunouchi office, you will handle matters ranging from individual dismissal disputes before the Tokyo District Court (東京地方裁判所) and Labour Tribunal (労働審判) to large-scale workforce restructurings accompanying M&A transactions. You will also advise on whistleblower protection, harassment prevention, and workplace safety compliance.

Practice Areas

• Employment litigation and Labour Tribunal (労働審判) proceedings
• Workforce restructuring and redundancy programmes
• Executive compensation and employment contract drafting
• Harassment prevention (power harassment, sexual harassment) compliance
• Employment aspects of M&A transactions including business transfers

• Advise employers on compliance with the Labour Standards Act and related legislation
• Represent clients in Labour Tribunal proceedings and employment litigation
• Draft and review employment contracts, work rules (就業規則), and severance agreements
• Advise on workforce restructuring, redundancies, and business transfer employment issues
• Support clients on harassment prevention policies and investigations
• Provide guidance on executive compensation and incentive arrangements
• Advise on visa and immigration issues for international employees

• Registered bengoshi (弁護士) with the JFBA (日本弁護士連合会)
• 4-7 years of post-qualification experience in labour and employment law
• Completion of Shihō Kenshūjo (司法研修所) judicial apprenticeship
• Strong knowledge of the Labour Standards Act (労働基準法) and Labour Contract Act (労働契約法)
• Experience before the Labour Tribunal (労働審判) and employment-related litigation
• Working-level English for advising multinational employers
• Understanding of the Work Style Reform (働き方改革) legislation