We only need advice on this one matter
A one-off question, such as having a single contract reviewed. We take these on an hourly basis (time charge).
- Is it safe to sign this contract as it stands?
- There is trouble with an employee — what do we do?
- We have no lawyer we can simply ask.
An attorney you can ask right away when business hits a legal snag.
Contracts, employment, compliance.
An attorney who has worked inside a corporate legal department thinks it through with you.
- Initial consultation30 min JPY 5,500(tax incl.)
- Advisory retainerFrom JPY
55,000 / month - ConsultationsAvailable in English
Coming to us before a problem grows
widens the range of options still open to you.
Does any of this sound familiar?
- A client has sent you a contract and you cannot tell whether any clause works against you
- Your standard contracts and terms of service have not been reviewed for years
- You are unsure how to warn a difficult employee, or how to handle their departure
- An employee has come to you saying they were subjected to power harassment
- You are not confident that your advertising copy, or your handling of customer data, is compliant
- You want to launch a new service and check first that there is no legal problem
Even at the stage of “is this too small to ask a lawyer about?”, please feel free to get in touch.
Which way of working together suits you?
The right arrangement changes with how often questions come up, and with your situation.
We want someone we can ask day to day
Questions about contracts or staff come up most months. An advisory retainer gives you someone to turn to on an ongoing basis.
We are already in a dispute
A dispute with a client, or a conflict with an employee, has already arisen. We explain how we would proceed and give you an estimate for the matter.
If you are not sure which applies, we will hear your situation at the initial consultation and then propose an arrangement.
What can you bring to us?
We take on a broad range of the legal issues that arise in day-to-day business.
Drafting and reviewing contracts
A contract is formed even by an oral promise (Civil Code, Article 522(2)). That is precisely why it matters to set the terms out clearly in writing. We check the payment, termination and damages clauses for anything that works against you. Terms of service for online services are put in order under the Civil Code rules on “standard terms of contract” (teikei yakkan — terms concluded on the same conditions with a large number of users) (Civil Code, Article 548-2 et seq.).
Drafting and reviewing English-language contracts
In deals with companies abroad, the contract often arrives in English. We draft and review English-language contracts, and go through the points that differ from Japanese ones, such as which country’s law applies (governing law).
Checking the rules that apply when you engage a freelancer
When you outsource work to a freelancer, you must set out the terms of the transaction — the fee, the deadline and so on — in writing or by email. The basis is Article 3 of the Act on Ensuring Proper Transactions Involving Specified Entrusted Business Operators (the Freelance Act), which came into force in November 2024. We check that your purchase orders and templates match those rules.
Preventing and handling problems with employees (employment)
A company that regularly employs 10 or more people must draw up work rules (the rulebook for the workplace) and file them with the Labour Standards Inspection Office (Labour Standards Act, Article 89). A dismissal is void where it lacks objectively reasonable grounds and is not regarded as appropriate in general societal terms (Labour Contract Act, Article 16). We think through with you how to warn an employee, and how a departure should be handled.
Responding when an employee reports harassment
Companies are required to take measures to prevent power harassment, such as setting up a consultation desk (Act on Comprehensively Advancing Labour Measures, Article 30-2). We help with establishing the facts once a report comes in, and with putting internal rules in place.
Checking advertising copy and the handling of personal data (compliance)
Advertising that makes goods look markedly better than they are is prohibited by Article 5 of the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (the Premiums and Representations Act). As a rule, customers’ personal data may not be passed to a third party without the person’s consent (Act on the Protection of Personal Information, Article 27). We review advertising drafts and the content of your privacy policy.
A legal check before you start a new business
Before you launch a new service, we check whether a licence or permit is required and whether there is any legal problem. Rather than only saying “better not to”, we look with you for a way it can be done.
Matters that have already become disputes, such as claiming unpaid sums from a client, are also welcome.
What changes when you have
an advisory attorney?
- You can ask from the stage where you are unsure it is even worth asking a lawyer
- You get advice from someone who already knows your business and how things got here
- You can have contracts reviewed again and again, deal after deal
- When something goes wrong, you can start dealing with it without explaining the background from scratch
- You may state on your website and elsewhere that you have an advisory attorney
3 features of Eight Force Law Office
Experience inside a corporate legal department
Our managing attorney spent about three years in the legal department of the Japanese arm of a foreign-owned car manufacturer. Knowing what it is to carry legal work from inside a company, we aim to give advice that fits how a business actually runs. About the attorney
Clients across a range of industries and sizes
We support small and medium-sized companies, foreign-owned companies, start-ups and sole proprietors. The industries vary as well: real estate, apparel, AI businesses, restaurants and medical institutions among them. See our industry experience
Risks explained in plain terms
We keep legal jargon to a minimum and set out the risks from several angles. Consultations in English are available.
From first contact to instructing us
- STEP 1 Get in touch
Call us or use the contact form. We will arrange a time for the consultation.
- STEP 2 Consultation with the attorney
At our office, or online or by phone, we hear about your business and what is troubling you. If you have contracts or other documents, please have them to hand.
- STEP 3 Proposal and estimate
We explain which arrangement fits — a one-off instruction or an advisory retainer — and what it costs.
- STEP 4 Engagement
Once you are satisfied with the terms, we enter into the engagement.
- STEP 5 Work begins
We start on the contract reviews or the internal issues you have brought to us.
What does it cost?
We explain the fees before you instruct us.
Initial consultation30 min JPY 5,500(tax incl.)
Advisory retainerFrom JPY 55,000 / monthAdvisory title available, other benefits (tax incl.)
Hourly rateFrom JPY 27,500 per hour(tax incl.)
* Based on the (former) Japan Federation of Bar Associations fee guidelines. For matters that turn into a dispute or litigation, we provide an estimate in advance.
* Actual expenses are charged separately. We accept credit cards (VISA / MasterCard) and instalment payments.
See Attorney’s Fees for details.
Frequently asked questions
- An advisory retainer or a one-off consultation — which is better?
- If questions come up most months, an advisory retainer may suit you. If it is a few times a year, a one-off instruction is enough. We hear your situation and propose the arrangement that fits.
- Can a small company or a sole proprietor come to you?
- Yes. We also support start-ups and sole proprietors.
- Can we consult you without coming to the office?
- You can consult us from anywhere in Japan, online or by phone. You are also welcome to visit our office in Yoyogi.
- Can we consult you in English?
- Consultations in English are available. Please feel free to get in touch.
- If we consult you, do we then have to instruct you?
- Not at all. Decide whether to instruct us after the consultation.
About the office
| Office | Eight Force Law Office |
|---|---|
| Managing attorney | Kento Araki (Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association) |
| Address | 3F BIZ SMART Yoyogi, 1-25-5 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0053 |
| Phone | 03-6809-0683 |
| Hours | Weekdays 9:00-18:00 (closed weekends & holidays) |
| Area covered | Nationwide (phone and online consultations) |
| Access | 3 min from Yoyogi Sta. (JR Yamanote / Sobu Line) / 4 min from Minami-Shinjuku Sta. (Odakyu Line) |
Please do not carry it alone — talk to us first.
We are here by phone and by email.