MiwaShoda

Miwa Shoda (view Japanese bio / 日本語版はこちらをご覧ください) is Co-Chair of Jenner & Block’s Japan Practice and Asia-Pacific Practice. She is admitted to practice law both in Japan and the United States. Drawing on her extensive legal practice experience in both countries, deep understanding of Japanese business culture and language skills, she has significant experience representing Japanese companies in various litigation and arbitration, M&A and other corporate transactions, and sensitive investigations and crisis management matters in the United States for almost 20 years. Chambers Global ranked Miwa as “Litigation-USA: Foreign Expert (Japan)” and “Dispute Resolution-Japan: Japan Expertise Based Abroad.” In addition, Miwa has repeatedly received awards, including “Women of Influence: Attorneys List” by the Los Angeles Business Journal, “Top Women Lawyers” by Daily Journal, and “Top 100 Lawyers” by the Los Angeles Business Journal, among others.

After she passed the Japanese bar exam in 2001 (a period in which the passing rate was only 2.5 percent), Miwa began her career in 2004 as an attorney at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, one of the top law firms in Japan. While there, she handled a wide range of international cases and matters, with particular emphasis on international litigation, privacy and data protection, intellectual property, and antitrust.

Since she joined Jenner & Block in 2009, Miwa has advised Japanese companies on a variety of legal matters, including litigation and arbitration, M&A and other corporate transactions, intellectual property, privacy and data protection, antitrust, and investigations and crisis management matters, across the United States. She plays a leading role in most matters in which Jenner & Block represents Japanese companies. In addition, she often serves as outside general counsel for US subsidiaries of Japanese companies and advises them on most of their daily legal issues, including disputes, corporate matters, employment matters, and various contracts.

A wide variety of Japanese companies conducting business worldwide seek Miwa’s advice, including major electronics and electrical equipment manufacturing companies, multinational industry machinery manufacturers, banks and financial institutions, multinational trading companies (both sogo shosha and senmon shosha), IT company, multinational online retailing company, a leading furniture company, multinational retail chain of general merchandise and department stores, a leading clinical development contract research organization, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies, video game developers and distribution companies, food companies, a major airline company, various retail companies, a major advertising and public relations company, and an AI-related software developer, among others.

Miwa’s extensive practice experience in both Japan and the United States and her practical advice is highly appreciated by Japanese clients who face legal issues in the United States, where the legal system and business culture differ vastly from that of Japan.

Litigation, Arbitration, Dispute Matters

Miwa has significant experience representing Japanese companies in various commercial litigation, arbitration and disputes in both federal and state courts across the United States, including California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Washington and Hawaii, and many arbitration associations including ICDR, AAA and JAMS. Miwa has secured multiple significant wins for Japanese companies, including securing a $52.5 million judgment award (including $25 million punitive damages) in Los Angeles County Superior Court, and denial of a motion for class certification in a substantial class action lawsuit in San Bernadino County Superior Court.

• Various types of complex commercial contract disputes arising out of manufacture and supply contracts, construction and engineering contracts, research and development agreements of clinical studies, and contracts with the federal and state government, among others.
• Lawsuits and disputes arising out of M&A and other corporate and/or real estate transactions, including affirmative fraud claims, representation and warranty breach claims, a purchase price adjustment dispute, and a series of employment disputes with former executives.
• Tort claims, including various product liability cases.
• Class actions, including multidistrict class actions and employment-related class actions. 

M&A and Corporate Counseling

Miwa has represented various Japanese companies in many types of corporate transactions, including M&A, joint venture, and real estate transaction, among others.

• A biotechnology company in auction-type acquisition of a global life sciences company and medical media provider.
• A ceramics and electronics manufacturer in auction-type acquisition of a manufacturing company.
• An industry components manufacturing company in its proposed joint venture with a company that manufactures and sells steel wheels.
• A well-known Japanese airline company in the restructuring of a significant aspect of its US operations.
• A Japanese company in the food and beverage industry on various corporate matters, including employment matters.

Patents and Other Intellectual Property

Many Japanese companies in various industries seek Miwa’s representation and counseling on intellectual matters, including patent litigation, patent and know-how licensing, DMCA subpoenas and trademark issues.  Her patent litigation experience includes those in popular district courts such as Central District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Texas, and District of Delaware, and she has significant experience representing Japanese companies in both non-NPE (between competitors) and NPE patent litigation.  

Antitrust, FCPA, Investigations Crisis Management Matters

Miwa has significant experience representing Japanese companies in internal investigations, government investigations, including by the DOJ and FTC, and various related litigation including class actions involving antitrust, FCPA and other corporate crisis management issues. She also regularly serves as an outside receiver of whistleblower reports involving US subsidiaries of Japanese companies.

Privacy and Data Protection

Before becoming a lawyer, Miwa received a Master of Laws degree in privacy from the University of Tokyo Graduate Schools. Drawing on her deep knowledge of privacy and data protection, she quickly became well-known in the subject area when she started practicing law in Japan in 2004. Her dedication to the subject has continued since she moved to the United States. As a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US), many Japanese companies seek her advice on privacy and data protection concerns and initiatives, including developing privacy programs and data incident response.

Miwa is admitted to practice law in Japan (currently inactive), California and New York. Miwa was born and raised in Japan and completed her legal education in both Japan and the United States (University of Chicago Law School, LL.M.; University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, Master of Laws; and University of Tokyo, Bachelor of Laws). Her native language is Japanese, and she is fully bilingual and bicultural.