Message from Ms. Misaki Kodama

I am honored to be joining Mori Hamada & Matsumoto.

Prior to joining the firm, I worked at Shearman & Sterling’s Tokyo office, from 2014 for about four years, where I worked on matters in various areas, such as those related to securities law, internal investigations, cartels, and dispute resolution. Thereafter, I worked at the Office of WTO Compliance and Dispute Settlement, and International Legal Affairs Office, Multilateral Trade System Department, Trade Policy Bureau, of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, for 5 years from 2018, where I worked on matters such as those related to the Anti-Dumping Agreement and Government Procurement Agreement, and as well as supporting Japanese companies on the part of the government, I engaged in FTA/EPA negotiations on trade agreements such as RCEP and CPTPP. In addition, I focused on matters involving WTO dispute settlement procedures for parties and third parties as the leading attorney in charge. At University of Bern’s World Trade Institute and Fordham University School of Law in New York, I gained further specialist knowledge, with a focus on international economic law, and in my master’s and doctoral degree programs, I researched WTO agreements and development, and have obtained master's and doctoral degrees. From 2010 to 2011, I worked at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the International Organizations in Geneva, where I was in charge of trade and development.

Recently, trade practices are becoming increasingly important, not only with respect to traditional trade measures such as tariffs and trade remedies, but also in the areas of economic security, the environment, and human rights. At Mori Hamada & Matsumoto I will do my best to serve our clients by providing high-quality legal services, while leveraging the knowledge and experience I have acquired to date through my research and practice.

September 2023
Misaki Kodama, Attorney-at-law (admitted in New York State)