LISA M. KITAGAWA, Esq.
Lisa M. Kitagawa is an attorney who represents many prominent Japan businesses throughout the U.S. She is fluent in Japanese. She has extensive experience in corporate, contracts, employment, litigation, collections, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, tax-free reorganizations, real estate, business litigation, arbitration, trials, etc. for many prominent companies in a variety of industries. She is licensed to practice law in both California and Georgia. She is a member of the U.S. federal courts including the U.S. District Court (Central District), Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and U.S. Tax Court, and
Ms. Kitagawa was educated in both the U.S. and Japan. She graduated from Kyoto University, Japan (LL.M., 1986), Loyola Law School (J.D., 1982) and University of Southern California (B.S. Business Finance, 1979) and attended Tokyo University in 1981. She was the third and last American lawyer to earn the LL.M. in Japanese Civil Law from Kyoto University. She received scholarships from the Japan Ministry of Education (Monbusho) and the College Women's Association of Japan, as well as many other scholarships. She was one of the youngest lawyers to be admitted in California in 1982. She has many years of experience as an attorney at large international law firms. She was an editor of the landmark English treatise, "Doing Business in Japan" whose General Editor Prof. Zentaro Kitagawa was her mentor at Kyoto University.
Ms. Kitagawa is a member of the American Bar Association, California State Bar Association, Georgia State Bar Association, Orange County Bar Association, Japanese American Bar Association, former Advisory Board Member for the International Law Section of the Practicing Law Institute, former Advisor to the Executive Committee of the International Law Section of the State Bar of California, Kyoto University (Rakuyukai) Alumni Association and Tokyo University (Akamonkai) Alumni Association, Japan Business Association, Ikkikai Benkyokai, and South Bay Management Seminar. She was featured in numerous interviews on U.S.-Japan law in the Orange County Business Section of the Los Angeles Times, ILS Magazine, Rafu Shimpo, and Transpacific Magazine and U.S. Japan Publication.
Ms. Kitagawa has taught seminars and published articles on U.S. and Japan business law, including the following:
Publications
- Selected Topics in Japanese Tax Law, Professor Zentaro Kitagawa, Doing Business in Japan (1985 and 1986 supplements);
- Foreign Direct Investment in the U.S.: An Overview of U.S. Reporting Requirements,
Asia-Pacific Lawyers Association (1989); - An Overview of Acquisitions of Hotels and Golf Resorts, Journal Interworld (November 1990);
- America Seikatsu Shoroppo: Articles on Incorporations, Business Licenses and Sexual Harassment, ILS International Legal Strategy (September 1997);
- The New California Overtime Law, ILS International Legal Strategy (January 1998);
- Documenting Employee Personnel Files with Respect to Performance Evaluation, Discipline and Termination, ILS International Legal Strategy (January 1998);
- General Legal and Procedural Considerations for Real Estate Purchases and Sales Transactions in the United States, ILS International Legal Strategy (February 1998);
- U.S. Employment Manual (Revised), ILS International Legal Strategy (June 1998);
- U.S. Employment Law Manual for Japan Businesses, ILS International Legal Strategy (October 2000);
- U.S. Employment Law Book with CD-ROM, ILS International Legal Strategy (November 2000).
Seminars
- Mergers and Acquisitions of High Tech Companies, Osaka and Tokyo, Japan (April 1990);
- Fundamentals of Real Estate Investment & Development, Osaka and Tokyo, Japan (April 1990);
- Doing Business with the Japanese, Japan Festival in San Diego (January 1992);
- International Business Transactions with the Pacific Rim, State Bar Statewide Minority Attorneys' Conference (June 1992);
- Hate Crimes and Japan-Bashing, O.C. Japanese Coalition (June 1992);
- U.S.-Japan Relations, Future of the Nikkei Community Conference (October 1992);
- Representing and Negotiating with the Japanese, California State Bar International Law Section Education Institute (November 1992);
- International Law and Technology Conference, California State Bar International Law Section (January 1993);
- Legal and Business Considerations in Acquisitions, including Auctions, RTC/FDIC, REO, Bankruptcy and Probate Sales, Osaka and Tokyo, Japan (June 1993);
- Business Law Tips For Avoiding Litigation and Overview of the Litigation Process (January 1996);
- Japanese Women's Symposium (July 1997);
- Termination Procedures, So. California Ikkikai Benkyokai (May 1998);
- Separation Agreements, So. California Ikkikai Benkyokai (June 1998);
- Sexual Harassment, South Bay Management Seminar (July 1998);
- Sexual Harassment, Osaka University, Japan (January 2000);
- Legal Education and Training in the U.S., Osaka University, Japan (January 2000);
- Treaty of Friendship Commerce & Navigation, Kanazawa University, Japan (April 2001);
- Legal Strategies for Success in the U.S., Japan Pharmaceutical Mfrs. Assoc. (April 2002);
- Legal Risk Management in the U.S., Wakunaga of America Co., Ltd. (July 2002);
- Overview of the Acquisition of a Private Company, (July 2002);
- California Employment Law Recent Developments, Japan Pharmaceutical Mfrs. Assoc. (April 2004);
- Recent Legal Developments & Legal Risk Management, California Ikkikai Benkyokai (June 2005);
- Sexual Harassment Claims, California Ikkikai Benkyokai (December 2005);
- Collection Litigation, California Ikkikai Benkyokai (January 2006);
- Reduction in Force, South Bay Management Seminar (December 2008)
