Atsumi & Sakai has bolstered its Tokyo office with the addition of three competition law practitioners, namely former Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) Secretary General Shuichi Sugahisa, as a Senior Consultant, and Junya Ae and Michio Suzuki as partners. Sugahisa has been engaged in competition law practice and policy, with a focus on the Antimonopoly Act and other related laws, for over 40 years since joining JFTC in 1983. During his tenure at JFTC, he worked on important regulatory reforms, and was also involved in major legislative efforts at the Consumer Affairs Agency. On the enforcement side, Sugahisa oversaw multiple cases with significant socioeconomic impact, such as large-scale cartel cases and merger control cases involving transactions between large companies. He served as Director General of the Trade Practices Department and of the Economic Affairs Bureau, and finally as Secretary General of JFTC. Sugahisa was instrumental in strengthening enforcement of the Antimonopoly Act, and worked vigorously on strengthening advocacy activities by JFTC. Before joining the firm, he was a member of the Antitrust / Competition practice group at Baker McKenzie’s Tokyo office until November 2025. On the other hand, Ae was the co-leader of the Antitrust / Competition practice group at Baker McKenzie’s Tokyo office until November 2025. He focuses on regulatory issues, especially in the areas of antitrust and competition law, and assists Japanese and international clients in international and domestic cartel investigations, multijurisdictional M&A transaction-related merger control matters, and compliance investigations. Ae also provides support during on-site investigations conducted by government bodies, and advises clients on distribution-related contractual and compliance issues. For his part, Suzuki was a member of the Antitrust / Competition and Corporate / M&A practice groups at Baker McKenzie’s Tokyo office until July 2025. He focuses on transaction-related regulatory matters, including merger control, foreign direct investment and foreign subsidies regulation, and regularly advises Japanese and multinational clients on various competition law issues.
