Practice Areas

M&A, Corporate and Commercial Law, Corporate Governance, Intellectual Property

　

Introduction and Practice Profile

Masashi Nakano is an attorney based in our Osaka office and is a member of the Osaka Bar Association. His practice focuses on emerging technologies and innovation-driven business matters, including AI, data privacy, startups, public affairs, M&A, corporate governance, and intellectual property. He advises clients on the legal and regulatory challenges that arise during the development of new products, services, and business models.

During his student years, Masashi gained firsthand experience in the startup ecosystem through an internship at a venture capital firm and by launching his own business. These experiences form the foundation of his practical approach to legal practice today. Rather than simply pointing out why a proposed business might not fit within existing legal frameworks, he works closely with clients to design legally sound schemes that advance their business objectives. He is particularly interested in new businesses that tackle unresolved social issues and drive meaningful innovation.

Masashi has also maintained a strong interest in the technical aspects of innovation, further exploring data science and AI through programs offered by the Matsuo-Iwasawa Laboratory at the University of Tokyo. This laboratory is led by the renowned Professor Yutaka Matsuo, who serves as Chair of the Cabinet Office's AI Strategy Council, an Outside Director of SoftBank Group, and Chairman of the Japan Deep Learning Association. Additionally, to better support new business initiatives in fields where regulatory frameworks are still developing and rulemaking itself can be part of the solution, Masashi has completed training at organizations and companies involved in public affairs.

During his first year as an attorney, he served as an AI Ambassador for IVS2025 (one of Japan's largest startup conferences, attended by 12,000 people from 67 countries) and as a mentor for GEMStartup TOKYO (a program sponsored by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government supporting entrepreneurship and new business launches through carve-outs leveraging private companies' IP and other assets). He also spoke at the "Generative AI Practical Community" hosted by GVA TECH Co., Ltd. (the first legal tech company to go public in Japan), delivered a lecture on "Considering the Handling of Confidential Information When Using Generative AI" organized by BAMBOO INCUBATOR (one of Japan's largest professional associations), and provided commentary on "Generative AI and the Law" on NHK Radio (Japan's sole public broadcaster). Furthermore, he solely authored a paper titled "Copyright Law Issues in AI-Generated Illustrations and Characters" in *Chizai Prism*, and co-authored "First-time Intellectual Property Legal Practice Q&A: From Basic Knowledge to Contracts, Applications, and Infringement Responses" (published by Minjiho Kenkyukai).

Masashi received his LL.B. from Doshisha University in March 2021 and his J.D. from Kyoto University in March 2023. During his studies, he participated in study abroad programs at Hawthorn-Melbourne in Australia and National Chung Cheng University in Taiwan. He passed the Japanese Preliminary Bar Examination in November 2022 and the Japanese Bar Examination in November 2023. After completing his legal apprenticeship as a 77th term legal trainee in March 2025, he registered as an attorney in April 2025.

Education

• Kyoto University (J.D.,2023)
• Doshisha University (L.L.B.,2021)

Professional Admissions

• Japan(2025)

Languages

• Japanese

Professional and Academic Associations

• Osaka Bar Association