Overview
Jiri Mestecky is a Registered Foreign Attorney (licensed in Illinois, U.S.A.) and also the first foreign partner of an Osaka-based law firm. He has been with Kitahama Partners since 2003 and prior thereto worked as an attorney in Chicago, Illinois for six years serving both Japanese and international clients. He has also served as the head of the Kansai Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan and has been deeply involved in the international business community in Japan for many years.
Work Highlights
Mr. Mestecky primarily handles transactional and dispute resolution matters related to intellectual property, corporate, commercial, and employment issues. His clients include both Japanese and foreign companies of various sizes, from SME’s to large multi-national corporations, and cover various industries, such as pharmaceuticals, insurance, manufacturing, software, and international schools. His goal in each case is to deliver knowledgeable, multi-lingual, cost-effective and practical advice that the client can actually implement in order to address any legal issues which may arise and also prevent legal issues from arising in the future.
Education & Professional Career
| Jun 2006 – Present | Kitahama Partners, Partner |
| 2003 | Joined Kitahama Partners; Registered as a Registered Foreign Attorney (Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi) |
| 1997 | Joined Masuda Funai Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd. (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.) |
| 1996 | Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (J.D./M.A.) |
| 1996 | Summer intern at Masuda Funai Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd. |
| Mar 1995 – Jul 1995 | Kobe University, Faculty of Law, Research Student |
| Jan 1995 – Jul 1995 | Kitahama Partners, Trainee |
| 1992 | University of Florida (B.A.) |
| 1990 | Kansai Gaidai University, Exchange Student |
Other Activities
| 2012 – Present | Special Advisor (Ex Officio), The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan-Kansai Chapter |
| 2012 | Adjunct Professor, School of Law, Osaka University |
| 2011 – 2015 | Adjunct Professor, Konan Law School |
| 2010 – 2011 | Vice President, American Chamber of Commerce in Japan-Kansai Chapter |
| 2008 – 2009 | Governor, American Chamber of Commerce in Japan-Kansai Chapter |
| 2004 – 2016 | Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of Institute of Business and Accounting, Kwansei Gakuin University |
| 2004 – 2011 | Adjunct Professor, Kwansei Gakuin University Law School |