Announcements
The firm mourns the passing of Yoshio Ohno, one of its founders. He died on April 19, 2018, at the age of 92. Funeral services have already taken place.
Mr. Yoshio Ohno’s Biography
Born in Chiba Prefecture in Japan on March 10, 1926, Yoshio attended the Naval Paymasters’ School, from which he graduated in March 1945, amidst worsening war conditions. He departed for the front lines at the age of 19 as a navy lieutenant paymaster cadet.
After the war, he studied at the University of Tokyo’s faculties of economics and law. On completing his legal apprenticeship and becoming a lawyer (bengoshi), he joined Shozawa Law Offices in April 1954, where he met Yasuharu Nagashima. The two would eventually become founding partners of the Law Offices of Nagashima & Ohno.
In September 1966, at the age of 40, he studied in the United States at Tulane University Law School, from which he graduated with a master’s degree. From September 1967, he worked at Foley & Lardner in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and returned to practice in Japan in June 1968. He served as partner of the firm until the end of 1995, from which time he served as Of Counsel and Adviser. He retired at the end of 2005.
Yoshio initially worked extensively on domestic labor matters, the core practice of Shozawa Law Offices, but as the firm began to place a greater emphasis on international matters, he advised domestic and foreign companies on various international legal issues as a leading pioneer in such area. Among other matters, he was involved in many international LNG development projects, including the negotiating and drafting of agreements such as long-term LNG import agreements, and was regarded as a top expert in the field. Concerning the management of the firm, he contributed significantly to the firm’s development as a leader alongside Yasuharu Nagashima.