Jones Day Tokyo partner Tadakatsu Sano has been appointed as chief executive assistant to Japan’s new Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama.
Sano (pictured) resigned from Jones Day on 16 September to take up the administrative position, having served three years as a partner in the Tokyo office advising on trade policy issues as a member of the government regulations practice. Japan’s new PM Yukio Hatoyama took office on the same day following the country’s historic elections, breaking 50 years of rule by the Liberal Democratic Party.
Sano joined Jones Day in 2006 having retired from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry where he was vice minister for international affairs. That position was vital for his work at Jones Day where he advised both local and international clients on legal risk management and regulatory compliance. He has also previously served under former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa, as an executive assistant.
“We believe Mr. Sano’s outstanding analytical abilities and creativity in solving difficult issues will be an asset to the Hatoyama administration,” said Nobutoshi Yamanouchi, head of Jones Day’s Tokyo office. “We are proud to have had Mr. Sano as one of our partners during the last several years, and we wish him every success in his future career.”
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