Aki Tanaka

Distinctively licensed to practice in the United States and her native Japan, Aki Tanaka focuses her practice on international employment and labor law, and is a member of Littler’s APAC team.

Aki understands the laws, language and culture in both countries, and her bilingual abilities bring clarity to workplace uncertainties for Japanese and U.S. employers. Her guidance, document reviews and communication can be conducted in English or Japanese, which conveys precision and efficiency to the counseling process. 

Based on her unique knowledge and experience in U.S. common law jurisdiction and Japanese civil law jurisdiction, Aki also advises U.S.-based, or Asia-based companies on their outbound international labor and employment laws across the globe as well.

Among Aki’s successful engagements for clients are these:

• Assisting clients to properly engage workforce in Japan for their market entry to Japan including helping them develop proper employment documents and obtain visa
• Counseling clients on terminations, restructuring, market exit, and unpaid overtime issues in Japan
• Assisting Japanese clients in the U.S. with discrimination litigation or mediations especially with high level executives as well as providing daily consultation on U.S. employment laws
• Providing anti-harassment training in Japanese or English, both in Japan and the U.S.

Before joining Littler, Aki was a partner at a firm in Japan. She practiced law there for more than 10 years. She also has experience as in-house legal counsel to a U.S. employer in Japan operating in the consumer goods industry.