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Dominic Sharman

Partner
Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise)

Biography

Dominic Sharman is a member of the Dispute Resolution group at Baker McKenzie's Tokyo office.

Having trained and qualified in the UK, Dominic moved to Japan to practice law in 2014, working for a prominent law firm in Tokyo before moving to Baker McKenzie in 2017.

Dominic is a member of Baker McKenzie's Healthcare & Life Sciences, Technology, Media & Telecoms and Energy, Mining & Infrastructure Industry Groups.

Practice Focus

Dominic's practice covers a broad range of advisory and contentious work with both Japan-related and international aspects, including international arbitration under the rules of various arbitral institutions, cross-border litigation in both the courts of England and Wales and Japan, and compliance-related matters.

Dominic advises and represents clients spanning several industries, with a particular focus on healthcare and life sciences and energy, mining and infrastructure.

Representative Legal Matters

Arbitration and ADR

  • Represented a major Japanese corporation in an arbitration under the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) rules (seated in Singapore) arising out of a joint venture agreement pertaining to a production operation in Myanmar.
  • Represented foreign-owned members of a Japanese company in an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration (seated in Tokyo) with respect to a power generation facility in Japan.
  • Represented a major Japanese pharmaceutical corporation in an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration (seated in New York) pertaining to a claim for breaches of a share purchase and transfer agreement.
  • Represented a major Japanese chemical corporation in an arbitration under the Japan Commercial Arbitration Association (JCAA) rules (seated in Japan) arising out of a distribution agreement with a European counterparty. 

Litigation and Advisory

  • Advised and provided claim management services to a major global payment services company with respect to claims brought against it in Japan, including in the Japanese courts and other ADR processes.
  • Advised a major European plant engineering group in several potential disputes with Japanese counterparties arising out of a number of construction projects in Japan.
  • Advised a major US engineering company with respect to potential litigation in the Japanese courts with a Japanese counterparty related to an alleged breach of warranty claim arising out of a sale and purchase agreement.
  • Represented the European subsidiary of a major Japanese manufacturing company in cross-border litigation in the Courts of England and Wales.

Compliance

  • Assisted several major global pharmaceutical companies regarding compliance-related investigations.
  • Assisted several major global manufacturing companies with the establishment of multijurisdictional compliance, ethics and whistleblowing hotlines.

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Daini Tokyo Bar Association - Member

Corporate Responsibility

  • Judge/Arbitrator, Intercollege Negotiation Competition (sponsored by Sumitomo Group Public Affairs Authority and others), since 2020
  • Contributor, Fighting Domestic Violence (Japan chapter), Global Rights for Women / Every Woman Treaty, October 2020

Admissions

  • Foreign Registered Lawyer (gaikokuho jimu bengoshi)~Japan (2015)
  • England & Wales~United Kingdom (Solicitor Advocate) (2011)
  • England & Wales (Solicitor)~United Kingdom (2009)

Education

  • Kaplan Altior (Higher Rights of Audience - Civil and Criminal) (2011)
  • University of Lancaster (LLB (Hons)) (2005)

Languages

  • English
  • Japanese

Publications

  • Co-author, "International Commercial Arbitration Practice: 21st Century Perspectives: International Commercial Arbitration Practice in Japan," Lexis-Nexis, 2023, Language: English
  • Co-author, "International Arbitration Update No. 14: Updates for Japanese companies," Baker McKenzie Client Alert, Baker McKenzie, March 2023, Language: Japanese
  • Co-author, "The Baker McKenzie International Arbitration Yearbook 2022-2023," Juris Publishing, Inc., March 2023, Language: English
  • Co-author, "International Arbitration Update No. 13: Updates for Japanese companies," Baker McKenzie Client Alert, Baker McKenzie, October 2022, Language: Japanese
  • Co-author, "Global Privilege Guide 2022," Baker McKenzie, September 2022, Language: English
  • Co-author, "Digital Transformation in Dispute Resolution: A Regional and Global Pattern," Japan Commercial Arbitration Journal, July 2022, Language: Japanese