Pillsbury partner and leader of the Crisis Management Team, Fusae Nara is one of the few Japanese-speaking litigators practicing in the U.S. She has represented multinational corporations headquartered in Japan in complex commercial disputes, class actions and international trade matters.
Fusae defends clients in cross-border disputes, including cartel investigations and related consumer class actions and lawsuits; class actions involving product warranty and defect claims; trademark infringement allegations; joint venture disputes and other claims.
As in-house counsel at a major Japanese corporation, Fusae gained an understanding of corporate dynamics and the delicate relationship between companies and government authorities.
She offers commonsense business solutions, maximizes the use of mediation proceedings and devises risk avoidance strategies.
REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE :
- Represented Japan’s Sharp Corp. in its leniency application to the DOJ in the TFT-LCD antitrust criminal investigation, and supported the company in investigations in other countries. Also defended Sharp and its subsidiaries in follow-on nationwide class actions, dozens of opt-out actions and lawsuits brought by state AGs.
- Represented Sega in class actions regarding an arcade game machine. The court ultimately rejected the class action allegation for lack of ascertainability of the class members.
- Represented Japan-based battery manufacturer regarding matters arising out of Boeing 787 Dreamliner incidents and grounding.
- Represented a major Japanese electronics manufacturer in twin nationwide class actions claiming over $200 million in damages for allegedly false representation of battery life in notebook computers. After extensive discovery and multiple mediations, successfully settled using coupons with a minimum exposure.
- Represented a multinational consumer goods manufacturer in a class action seeking a nationwide class for alleged misrepresentation regarding the availability of connection cable for a PDA device. Settled for nominal attorney’s fees with no claimant for the settlement distribution.
- Defended a Japanese industrial corporation in a class action brought by World War II POWs allegedly used for forced labor and obtained dismissal of the claims against the client.
- Represented a Japanese chemical corporation witness in a third party deposition in a complex litigation arising out of a failed joint R&D venture involving the corporation. Successfully kept the corporation out of the litigation.
EDUCATION :
- J.D., Hofstra University School of Law, 1991
- M.A., International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan, 1985
- B.A., International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan, 1983
ADMISSIONS : New York, District of Columbia
COURTS :
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of International Trade
- U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
CLERKSHIPS : Clerk to Chief Judge Dominick L. DiCarlo, U.S. Court of International Trade, New York, New York (1991 – 1993).
Cost
Rate : $$$