On Wednesday, February 21, 2024, the Chicago office hosted the Chicago chapter of the Japanese American Bar Association (JABA) for a vibrant reception welcoming special guest Jun Yanagi, Consul-General of Japan in Chicago. The reception brought more than 30 guests together for an evening of engaging conversation, providing an opportunity for JABA members, JD and LLM students, visiting attorneys, and members of other affinity bar associations to socialize and connect. During the event, Consul-General Yanagi toasted the group, sharing remarks emphasizing the importance of Japanese and Japanese American legal professionals to local communities.
JABA was founded over 40 years ago in Los Angeles, California, and has provided a special forum for members of the legal profession with interests and ties to the Japanese American community to discuss issues, network, and serve the community.
Takayuki (Tak) Ono, a Senior Managing Associate in the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations practice, is a member of the JABA Board of Governors and founded the association’s Chicago chapter in 2018, which is the only JABA chapter outside of Southern California. As one of the few Japanese-English bilingual litigators in the U.S. specializing in high-stakes investigations and litigation, he draws on his deep understanding of Japanese business culture and language skills to assist multinational companies and their U.S. and Japanese subsidiaries. In addition to his practice, Tak serves in a leadership role on the Associate Diversity Council in Sidley’s Chicago office.