1. Entertainment & IT Contracts/Intellectual Property
We provide contract drafting, intellectual property protection, and licensing support for creators and companies in the entertainment and IT industries.
Entertainment law is one of our core practice areas and we are highly regarded for our knowledge, expertise, and practical experience in this field. Strictly speaking, there is no single “Entertainment Law” statute. Rather, what is commonly referred to as entertainment law is a collection of legal issues arising in this industry, including intellectual property rights, rights of publicity, moral rights, labor and employment, media law, privacy, and consumer protection, among others. Our firm helps clients navigate these issues and offers tailored legal solutions for their entertainment-related matters.
Junko Ishibashi has worked in the entertainment industry for many years as a promoter, artist manager, and legal advisor. She began her career in sales and promotion at a record label, and after earning her LL.M. in New York and returning to Japan, she served as in-house counsel at a music production company and a game company. After qualifying as an administrative scrivener in Japan and as an attorney in California, she has built an extensive network in this field and now acts as outside counsel, providing legal services to a wide range of entertainment and sports clients.
Junichiro Shibata has long served as in-house counsel in Hollywood and in the Japanese entertainment industry. He advises on copyright and other intellectual property rights, cross‑border transactions, joint ventures, M&A, and overall corporate management for projects involving film, television, games, music, live shows and attractions. His work covers production, marketing and promotion, merchandising, licensing, distribution, sponsorships and partnerships, as well as dispute resolution. In Japan, he serves as regional outside counsel to a major global franchise entertainment company, leading its team of in‑house lawyers and legal professionals. In parallel, he teaches these areas of law as an adjunct professor at Temple University Beasley School of Law, Japan Campus, and is a frequent speaker on cross‑border transactions at various industry forums.
2. Company Formation & Business Licenses
We assist with U.S. company formation and obtaining the necessary business licenses, from document preparation through to final approvals.
While forming a company in the U.S. is often procedurally simpler than in Japan, starting a business legally requires multiple filings and approvals at the federal, state, and local levels. Drawing on many years of experience handling incorporation and licensing both in Japan and in the U.S., ILS Law provides full support in English and Japanese, including entity selection, preparation and filing of formation documents, state registrations, and applications for the business licenses and permits your operations require.
Junko Ishibashi has been assisting foreign and Japanese clients with incorporation, residence/visa applications, and business licenses since 2007, initially as a licensed gyosei shoshi in Japan and now also as a California attorney. She has handled the entire process for numerous clients—from setting up subsidiaries and branches, coordinating with tax accountants and other professionals, structuring entities to meet immigration and licensing requirements, to obtaining operational licenses in both Japan and the United States. Because she understands on-the-ground practice and regulatory expectations in both jurisdictions, she can propose practical structures and procedures that other professionals may overlook.
For U.S. matters, ILS Law LLP supports clients with California and other state incorporations, coordination with the Secretary of State and the State Bar where required, opening corporate bank accounts, and checking whether a business license is needed in the state and county where the company will operate. For Japan, Ishibashi Legal Office continues to provide one‑stop assistance with the “three-piece set” of incorporation, residence status, and business licenses for foreign clients, including those using Tokyo Metropolitan Government support programs.
3. Visa & Immigration Services
We advise on a wide range of U.S. and Japanese immigration matters, including work, investor, family‑based, and permanent residence options, all in Japanese and English. In addition to “standard” employment and family cases, our practice has a strong focus on artist and performance‑related visas and other complex matters that many immigration lawyers are not familiar with.
After becoming a California attorney, Junko Ishibashi has been handling U.S. immigration work with a particular focus on non‑immigrant visas such as B1/B2, E‑1/E‑2, L‑1, and H visas. She serves as an Ambassador for Relocate.World, a global platform that connects clients with immigration professionals around the world. There are very few practitioners who understand both Japanese residence status practice and U.S. visa procedures; Junko is uniquely positioned to advise on both sides.
For former Japanese nationals who have obtained U.S. citizenship but are considering returning to live in Japan, as well as non‑Japanese nationals who wish to start a business or spend time living in Japan, Ishibashi — as a licensed gyosei shoshi authorized to act as a proxy for immigration filings in Japan — can provide end‑to‑end support to make those plans a reality.
4. International Inheritance & Family Law
We help clients navigate cross‑border inheritance and family law matters between Japan and the United States, offering practical solutions grounded in both legal systems.
Junko Ishibashi first gained hands‑on experience with wills, trusts, and real estate–related matters through free legal consultation clinics, where she advised on issues that frequently lead to disputes in inheritance. From those beginnings, she went on to handle concrete international probate cases that grew out of such consultations. She later conducted multiple wills and trusts seminars in Honolulu, Hawaii, both on her own and together with a tax attorney specializing in real estate and estate taxation. Junko continues to advise Japanese and American clients on wills, probate, and trust matters and is well‑versed in international inheritance, particularly the differences between Japanese and U.S. laws and systems. She also holds a Japanese real estate transaction manager license and has worked in the real estate industry, gaining practical experience with sales and purchases of land and houses.
California is one of nine U.S. states that apply community property laws, along with Texas, Washington, and Nevada. These rules are fundamentally different from the family law concepts used in most other U.S. states and in Japan. Anyone residing in California or owning real property there needs to understand the distinction between separate property and community property and how that affects divorce, inheritance, and estate planning. Our firm handles both domestic and international divorce, inheritance, and probate matters. If you have questions in any of these areas, please feel free to contact us.
5. Employment Law & Wrongful Termination
We advise on U.S. employment matters for Japanese and international clients, including employment contracts, employee handbooks, workplace disputes, and wrongful termination claims.
Our practice covers both the company side and the employee side in selected matters. In Japan, Junko Ishibashi has assisted employees of foreign‑affiliated companies in contesting unfair dismissals and other adverse treatment. In California, she has supported individuals in raising claims against employers in cases involving alleged wrongful termination, retaliation, and discriminatory treatment. In addition, through the JustAnswer platform she has responded to numerous inquiries about power harassment, discrimination, and hostile work environments, giving her a broad view of how these problems arise in practice in both Japan and the U.S.
ILS Law LLP can help review and draft U.S. employment agreements and internal rules, assess whether a termination or disciplinary action may violate applicable federal or state law, and guide clients through complaint letters, internal grievance processes, and referrals to local litigation counsel where needed. We also advise employers on how to structure and document HR decisions to reduce the risk of harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination claims while maintaining a fair and compliant workplace.