John D. Davis

 

John Davis practices international business law in our Tokyo and Toronto offices.  He lived in Japan from 1983 to 1990 and worked as in-house legal advisor to Japanese corporations.  John was accepted into the LL.M program at the University of Tokyo in 1988, and in 1990 obtained an LL.M degree from that institution.  Specific areas of expertise include commercial agreements, secured finance, purchase and sale of businesses, licensing, and insurance (life).  John began his legal career with McMillan Binch in Toronto (1990-95) before establishing Davis Law Office in 1995.  He later merged his practice with a national firm, and was Toronto Office managing partner until 1999.  He returned to Tokyo in 1999 and re-established Davis Law Office in Toronto and Tokyo in 2001.  John has lectured on Canada-Japan legal issues, and has served foreign business interests in Asia as a Governor, Corporate Secretary and President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (CCCJ).

 

Birthplace:                Toronto, Ontario (1958)

Called to the Bar:     1992 (Ontario)

                                 1999 Registered Foreign Lawyer, Japan (Tokyo Dai-Ni Law Society)

Education:                1980 B.A. Honours, Queen’s University (English Literature, History)

                                 1983 LL.B., Queen’s Law School, Ontario

                                 1990 LL.M. University of Tokyo (LL.M thesis: “Know-how and Patent Licence Guidelines under the Anti-Monopoly Act” (in Japanese))

Civic Activities:         1993 - 1998: University of Toronto, Guest Lecturer (Japanese Legal System and Processes)

                                 1999 - 2003: Governor & Corporate Secretary, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan

                                 2000 - 2004: Lecturer on International Business Law, McGill MBA in Japan Program, Tokyo

                                 1999 - 2003: Member, Tokyo South Rotary Club

                                 2003 – 2005: Governor & President-elect, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan

                                 2004 - Present: Board of Governors, Sanyu-Kai (homeless shelter and medical clinic, Tokyo)

Publications:           「独占禁止法における潜在競争の評価」(“Evaluation of Latent Competition under the Antimonopoly Law”) (Jurist No.945, 1989/11/15); Introduction to Japanese Antimonopoly Law (in cooperation with Prof. Mitsuo Matsushita) (Yuhikaku, 1990); “Canada’s Investment Climate” in Profiting Under NAFTA (1995); “Establishing a Presence in Japan” (for Team Canada Mission to Japan (DFAIT).