Junko Suetomi joins Greeberg Traurig in Tokyo
03 February 2026
Junko Suetomi has joined Greenberg Traurig in Tokyo, where she will be a shareholder. Suetomi, who previously worked at Baker McKenzie, is a highly regarded, multidisciplinary lawyer who has advised the Japanese government, practiced in the United States, and counselled clients on trade sanctions imposed on countries throughout the world.
Suetomi focusses her practice on commercial and trade laws and regulations, WTO dispute settlement, civil and criminal litigation, antitrust law, bankruptcy law and general corporate law. She has experience advising clients on issues involving trade remedy matters such as anti-dumping and countervailing duties, and import restrictions. She also advises on customs matters, classification and valuation issues, export control and sanctions, tariff treatment, FTA/EPA applications, public procurement, and handles antitrust compliance programmes for clients.
Suetomi regularly analyzes and advises clients on sanctions programs, particularly those imposed on Russia, Iran, and Myanmar. She counsels businesses on inbound and outbound trade deals, advising them on regulations imposed by the governments of Japan, the United States and others, especially in recent years as companies have grappled with global supply chain disruptions.
“Greenberg Traurig’s driving goal in Tokyo and throughout Asia has been to attract top-tier talent that exhibits legal excellence to ensure we continue to meet and exceed client expectations,” said Koji Ishikawa, managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Tokyo office. “Junko’s wide-ranging experience is the perfect embodiment of that mission. She has served her clients honourably, developed critical relationships throughout Japan, and has become one of the most trusted voices on sanctions, international trade regulations, and the intricacies of global trade. We are privileged to welcome her to the firm.”
Suetomi’s hiring is the latest step in Greenberg Traurig’s ongoing ascent in the Asian market, the firm said in a statement, with the firm’s Singapore office recently adding a team of investment fund lawyers. The firm’s global growth strategy has focused on recruiting top local talent, empowering it on the ground, respecting local rules and markets, and encouraging collaborations with the firm’s 3,000+ lawyers operating in 51 offices worldwide.
“Junko’s unique experience will open up new possibilities for our clients and provide Greenberg Traurig with an invaluable resource in the critical Japanese market,” said Richard A. Edlin, vice chair of Greenberg Traurig. “We have built an international team of trade lawyers across the firm who understand their local markets and work collaboratively to bridge the gaps between distant regions. Junko represents a monumental addition to that team.”
Suetomi’s experience is in such high demand in part because of a pioneering position she held early in her career as a lawyer advising the WTO Dispute Settlement Division of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Economic Bureau. She was one of the first lawyers to be seconded to work for the ministry, giving her first-hand experience with international trade dispute resolution mechanisms. She also worked for global law firms in Washington, New York and Tokyo, roles that helped develop her understanding of U.S. trade and regulatory frameworks.
Suetomi will continue her global trade work, but also expand her practice to include the nascent field of commercial arbitration in Japan. Arbitration is not common in Japan, with most disputes resulting in litigation. Suetomi said in a statement that trend is shifting as clients are becoming more interested in finding resolutions outside of the courtroom.
“There’s room to explore and to grow that field and I want to be a hub for that practice,” she said. “The timing is perfect now that I’m joining Greenberg Traurig, because I can tap into the firm’s prodigious disputes resolution practice that is already operating worldwide. That will help me serve clients by responding to their evolving needs.”
Her hiring at Greenberg Traurig serves as a homecoming for Suetomi, who interned at the firm’s New York City office in 2006.
