Akihiro Kawashima

Telephone	+81 3 6429 8225 (Japan) / +32 2 550 3759 (Belgium)
E-Mail	akihiro.kawashima@sandkbrussels.com

Akihiro Kawashima is the founder and partner of the firm. Mr. Kawashima primarily advises multinational corporations, including Japanese companies, on global data protection projects and compliance. Mr. Kawashima focuses his practice on the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR), the EU Electronic Privacy Regulation, the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), US federal data privacy law, China's Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI), and global data protection compliance. He is admitted to practice in Japan and New York, and is registered to practice before the Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association and the Brussels Bar Association (B-List) in Belgium.

Mr. Kawashima has represented clients across various industry sectors, including: automotive, automobile parts, chemical, cloud computing, electrical appliances, educational services, financial services, government agencies, insurance, human resources, information technology, social network services, textiles, legal services, and telecommunications. Multiple of his clients are listed on the Fortune 500.

Prior to establishing the firm, Mr. Kawashima accumulated over a decade of global data protection and privacy experience, including at the Brussels and Tokyo offices of several major international law firms.

2021-Current	Specialist Member of the Legal Committee of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Dusseldorf
2020-Current	Partner, S&K Brussels LPC
2020-Current	Manager, Sugimoto & Kawashima PLLC
2019-Current	Partner, New York Office, S&K Brussels
2019-Current	Partner-in-Charge, Brussels Office, S&K Brussels BV
2019-Current	Director, S&K Brussels BV
2018-2019	Counsel, Brussels Office, Bird & Bird LLP
2017-2018	Associate, Brussels Office, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
2016-2017	Attorney at Law (Japan), Mumbai Office, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.
2009-2017	Associate, Tokyo Office, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Lawyer Registration

2019	Member of New York State Bar Association
2017	Member of Brussels Bar Association (B-List)
2009	Member of Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association

Main Practice Areas

EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
EU Electronic Privacy Regulation
UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
U.S. Federal Data Privacy Law
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)
China Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL)
Japan Personal Information Protection Law (APPI)
Global Data Protection Compliance

Languages

Japanese & English

Education

2016	New York University School of Law (LL.M.)
2015	University College London (LL.M.)
2008	The University of Tokyo School of Law (J.D.)
2005	Keio University, Faculty of Law (LL.B.)

Media

January 12, 2022	S&K Brussels was featured in an article titled "Firm Exploration Style of Work" in the Attorney's Magazine Online.
January 12, 2022	An interview with Akihiro Kawashima, Partner at S&K Brussels LPC, was featured in the " BUSINESS LAWYER'S VOICE - a new image of leader for the next generation " section of Attorney's Magazine Online.

More information

Major Seminars & Webinars

June 30, 2023	Seminar on June 30, The Latest Trends in EU AI Regulation Proposals and Practical Responses to be Implemented by Japanese Companies(held by The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Düsseldorf) (The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Düsseldorf , Meeting room Berliner Allee 12 / Ecke Marienstrasse, 40212 Düsseldorf )
May 26, 2022	Speakers, FPF APAC Privacy Landscape Call (held by Future of Privacy Forum) (Note: Closed Session (only for Members))
March 25, 2022	Online Seminar "How to conclude the EU's revised SCCs, how to respond to the growing GDPR enforcement, and the latest developments in the EU and UK data-related regulations" (held by Japanese Chambers of Commerce and Industries in Dusseldorf) (Online)
January 27, 2022	Webinar - "Compliance with India's Comprehensive Data Protection Bill - India's Data Protection Act, 2021" (held by S&K Brussels LPC)
November 19, 2021	Webinar "Practical Procedures to comply with China's PIPL"(held by S&K Brussels LPC)

More information

July 13, 2021	Webinar "GDPR Practical Updates - Additional Measures that would be required by Implementation of new Standard Contract Clauses (SCC) by EU Committee" (jointly held by Japanese Commerce and Industries in Holland, JETRO Amsterdam Office, and S&K Brussels)
June 29, 2021	S&K Brussels Webinar "Various Issues on Data Transfer Restrictions under the GDPR such as new SCCs (Standard Contract Clauses) adopted by European Commission" (held by S&K Brussels LPC)
19 March 2021	Online Seminar "Most Recent Developments in EU Regulations on the Areas of Data Protection & Digital and Japanese Companies Responses to those Developments" (held by Japanische Industrie - Und Handelskammer zu Dusseldorf e.V. (Japanese Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Dusseldorf, Germany)
November 17, 2020	Online Seminar "Comprehensive Review - GDPR Compliance System and its Operation" (held by Japanische Industrie - Und Handelskammer zu Dusseldorf e.V. (Japanese Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Dusseldorf, Germany)
November 8, 2019	Seminar "California Attorney General's CCPA Regulations and their Impact on CCPA Compliance" (jointly held by Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York and JETRO New York, USA) (New York, USA)
November 6, 2019	Seminar "California Attorney General's CCPA Regulations and their Impact on CCPA Compliance" (jointly held by Keidanren USA) (Washington D.C., U.S.A.)
October 18, 2019	Seminar, "Enforcement Trends of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by Data Protection Supervisory Authorities and Legislative Trends of the EU e-Privacy Regulation regulating Email Marketing"(held by Nihonjinkai Hamburg e.V.) (Hamburg, Germany)
July 24, 2019	Seminar "Roadmap on the CCPA Compliance Responses and Improvement Measures of the GDPR Compliance Mechanism which should be implemented now for the avoidance of any imposition of fining decisions in violation of the GDPR"(held by S&K Brussels BV) (Osaka, Japan)
July 17, 2019	Seminar "Roadmap on the CCPA Compliance Responses and Improvement Measures of the GDPR Compliance Mechanism which should be implemented now for the avoidance of any imposition of fining decisions in violation of the GDPR" (held by Bird & Bird LLP) (Tokyo, Japan)
March 2019	Seminar "Trends in GDPR Enforcement by EU Data Protection Supervisory Authorities" (held by Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dusseldorf, Germany (Japanische Industrie- Und Handelskammer zu Dusseldorf e.V.)) (Dusseldorf, Germany)
February 2018	"Learning the Basics: the EU General Data Protection Regulation"　(held by Japan Automobile Manufactureres Association, Brussels Office) (Brussels, Belgium)
January 23, 2019	"Practical Seminar on EU GDPR and Dutch Data Protection Law and e-Privacy Law" (jointly held by Japanese Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Holland, JETRO Amsterdam Office, and Bird & Bird LLP) (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)

Major Publications

June 28, 2021	Co-Author, JETRO Research Report "Overview of U.S. Federal Data Privacy Bills" (JETRO, June 2021)
April 13, 2021	Co-Author, Future of Privacy Forum - "A New Era for Japanese Data Protection: 2020 Amendments to the APPI" (Future of Privacy Forum - blog)
June 1, 2019	Co-Author, "A Consideration concerning Fining Decision based on the GDPR and their Impacts in Practice" (An article published in the June 2019 edition of the Journal, "KOKUSAI - SHOJI - HOMU"(International Business Law and Practice), Vol. 47, No. 6, pp. 780)
April 2019	Co-Author, "European Data Protection Compliance for Person in Charge of the Compliance Work - from the GDPR to the E-Privacy Regulation" (the special New Business Law No. 168, Shouji Homu Co., Ltd. April 2019)
March 19, 2018	Co-Author, JETRO - "Comparison of the Contents of Proposed Amendments to Swiss Federation Data Protection Law and EU General Data Protection Regulations" (JETRO Geneve Office, Overseas Research Europe and Russia CIS Department (March 2018))

More information

February 1, 2018	Co-Author, "The European Commission's upcoming action plans towards the start of the implementation of the GDPR" (An article published in the February 2018 edition of the Journal, "KOKUSAI - SHOJI - HOMU" (International Business Law and Practice), Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 276)
February 2018	Co-Author, "Data Protection Officer" in Practical Handbook for EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Ed. Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, Feb 2018) (JETRO)
February 2018	Co-Author, "Right to Data Portability" in Practical Handbook for EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Ed. Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, Feb 2018) (JETRO)
February 2018	Co-Author, "Identification of Lead Supervisory Authority for Controller and Processor" in Practical Handbook for EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Ed. Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, Feb 2018) (JETRO)
January 1, 2018	Co-Author, "A Consideration concerning appointment of data protection officer under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (3)" (An article published in the January 2018 edition of the Journal, "KOKUSAI - SHOJI - HOMU" (International Business Law and Practice), Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 116)
December 1, 2017	Co-Author, "A Consideration concerning appointment of data protection officer under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (2)" (An article published in the December 2017 edition of the Journal, "KOKUSAI - SHOJI - HOMU" (International Business Law and Practice), Vol. 45, No. 12, pp. 1800)
November 1, 2017	Co-Author, "A Consideration concerning appointment of data protection officer under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (1)" (An article published in the November 2017 edition of the Journal, "KOKUSAI - SHOJI - HOMU" (International Business Law and Practice), Vol. 45, No. 11, pp. 1655)
October 1, 2017	Co-Author, "Draft Regulation concerning Foreign Direct Investment Review in the EU by the European Commission" (An article published in the October 2017 edition of the Journal, "KOKUSAI - SHOJI - HOMU" (International Business Law and Practice), Vol. 45, No. 10, pp. 1500)
September 1, 2017	Co-Author, "Developments in the Amendment to the UK Data Protection Act towards Adequacy Decision by the European Commission" (An article published in the September 2017 edition of the Journal, "KOKUSAI - SHOJI - HOMU" (International Business Law and Practice), Vol. 45, No. 9, pp. 1360)
August 1, 2017	Co-Author, "Overview of the Amended German Federal Data Protection Act" (An article published in the August 2017 edition of the Journal, "KOKUSAI - SHOJI - HOMU" (International Business Law and Practice), Vol. 45, No. 8, pp. 1121)
August, 2017	Co-Author, JETRO "Practical Handbook for EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Practical Edition)"
July 1, 2017	Co-Author, "Status of Legislative Procedures of the EU Electric Communication Privacy Regulation which can impose administrative fine which is equivalent to one under the EU General Data Protection Regulation" (An article published in the July 2017 edition of the Journal, "KOKUSAI - SHOJI - HOMU" (International Business Law and Practice), Vol. 45, No. 7, pp. 1044)