Tokyo, April 19, 2007 – Morrison & Foerster announced today that Motonori Araki has joined the firm as a partner in the Business Department of its Tokyo office. Mr. Araki’s practice includes mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, intellectual property licensing and international dispute resolution, in a variety of industries including pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. The addition of Mr. Araki further expands Morrison & Foerster’s strong Tokyobased corporate capability.

Mr. Araki’s M&A practice includes the representation of buyers and sellers on cross-border transactions. He also has an active life science practice, representing major U.S. and Japanese pharmaceutical companies in cross-border transactions and regulatory matters.

Mr. Araki has substantial experience in representing Japanese corporations in U.S. intellectual property litigation and other dispute resolution. In these representations, he counsels Japanese corporations for litigation strategies, efficient discovery and effective pleadings. As part of his dispute resolution practice, Mr. Araki handled the first comprehensive anti-dumping case in Japan.

Fuyuo Mitomi, the head of Ito & Mitomi, Registered Associated Offices of Morrison & Foerster, Tokyo, said “We are delighted to have Mr. Araki with us. His strong background with cross-border transactions will play a significant role in further developing our practice in Tokyo.”

Ken Siegel, Managing Partner of the firm’s Tokyo office, said “Mr. Araki is one of the most experienced corporate lawyers in Tokyo today, and I look forward to having him with us. We believe that our compelling team of Tokyo-based bilingual lawyers and global resources will make us a natural choice for Japan’s top companies as they globalize in coming years.”

Prior to joining Morrison & Foerster, Mr. Araki was partner with Morgan Lewis’s Tokyo office from 2001 to 2007. Mr. Araki is admitted to the bar of the State of New York, the United States Supreme Court and Japan (Gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi). He is a member of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, the Daiichi Tokyo Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Inter-Pacific Bar Association and is author of a number of books and research articles on corporate and financial law in Japan.

Mr. Araki received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991, his LL.M. from Tulane University School of Law in 1988 and his Bachelor of Laws degree from Chuo University School of Law in Tokyo in 1986.