Profile details
About Ken Sakurabayashi
Ken Sakurabayashi is a counsel in our dispute resolution group based in Tokyo. Ken focuses on international investigations and regulatory compliance, and covers a wide range of areas including white-collar crime defense, corporate crime, antitrust and competition and national security-related matters.
Ken brings unmatched experience to Asia, after (most recently) working as a federal prosecutor at the US Department of Justice (DOJ). As a prosecutor, Ken led a number of criminal prosecutions for collusion, obstruction of justice and fraud. He was one of the most trusted prosecutors for complex international investigations and for interpreting digital forensic evidence in obstruction of justice investigations. The Korea Fuels Investigation, for example, was the groundbreaking case that led to the launch of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF). The PCSF is a coordinated national response to combat crimes in government procurement and has resulted in over 60 prosecutions and $65 million in fines.
Ken’s practice at the DOJ also included working on civil matters, such as leading HSR merger reviews.
Before serving at the DOJ, Ken practiced at a leading US-based international law firm, where he counseled and defended companies in a wide range of criminal investigations. He was a member of the team that negotiated the largest reduction in criminal antitrust fines in US history and successfully navigated clients through some of the most complex amnesty applications.
Ken grew up in the US and speaks, reads and writes native English and Japanese.
Recent work
- Team leader of the “crackdown” against ocean carriers, as announced in President Biden’s State of Union Address.*
- Antitrust Division’s first successful criminal prosecution of a no-poach labor market agreement.*
- Prosecution of Korean conglomerate companies for rigging the bids to supply fuel to US military installations in South Korea (for which Ken received the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in 2020).*
- Defense of Japanese companies against the DOJ, including the auto parts investigation, the capacitors investigation, and air freight forwarders investigation.*
- Conduct internal investigations of Japanese companies.*
- Supported defense of companies and individuals before foreign competition agencies, including in Japan, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Union, South Korea and South Africa.*
- Ken worked at Sumitomo Chemical Company (Intellectual Property Dept) in Osaka, Japan.*
* Matter handled for the U.S. Department of Justice and other organizations prior to joining Freshfields.
Qualifications
Education
- Chicago-Kent College of Law (J.D.)
- University of Colorado (B.A., Biochemistry)
Professional qualifications
- Admitted to the California Bar