Focus

Asahi Yamashita has served as Representative Director of ClientEarth Japan (Ippan Shadan Hojin ClientEarth) since April 2026. He works with government, industry and civil society to tackle climate change and accelerate the clean energy transition in Japan. He first joined ClientEarth as a legal advisor in January 2021, before assuming his current role.

Experience

Asahi has practiced law for nearly 30 years, advising on investment, financing, corporate and regulatory matters across multiple jurisdictions. His career has consistently required bilingual skills and an understanding of different legal systems and cultural backgrounds.

He served as Deputy General Counsel at Aflac Life Insurance Japan for eight years, and as Executive Officer for three years. Prior to that, he worked at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in San Francisco in the mid-1990s, before going on to help establish the firm's Tokyo office as one of its founding partners, leading the office as partner for over a decade. He currently also serves as a Director of Corporate Action Japan.

Education

Asahi is a member of the Daini Tokyo Bar Association and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations. He is a native Japanese speaker who is also fluent in English.