Barnes & Thornburg Trial & Global Disputes Co-Chair and New Jersey Managing Partner Michael C. Zogby moderated “Road to BioJapan 2026: U.S.–Japan Life Sciences Funding, Regulatory & Market Access Strategies” hosted by the City of Yokohama at Tech Hub Yokohama in Japan on Sept. 30, 2026. 

Held one week before BioJapan 2026, the session brought together U.S. and Japanese in-house counsel, investors, legal and regulatory experts, and market access specialists to discuss how life sciences startups can build integrated cross-border strategies. The panel examined how regulatory and clinical considerations shape fundraising, how the two countries' healthcare markets differ, and what timing, preparation, and partnerships successful market entry requires.

Zogby was joined by panelists Ryosuke Kimura, founder and managing partner of Lifetime Ventures; Devesh Singh, senior director at CRECON Research & Consulting; and Dai Saito, CEO and founder of infuse Life Science, Inc. The Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas organized the program, and Venture Café Tokyo powered it.

The panel highlighted three trends reshaping the U.S.–Japan life sciences corridor:

Capital is aligned: Japanese government and corporate investment are opening new funding channels. 

Market access is accelerating: New Japanese regulatory programs are shortening the path from U.S. innovation to Japanese patients.

Supply chains are shifting: The BIOSECURE Act and contract manufacturing reshoring make Japan a natural supply chain partner.

The panel served as a lead-in to BioJapan 2026, which marked its 40th anniversary at Pacifico Yokohama on Oct. 7–9 with more than 1,000 exhibitors from 36 countries.

Barnes & Thornburg's Japanese Services

Barnes & Thornburg has worked with more than 400 Japanese clients over the past 40 years. Its Japanese Services team, which includes native Japanese speakers, advises on matters ranging from M&A, real estate, and intellectual property to employment, litigation, and immigration for clients in the automotive, medical device, electronics, and biotech sectors.

A trial attorney who has worked with Japanese clients, Zogby represents Japanese corporations, including pharmaceutical, biotech, and manufacturing companies, in U.S. product liability, mass tort, eDiscovery, and other complex litigation.

Kazumi Iino, a former JETRO business and investment advisor with nearly 25 years of cross-border experience, serves as the liaison between the firm's attorneys and Japanese clients, helping teams anticipate client needs and build lasting relationships, and he attended the Yokohama and BioJapan events.

Zogby was recently featured in two Law.com articles by Charles Toutant, “Kon'nichiwa: U.S. Lawyers Are Gaining a Foothold in Japan” and “Rude Awakening: ‘Invasive’ US Legal System Shocks Japanese GCs, Execs,” where he noted that “cultural fluency and trust are prerequisites” in cross-border disputes.

Barnes & Thornburg continues to advise life sciences clients on cross-border product liability and litigation, cybersecurity and AI governance, and BIOSECURE Act planning.