American Chamber of Commerce in Japan
Jiri Mestecky serves as a Partner and Registered Foreign Attorney at KITAHAMA PARTNERS since April 2003, where Jiri is recognized as the first foreign attorney to achieve partnership at an Osaka law firm, specializing in international transactional work in Intellectual Property, Information Technology, and Commercial and Corporate matters. Concurrently, Jiri holds the position of Arbitrator at the Japan Commercial Arbitration Association and has served as a Special Advisor at the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan since January 2016, receiving various accolades, including the ACCJ Kansai "Special Contribution Award" in 2012. Jiri has extensive experience in academia as an Adjunct Professor at multiple institutions, including Kwansei Gakuin University and Konan University, and previously practiced as an attorney at Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, LTD. Jiri's educational background includes a J.D./M.A. from Washington University School of Law and studies in East Asian Languages and Economics from the University of Florida.
American Chamber of Commerce in Japan
Established in 1948 by representatives of 40 American firms, the ACCJ, a fully independent chamber of commerce, has grown into one of the most influential business organizations in Japan, with approximately 3,000 members representing over 40 countries and 600 companies. More than 60 Chamber committees, subcommittees, task forces, and advisory councils cover such diverse areas as financial services, corporate social responsibility, marketing, independent business, healthcare services, e-business, transportation and logistics, legal services, the travel industry, and human resource management. Each committee establishes goals at the beginning of the year and meets regularly to develop ideas, discuss issues, and exchange information on topics relevant to its goals and focus. ACCJ committees combined hold over 500 programs annually, and these events are exclusively attended by ACCJ members and their accompanied guests. Whether social, educational, cultural or charitable, every ACCJ event represents the inspiration and personal investment of our volunteer members. The backbone of the annual agenda is comprised of hundreds of engagements with leading experts and shapers of policy and business trends in Japan. Speakers are drawn from the ranks of global business leaders, top U.S. and Japanese government officials, industry experts, scholars and pop culture icons. To learn about the benefits of ACCJ membership and how to join, please visit https://www.accj.or.jp/join-us