TOPCOURT LTS
Boutique Tokyo law firm (founded 2017) serving Japanese startups and SMEs with integrated legal advisory, contract drafting, IP management, litigation, and SME business consulting, differentiated by founder's combined attorney and SME Diagnostic Consultant credentials.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What TOPCOURT LTS does
TOPCOURT LTS (トップコート国際法律事務所, Topcourt International Law Office) is a boutique Japanese law firm headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, established in 2017. The firm serves Japanese startups and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) with an integrated portfolio that includes legal advisory contracts, contract drafting and review, intellectual property management, litigation and dispute resolution, and SME business consulting. Selected engagements extend to larger enterprises in IT, e-commerce, fintech, and cryptocurrency exchange sectors, exemplified by representative lawyer Yasuyuki Katsube's appointment as Board CLO of Connected Commerce Co., Ltd. in May 2023 and his legal advisor role for the GensoKishi Project from 2022.
The firm's technical and methodological differentiator is the combination of legal, management, and data science perspectives, operationalized through proprietary internal research systems, multiple legal databases, contract review tooling, and selectively deployed generative AI for contract checking. Representative lawyer Katsube holds attorney registration since 2006, an IP Law LL.M. from George Washington University (2015–2016), and registered SME Diagnostic Consultant status (May 2025), and is entering Hitotsubashi University's Graduate School of Social Data Science doctoral program in April 2026.
Revenue is generated through professional services fees, subscription-style legal advisory retainers, project-based contract work, litigation representation, and a standardized consumer-facing retirement agency product, BengoshiNOW, priced from ¥19,800 to ¥59,800 per engagement. Distribution is single-country (Japan) via the central Tokyo office and remote consultation, with no app, API, or SaaS surfaces. Marketing is organic and content-led, anchored by 100+ blog articles, the Founder's Book series, and recurring media placements in Nikkei, TV Asahi's Morning Show, and BUSINESS JOURNAL. A business partnership with Cast Global Law Firm was announced in December 2024.
TOPCOURT LTS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TOPCOURT LTS
- Legal name
- トップコート国際律师事务所
- Website
- https://topcourt-law.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Boutique Tokyo law firm (founded 2017) serving Japanese startups and SMEs with integrated legal advisory, contract drafting, IP management, litigation, and SME business consulting, differentiated by founder's combined attorney and SME Diagnostic Consultant credentials.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where TOPCOURT LTS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
TOPCOURT LTS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal Advisory Contracts (法律顧問契約): Recurring retainer-based legal advisory services providing ongoing consultation on contracts, regulations, privacy, and advertising matters. Clients receive continuous access to legal counsel combined with research tools and contract review systems.
- Business Consulting Services (中小企業診断士コンサルティング): Business consulting services leveraging data and on-site expertise to support SME growth and organizational development, combining legal, business, and data science perspectives.
- Contract Drafting and Review (契約書作成・レビュー): One-time and project-based contract creation, review, and negotiation support services tailored to business realities and risk profiles.
- Litigation and Dispute Resolution (訴訟・交渉・債権管理): Legal representation and support for litigation, negotiations, debt collection, provisional measures, and enforcement proceedings.
- Retirement Agency Services (退職代行サービス - ベンゴシNOW): Legal retirement agency service operated by the firm, with plans starting at ¥19,800 for light service up to ¥59,800 for premium service.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | ライトプラン - Basic retirement agency service without company negotiations |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | スタンダードプラン - Standard retirement agency with negotiations |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | プレミアムプラン - Premium service with full support |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
TOPCOURT LTS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TOPCOURT LTS is a Tokyo-based boutique law firm providing legal advisory, contract drafting and review, intellectual property management, litigation, and business consulting services to startups and SMEs. The practice is led by a lawyer who is also a registered Small-Medium Enterprise Diagnostic Specialist (中小企業診断士), integrating legal, management, and data science perspectives to support executive decision-making in IT, fintech, e-commerce, and platform businesses. The firm also operates a consumer-facing retirement agency service called Bengoshi NOW (弁護士NOW).
Product overview
TOPCOURT LTS (トップコート国際法律事務所) is a law firm offering a portfolio of legal services for startups and SMEs. Its core services include legal advisory contracts, consulting by a lawyer who is also a registered Small-Medium Business Diagnostic Specialist, contract drafting and review, business design support with terms/privacy policy creation, intellectual property management, and litigation/negotiation/debt management. A notable consumer-facing product is the 'ベンゴシNOW' retirement agency service. The firm also publishes free educational content through its 'Founder's Book' blog series covering topics such as generative AI contract review, trade secret management, and fintech regulation. The firm emphasizes combining legal, management, and data science perspectives to support decision-making.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Legal Advisory Contract (法律顧問契約) Recurring legal advisory service functioning as a daily consultation point for contracts, regulations, personal information matters, and advertising/display matters. Combines multiple research tools, contract review tools, and proprietary internal systems, with active adoption of legal-tech (including AI-assisted contract review) for startups and SMEs requiring continuous legal counsel.
- Consulting Services (中小企業診断士 / SME Diagnostic Specialist Consulting) Business consulting service combining lawyer expertise, SME management diagnostics, and data science perspectives to support SME growth from both offensive and defensive angles, integrating legal, business, and data-driven decision support.
- Contract Drafting and Review (契約書作成・レビュー) Contract creation, review, and negotiation support producing practical contracts tailored to actual business circumstances and risk profiles, covering drafting, revision, negotiation, and electronic contract operations.
- Business Design Support and Terms of Service Creation (事業設計サポート・規約作成等) End-to-end support for designing legal and management infrastructure for SaaS, e-commerce, and platform businesses, including terms of service, privacy policies, employment rules, governance design, and opinion/research deliverables, from business launch through organizational setup.
- Intellectual Property Law Services (知的財産権法) Full-spectrum intellectual property management covering patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights, and know-how — from strategic design and rights acquisition through contracts, disputes, and litigation, including coordination with patent attorneys.
- Litigation, Negotiation, and Debt Management (訴訟・交渉・債権管理／民事保全・執行) Integrated service covering unpaid receivables, contract disputes, and tort-based damages claims, providing cold assessment of win/lose probability and cost, then pursuing the fastest and maximum recovery or settlement through litigation, negotiation, civil preservation, and execution proceedings.
Quantifiable outcome
- Extensive legal education content through Founder's Book series and blog
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use TOPCOURT LTS
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
TOPCOURT LTS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
TOPCOURT LTS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Cast Global Law Office (弁護士法人キャスト글로벌)minorThe firm entered into a business partnership with 弁護士法人キャストグローバル (Cast Global Law Office) in December 2024. The partnership was announced on the firm's news page as a new strategic collaboration.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
TOPCOURT LTS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ZeLo (ZeLo Law): Japanese law firm focused on tech startups, venture finance, and emerging companies. Highly comparable client base (startups, VCs) and practice focus (fundraising, contracts, governance), making it a direct boutique competitor.
- Bengo4.com (弁護士ドットコム): Japan's largest legal tech platform connecting users with lawyers and offering cloud-based contract tools. Overlaps directly with TOPCOURT's SME/startup legal advisory and contract review focus, though at vastly larger scale and via a marketplace model rather than boutique advisory.
- LegalForce: AI-powered contract review platform serving Japanese corporates and law firms. Competes with TOPCOURT's AI-assisted contract review offering and represents both a potential partner (tool provider) and a threat (productized alternative).
- LegalOn Technologies: Japan-based legal AI company building contract review and legal workflow automation products. Directly comparable in combining legal expertise with technology-enabled service delivery, though at venture-backed scale.
- Authense Law Office (弁護士法人Authense): Tech-forward Japanese law firm specializing in startup, fintech, and corporate legal services. Closely comparable target market and modern operating model, making it a head-to-head boutique competitor for similar mandates.
Broad incumbents
- Mori Hamada & Matsumoto (森・濱田松本法律事務所): Premier Japanese law firm with deep technology, fintech, and IP capabilities. Represents the upper-tier competitive threat for enterprise mandates that TOPCOURT's boutique scale cannot accommodate.
- TMI総合法律事務所: One of Japan's largest full-service law firms with strong IP and technology practices. Overlaps with TOPCOURT's IP and IT/fintech focus but at vastly larger scale, broader practice areas, and with established enterprise relationships.
Others
- Cast Global Law Office (弁護士法人キャストグローバル): Strategic partner of TOPCOURT since December 2024. Comparable as a Japanese law firm serving corporate and SME clients, but specifically relevant as an alliance and cross-referral counterpart rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
TOPCOURT LTS social profiles
Digital presenceTOPCOURT LTS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TOPCOURT LTS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
TOPCOURT LTS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TOPCOURT LTS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about TOPCOURT LTS
What does TOPCOURT LTS do?
TOPCOURT LTS is a Tokyo-based boutique law firm providing legal advisory, contract drafting and review, intellectual property management, litigation, and business consulting services to startups and SMEs. The practice is led by a lawyer who is also a registered Small-Medium Enterprise Diagnostic Specialist (中小企業診断士), integrating legal, management, and data science perspectives to support executive decision-making in IT, fintech, e-commerce, and platform businesses. The firm also operates a consumer-facing retirement agency service called Bengoshi NOW (弁護士NOW).
Is TOPCOURT LTS a public or private company?
TOPCOURT LTS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was TOPCOURT LTS founded?
TOPCOURT LTS was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is TOPCOURT LTS based?
TOPCOURT LTS is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does TOPCOURT LTS make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Legal Advisory Contracts (法律顧問契約) is the primary driver. The others are business Consulting Services (中小企業診断士コンサルティング), contract Drafting and Review (契約書作成・レビュー), litigation and Dispute Resolution (訴訟・交渉・債権管理) and retirement Agency Services (退職代行サービス - ベンゴシNOW).
Who are TOPCOURT LTS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ZeLo (ZeLo Law), Bengo4.com (弁護士ドットコム), LegalForce, LegalOn Technologies and Authense Law Office (弁護士法人Authense). Broad incumbents are Mori Hamada & Matsumoto (森・濱田松本法律事務所) and TMI総合法律事務所. Cast Global Law Office (弁護士法人キャストグローバル) is listed as an others.
Does TOPCOURT LTS have an API?
No public API is recorded for TOPCOURT LTS.