ZeLo

What ZeLo does

ZeLo is a Tokyo-based full-service corporate law firm founded in 2017 by representative attorney Masataka Ogasawara, focused on serving Japanese startups and ventures from founding through IPO, alongside SMEs and listed companies. The firm sells a tiered monthly retainer — the Legal Strategic Partner (LSP) service — priced at ¥100K (Light, ~5 hrs) to ¥500K (Executive, ~25 hrs) per month, complemented by a separate labor and social-security advisory line at ¥30K–¥50K/month and project-based engagements in M&A, IPO support, dispute resolution, intellectual property, cross-border transactions, and emerging sectors including FinTech, Web3/blockchain, AI/generative AI, healthcare, sustainability, and real estate. The firm operates a foreign law joint enterprise (外国法共同事業) in Tokyo and delivers services through client communication tools (Slack, Microsoft Teams, Chatwork, Zoom, Google Meet), with multilingual coverage in Japanese, English, and Indonesian.

Underlying technology is legal-tech integration rather than proprietary AI development: ZeLo co-founded simultaneously with LegalForce in 2017 and embeds the LegalForce AI contract-review platform into contract outsourcing and workflow design services, marketing itself as a lawyer-plus-AI operator for corporate legal departments. The firm is grouped with affiliated professional-services entities — ZeLo FAS (financial advisory and turnaround), ZeLo Tax (tax accounting), ZeLo Labor and Social Security Attorney Office, and ZeLo Administrative Scrivener — offering a one-stop legal-plus-accounting-plus-tax-plus-HR bundle, and runs ZeLo LAW SQUARE as a content marketing and thought-leadership platform. Revenue is generated through subscription recurring retainers, professional services project billing, and a contract outsourcing line that combines lawyer time (¥25,000/hour, excluding tax) with AI tooling.

Name

ZeLo

Legal name

ZeLo

Website

https://zelojapan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ZeLo is a Tokyo corporate law firm founded in 2017 that provides retainer-based and project legal services — including LSP retainers, startup/venture, IPO, M&A, dispute resolution, and cross-border work — to 150+ Japanese startups, SMEs, and listed companies, integrated with affiliated tax, financial advisory, and labor firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411), Management Consulting Services (54161), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Practice Management & Case Management (BPAEAPAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transaction Services (Financial, Tax & Commercial Due Diligence) (BPAHAOAB), Due Diligence & Investigative Research (BPAHALAI)

Keywords

• Corporate legal services
• Legal advisory services
• Corporate law firm
• Startup legal services
• IPO legal support

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services (顧問弁護士/LSP): Monthly subscription-based legal advisory services providing ongoing legal counsel to corporate clients. Includes regular consultation, contract review, and strategic legal advice. Delivered through dedicated lawyer teams assigned to each client.
2. Project-Based Legal Services: One-time or project-specific legal services including IPO preparation, M&A advisory, funding support, and specialized legal consultations. Billed based on scope and complexity of each engagement.
3. Contract Outsourcing Services: Outsourcing of contract review and legal operations to corporate legal departments, combining lawyer expertise with AI tools for efficient service delivery.
4. Labor and Social Security Advisory: Monthly subscription service for labor and social security matters including payroll processing, employment regulations compliance, and HR system design support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ZeLo is a Tokyo-based corporate law firm that provides ongoing legal advisory to businesses through a subscription-based retainer model (Legal Strategic Partner) with tiered monthly plans ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 JPY. Services are delivered via dedicated lawyer-client teams integrated through communication tools (Slack, Teams, Chatwork), and supplemented by AI contract review through a LegalForce partnership. The firm covers the full corporate legal spectrum including M&A, IPO support, startup/venture services, cross-border transactions, litigation, labor law, intellectual property, FinTech, Web3, AI, healthcare, advertising regulation, sustainability, and public affairs, supported by affiliated group firms in tax, financial advisory, and social insurance/labor.

Product overview

ZeLo is a law firm providing comprehensive corporate legal services through a multi-tiered retainer model (Legal Strategic Partner) supplemented by specialized practice area services. The core offering includes General Corporate Counsel retainer plans (Light at ¥100,000/month for ~5hrs, Standard at ¥200,000/month for ~10hrs, Advance at ¥300,000/month for ~15hrs, Executive at ¥500,000/month for ~25hrs) with flexible communication via Slack, Teams, and Chatwork, enhanced by AI contract review through LegalForce partnership. Specialized services span M&A, IPO Support, Startup/Venture Legal (150+ clients), Cross-Border Legal (Japanese/English/Indonesian), Litigation/Dispute Resolution, Labor Advisory Services, Intellectual Property, Advertising Regulations, Web3/Blockchain, AI/Generative AI, FinTech, Healthcare, Sustainability/Carbon Credits, Real Estate, and Public Affairs. The firm operates as a one-stop legal service provider with affiliated firms for accounting (ZeLo FAS), tax (ZeLo Tax), and social insurance/labor services (ZeLo Social Insurance), supported by a proprietary legal media platform called ZeLo Law Square.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZeLo LAW SQUARE: ZeLo's legal media platform providing cutting-edge legal information on business topics including startups, finance, IPO, Web3, AI, and sustainability.

Products and services

• Legal Strategic Partner (顧問弁護士 / Komon Bengoshi) Retainer-based general corporate legal advisory service providing ongoing legal consultation, contract review, and strategic legal support for businesses from startup to listed company phases. Delivered through dedicated lawyer teams assigned to each client, with communication via client-preferred tools (Slack, Teams, Chatwork, email, Zoom, Google Meet).
• Startup/Venture Legal Service (スタートアップ・ベンチャー法務) Specialized legal support for startups and venture companies from founding through IPO, with over 150 client companies supported. Covers funding rounds, stock option plans, corporate governance, and capital markets preparation.
• IPO Support (IPO支援) Comprehensive initial public offering preparation support including due diligence, documentation, internal control systems, capital policy, and post-IPO compliance.
• M&A Legal Service Mergers and acquisitions legal support including scheme construction, legal due diligence, contract drafting, and negotiation.
• Cross-Border Legal Service (国際法務) International legal services supporting Japanese companies expanding abroad and foreign companies entering Japan, with multilingual capabilities in Japanese, English, and Indonesian.
• Litigation / Dispute Resolution (訴訟/紛争解決) Full-spectrum dispute resolution services including commercial litigation, corporate disputes, IP litigation, labor disputes, international arbitration, and real estate disputes.
• Labor Advisory Service (労務顧問サービス) Social insurance attorney and lawyer collaboration service for labor management, employment regulations compliance, and IPO-ready labor environment preparation. Offered as monthly subscription plans.
• Intellectual Property Services (知的財産) Comprehensive IP services including domestic and international patent, design, and trademark filings, disputes, IP due diligence, and IPO support.
• Web3 / Blockchain Legal Service Legal support for Web3, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and NFT businesses including regulatory compliance and legal scheme construction.
• AI / Generative AI Legal Service Legal advisory for AI and generative AI business models including regulatory compliance, legal scheme construction, and investigation.
• Advertising / Marketing Regulations Service (広告/表示) Advertising regulation compliance services including premium offer law, pharmaceutical affairs law, health promotion law, and medical advertising regulations.
• FinTech Legal Service (フィンテック) Financial technology legal services including payment systems, securities regulations, and financial regulations compliance.
• Contract Outsourcing Service (Contract Review Operations) Outsourcing of contract review and legal operations to corporate legal departments, combining lawyer expertise with AI tools (LegalForce) for efficient service delivery.
• Public Affairs Service (パブリックアフェアーズ) Regulatory response, government relations, and new rule-making support for innovative business models.
• Healthcare Legal Service (医療/ヘルスケア) Healthcare sector legal services including regulatory compliance, business model design, patent strategy, licensing, and medical litigation.
• Real Estate Legal Service (不動産) Real estate legal services including investment transactions, TMK/GK-TK schemes, REIT transactions, and PropTech support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 startup and venture companies supported from founding through IPO
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• ZeLo FAS株式会社 (ZeLo FAS Inc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZeLo's affiliated financial advisory firm providing financial advisory, financial restructuring, and corporate turnaround services. Part of the ZeLo group ecosystem offering integrated legal and financial services.
• 税理士法人ZeLo (ZeLo Tax Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZeLo's affiliated tax accounting firm providing tax advisory and compliance services. Part of the integrated service offering combining legal and tax services.
• 社会保険労務士事務所ZeLo (ZeLo Social Insurance and Labor Attorney Office)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZeLo's affiliated labor and social security consultancy providing employment law compliance, payroll processing, and HR advisory services. Integrated with legal services.
• LegalForce (LegalForce Corporation)keyTechnology or IntegrationAI contract review platform provider. ZeLo was simultaneously founded with LegalForce and has developed extensive expertise in designing legal operations workflows using AI contract review technology.
• Grab Holdings Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoutheast Asian super-app company (decacorn). Guest speaker collaboration for Indonesia startup trend seminars organized by ZeLo.
• 経済産業省 Healthcare Innovation HubkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered as a supporter organization for healthcare and life sciences venture companies under the Healthcare Innovation Hub initiative by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
• ZeLo Law SquarecoreOthersZeLo's proprietary legal media platform providing cutting-edge legal information, analysis, and commentary. Serves as both content marketing channel and thought leadership platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aoyama Zai Law Office: Boutique-leaning Tokyo firm with recognized technology, startup and corporate practices. Closely comparable to ZeLo in client-segment focus on growth and tech companies, and in mid-sized firm positioning; a direct head-to-head for many of ZeLo's startup and venture mandates.
• Atsumi & Sakai: Tokyo firm covering corporate, finance, FinTech and cross-border matters, with strong recognition for technology-related work. Comparable to ZeLo in serving Japanese corporates and increasingly in tech regulation; similar boutique-to-mid-tier profile.
• Uryu & Itoga: Tokyo law firm with strong technology, venture capital, Web3/digital assets and startup focus. Specifically comparable to ZeLo's emerging-technology practices and similar mid-sized firm scale competing for the same innovation-economy clients.
• Anderson Mori & Tomotsune: Mid-to-large Tokyo firm with a particularly strong startup, technology and venture capital practice that closely overlaps with ZeLo's startup/venture and Web3/AI offerings. Similar in targeting Japanese growth companies and tech corporate clients, with somewhat deeper resources.
• Hibiya Park Law Office: Tokyo boutique with longstanding recognition for technology, startup and venture capital work. Closely comparable to ZeLo in client-segment focus, mid-sized firm scale, and emphasis on tech regulation; a direct competitor for many Japanese tech startup mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Mori Hamada & Matsumoto: One of Japan's largest top-tier law firms with broad corporate practice including M&A, IPO, FinTech and cross-border. Comparable to ZeLo across service breadth and corporate clientele, but with materially larger headcount and resources, representing ZeLo's primary competitive reference.
• Nishimura & Asahi: Japan's largest law firm by revenue with comprehensive corporate, M&A, capital markets and cross-border practices. Most relevant as the blue-chip benchmark for full-service corporate legal in Japan; competes with ZeLo for IPO and M&A mandates even though it targets larger listed companies.
• Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise): International firm operating a foreign law joint enterprise in Tokyo covering cross-border M&A, capital markets and corporate work. Comparable to ZeLo in being a foreign-law joint enterprise structure serving Japanese and inbound corporate clients, though at substantially larger scale.
• TMI Associates: Largest Japanese law firm by lawyer headcount, offering a very broad corporate law practice including IP, dispute resolution, M&A and emerging-tech regulation. Comparable in service breadth and multi-practice model; differs in being much larger and serving a wider enterprise mix.
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (Tokyo): Global law firm's Tokyo office providing M&A, capital markets and corporate work for Japanese and inbound clients. Comparable to ZeLo in serving Japan-based corporates on complex transactions; differs in scale and cross-border reach typical of a Magic Circle / "Slaughters" competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zelo_law
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3k46MVyuWEDQyMDIUOu84A
• Facebookfacebook.com/zelojapan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zelojapan
• Instagraminstagram.com/zelojapan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ZeLo