Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Bar Membership
Languages
Timeline
Generic

JOHN THOMAS BAKER

Naperville

Overview

19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Legal Counsel

Daiohs U.S.A., Inc.
06.2023 - 02.2025
  • Provided strategic advice to upper management to identify legal risks, and proposed solutions to minimize legal and commercial risks.
  • Identified and filed claims in a multibillion-dollar class-action settlement.
  • Researched, identified, and established connections with various government entities, and identified federal, state, and local grants, incentives, and subsidies.
  • Established strong connections with local and state governments, and identified and proposed various government contracting opportunities to senior management.
  • Forged strong connections with, and obtained Better Business Bureau accreditation.
  • Developed and implemented a whistleblower hotline and a third-party due diligence platform for onboarding third parties.
  • Assisted with the filing of abandoned property claims, and identified and proposed opportunities to recover abandoned property claims.
  • Drafted, reviewed, and negotiated various agreements, including software license agreements, escrow agreements, commercial lease agreements, customer agreements, vendor agreements, settlement agreements, statements of work, and non-disclosure agreements.
  • Reviewed, drafted, and revised various corporate policies, procedures, and guidelines, including the Code of Conduct, IT policies, accounting policies, and the Employee Handbook.
  • Drafted various board resolutions to document commercial transactions.

Global Compliance Specialist

Kasai North America, Inc.
Murfreesboro
06.2022 - 02.2023
  • Drafted and created global policies, and held routine meetings with global regional leaders to create a global compliance program.
  • Assisted in the development of a global strategy and roadmap, and proposed solutions to global offices regarding global compliance matters.
  • Developed and implemented global compliance training programs to ensure compliance with global laws and regulations.
  • Provided guidance and support to implement a whistleblower hotline, and emphasized the importance of training and education regarding policies and procedures.
  • Provided targeted training to global executives on various compliance issues.
  • Drafted policies, procedures, guidelines, form templates, and contracts.

Counsel

Rakuten Marketing (Rakuten Mobile)
Franklin
08.2021 - 05.2022
  • As lead counsel on transactional matters, I resolved commercial contract issues by performing legal research, identifying, and proposing solutions to minimize commercial and legal risks.
  • Drafted, reviewed, and negotiated software license agreements, software-as-a-service agreements, escrow agreements, master purchase agreements, service agreements, SMS text messaging agreements, acceptable use policies, and statements of work.
  • Liaised with business teams and executives, and led negotiation efforts on complex commercial transactions.

Senior Associate

Frost Brown Todd LLC
Nashville
04.2016 - 07.2021
  • Co-Chair of the Japan Desk
  • Represented Japanese companies with various legal issues, including entity formation, real estate acquisition, visa matters, review of lease agreements, supply agreements, distribution agreements, master purchase agreements, statements of work, non-disclosure agreements, etc.
  • Reviewed the Uniform Residential Landlord-Tenant Act and drafted demand letters to landlords to recover security deposits on behalf of tenants.
  • Drafted corporate governance documents, including meeting minutes of the board and shareholders.
  • Assisted a Japanese company in the acquisition of a minority interest in a target company.
  • Assist in the restructuring of an insolvent supplier by reviewing and analyzing contracts in Japanese, and drafting reports concerning the same.
  • Reviewed and drafted a memorandum of understanding, framework agreements, and supply contracts for multinational Japanese companies.
  • Reviewed and drafted terms and conditions for a client distributing products online, conducted research on click-wrap and browse-wrap agreements, and prepared a report concerning the same.
  • Assisted companies with multiple due diligence projects by reviewing contracts and identifying key documents in document discovery projects.
  • Contributed to the significant growth of the Japan Desk by drafting marketing materials, attending prospective client meetings, creating and developing content for the Japan Desk, and presenting seminars to Japanese companies on contract issues.

International Counsel

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation
Nagoya
02.2011 - 02.2016
  • Drafted and negotiated various agreements and documents, including supply contracts, consulting agreements, services agreements, authorization to proceed letters, settlement agreements, amendments, non-disclosure agreements, customer support agreements, product support agreements, consulting and services agreements, and side letter agreements.
  • Drafted and negotiated intellectual property licensing agreements, and consent letters to disclose IP content to service providers.
  • Provided legal support and assistance to internal business units on various legal issues, conducted legal research and analysis, drafted legal memorandums, interpreted contractual provisions, participated in face-to-face and telephone negotiations, and provided advice on negotiation strategies and tactics.
  • Drafted legal opinions and risk assessment memorandums outlining potential legal risks, and advised internal business units concerning the same.
  • Reviewed Technical Requirements Documents and participated in negotiations for multi-million dollar claims from suppliers requesting payment of additional non-recurring engineering expenses.
  • Researched case law and statutes and communicate findings to internal business units.

Legal Manager

Coach Japan LLC
Tokyo
02.2010 - 04.2010
  • Reviewed, negotiated, and provided comments on various agreements, including service agreements, memorandums of intent, various vendor agreements, and maintained contract review request logs.
  • Assisted the legal department with brand protection and enforcement matters by obtaining relevant information from Customs and police departments, and liaised with business partners to confirm the authenticity of goods.
  • Coordinated with business partners to have listings of vendors selling infringing items permanently removed from the Yahoo Japan Auction site.

Foreign Associate

Abe, Wada and Watanabe (formerly Abe & Matsutome)
Tokyo
09.2006 - 01.2010
  • Worked closely with the Trademark Practice Group to advise clients on trademark prosecution and brand protection matters by reviewing and drafting trademark availability search reports, recommending effective strategies to stop online retailers from selling counterfeit items, collecting and analyzing information and evidence to be submitted on the Import Prohibition Application form submitted to Japanese Customs, drafting status reports to clients when an Identification Procedure was initiated by Customs, obtaining and analyzing information through public and private sources about counterfeiters and opponents in intellectual property litigation matters, and drafting detailed status reports together with effective strategies and recommendations.
  • Liaised with foreign counsel to collect and analyze evidence in multiple cross-border litigation matters, and drafted affidavits and declarations to be submitted to the Tokyo District Court.
  • Reviewed and drafted a legal memorandum on various issues pertaining to Japanese corporate and trademark law matters.
  • Drafted and negotiated Trademark Purchase and Assignment Agreements, Reorganization Agreements, Licensing Agreements, Software Licensing Agreements, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Distribution and Sales Agreements, Assign and Assign Back Agreements, Non-Contravention Agreements, Settlement Agreements, etc.
  • Reviewed advertising materials, promotional materials, and sweepstakes and contest materials to ensure compliance with applicable laws, such as the Law on the Protection of Personal Information.

Judicial Extern, Honorable Jacqueline Hogan Scola

Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida
Miami
03.2006 - 04.2006
  • Researched procedural and substantive issues, and specific questions of law.
  • Drafted memorandum of law.

Judicial Extern, Honorable Victoria Platzer

Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida
Miami
01.2006 - 04.2006
  • Researched procedural and substantive issues and specific questions of law
  • Drafted memorandum of law

Education

Juris Doctor -

Florida International University College of Law
Miami, Florida
05.2006

First Year of Law School -

Barry University School of Law
Orlando, Florida
01.2004

Bachelor of Arts - International Business

Sophia University
Tokyo, Japan
01.2001

Summer Abroad 2005 -

Santa Clara University School of Law
Tokyo, Japan

Skills

  • Legal research
  • Contract negotiation
  • Policy drafting
  • Government relations

Certification

  • Level One proficiency certificate, Japan Foundation
  • Business Japanese Proficiency Test Level J1+, Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro)
  • Oral Communication Test, Level A Certificate, Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro)

Bar Membership

  • The Florida Bar, 09/01/06
  • The Tennessee Bar Association, 10/01/16

Languages

Fluent in spoken and written Japanese.

Timeline

Legal Counsel

Daiohs U.S.A., Inc.
06.2023 - 02.2025

Global Compliance Specialist

Kasai North America, Inc.
06.2022 - 02.2023

Counsel

Rakuten Marketing (Rakuten Mobile)
08.2021 - 05.2022

Senior Associate

Frost Brown Todd LLC
04.2016 - 07.2021

International Counsel

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation
02.2011 - 02.2016

Legal Manager

Coach Japan LLC
02.2010 - 04.2010

Foreign Associate

Abe, Wada and Watanabe (formerly Abe & Matsutome)
09.2006 - 01.2010

Judicial Extern, Honorable Jacqueline Hogan Scola

Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida
03.2006 - 04.2006

Judicial Extern, Honorable Victoria Platzer

Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida
01.2006 - 04.2006

Juris Doctor -

Florida International University College of Law

First Year of Law School -

Barry University School of Law

Bachelor of Arts - International Business

Sophia University

Summer Abroad 2005 -

Santa Clara University School of Law

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