Times are tough and guilds are supposed to protect their own, as the Japanese Bar has done, here requiring all foreign attorneys operating in Japan, even, apparently, employees supervised by gaiben partners, to register as gaiben
A requirement that all foreign lawyers be registered as gaiben would fundamentally change the landscape of firms operating in Japan. To qualify as a gaiben, a lawyer must have practiced for at least three years, two of which have to have been outside Japan. The registration process can also take anywhere from six months to two years.
