Kenichi Yagi

Kenichi Yagi is one of a few, if not the only, native Japanese-speaking attorneys in Texas with successful experience as both a corporate transactional lawyer and a litigator. His clients have come to know him for his dependability and his efficient handling of cases. Mr. Yagi also assists clients in a wide variety of practice areas, which makes him a valuable member of the Adair Myers Stevenson Yagi legal team.

Born and raised in Japan, Mr. Yagi moved to the United States when he was seventeen. He graduated from high school in the United States and then attended the University of Massachusetts, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree Magna Cum Laude. Mr. Yagi then earned his law degree from The University of Houston Law Center and also became a certified mediator.

Before joining Adair Myers Graves Stevenson and forming Adair Myers Stevenson Yagi in 2021, Mr. Yagi worked for twenty years at a boutique litigation firm in Houston. After ten years of litigation practice at the prior firm, he also started focusing on serving the legal needs of the Japanese community. In addition to litigation, Mr. Yagi is experienced in a broad range of corporate and individual legal issues, including drafting complex commercial contracts, real estate, intellectual property, and consulting on family law and estate planning matters. When necessary, Mr. Yagi has a network of specialists who can best assist in serving the clients’ needs. Mr. Yagi’s diverse experience coupled with 20 years of contacts in the legal profession enables him to cost-effectively handle virtually any legal issue. His work was recognized for Professional Involvement by Lawyer Legion in 2021.

In addition to being licensed to practice in the state of Texas, Mr. Yagi is also licensed to practice in the state of New York, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The firm has a network of attorneys with various specialties throughout the United States and around the world (LawPact: https://lawpact.org/) and can handle legal matters outside Texas. We also work closely with a Japanese law firm (Asai Law Office: https://lawpact.org/firm/asai-law-firm/) and can seamlessly manage legal issues that cross the border between Japan and the United States.

Mr. Yagi is proud to serve as Secretary General and Specially-Appointed Vice President of Legal Affairs of the Japanese Association of Greater Houston and is also an associate member of the Japan Business Association of Houston. He enjoys assisting the Houston Japanese community with their legal matters.

Representative Matters

Mr. Yagi has extensive experience in commercial litigation and transactional matters.

Practice Areas

Corporate and Transactional. Advising domestic and international clients (mainly restaurants, manufacturers, product distributors, and other service businesses) on various corporate, transactional, and employment matters, including:

• Employment law, including　consultation on wage and hours/compensation review, exempt v. non-exempt analysis, employee handbook, termination, employment benefits, confidentiality/non-compete/non-solicitation, and federal and state employment statutes and preparation and review of related documents
• Negotiating, reviewing, and drafting commercial documents, including sales and purchase agreements, distributorship agreements, asset purchase agreement, clinical trial agreement under Investigative Device Exemption, product manuals and warnings, guaranty agreements, license agreements, confidentiality agreements, consulting agreements, and commercial lease agreements;
• Entity formation and registration and corporate governance, including drafting operating agreements and resolutions, corporate governance and compliance, and related consultation (many for Japanese companies);
  Trademark registration, maintenance, and assignment;
• Insurance coverage and indemnity obligation analysis;
• Anti-trust and anti-dumping concerns.
• Consulting on family and estate planning matters.

Civil Litigation. Managing and assisting in a wide range of civil litigation matters in state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as in mediation and arbitration, including:

• Contract and other commercial disputes;
• Employment disputes, including discrimination, wrongful termination, and unemployment;
• Intellectual property disputes (including trademarks, copyrights, and unfair competition);
• Promissory notes, security agreements, letters of credit and other lending issues;
• Products liability and warranties;
• Commercial, automobile, and homeowners insurance coverage with significant experience in representing a national insurer in numerous first-party homeowners claims involving mold and hurricane wind damage in both state and federal courts;
• Personal injury and wrongful death claims;
• Landlord-tenant disputes;
• Property tax protests;
• Investor complaints;
• Premises liability;
• Securities litigation and arbitration;
• Medical malpractice;
• Bankruptcy-related matters; and
• Debt negotiations and collections.

Miscellaneous. Advising non-profit organizations and individuals in the Japanese community in the Houston area and beyond, often on a pro bono basis.