Suing a Delaware Company with No Branch in Japan

Delaware is a very coporation friendly jurisidiction; the State does not disclose names of directors, or the company’s headquarter address. This causes a bit of inconveneince for foreigners to sue them in their country. The following is a series of practical steps to sue a Delaware corporation in Japan:

  1. Review and decide if the case is subject to teh Japanese jurisdiction, such as the location of damages caused in a tort claim;
  2. If the answer is yes, go to the Stete of Delaware website, and obtain a “certifiate of good standing” online. This costs around USD100;
  3. As the certificate does not disclose the directors or the corporate headquarters, search fir ubfirnatuib at SEC’s EDGAR database and find an Annal Reper, if it is a filing entity. The Report discloses the CEO and other directors and teh address of the corporate headquarters. Obtain a certified copy online if necessary;
  4. It is also healpful ot search the National Taxation Agency’s corprations number search, to identify and locate their non registered buisness outlet in Japan, if any.