On Oct. 8, Kanagawa Bar Association announced that it had initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Odawara Sannomaru Law Office, a law firm in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and its representative, lawyer Yoshikatsu Takekubo (82), for misappropriating approximately 600 million yen in deposits from clients.
According to the announcement, Takekubo misappropriated a total of approximately 600 million yen, including money from real estate sales, entrusted to him by his clients in at least 70 cases. His management account, however, only have approximately 43 million yen remaining.
In response to an investigation by the bar association, Takekubo explained that the firm was struggling financially. He has not responded to requests from clients for repayment, and some clients have reportedly consulted with the prefectural police.
by MagazineKey4532