James R. Ebert is both an attorney and a California Certified Public Accountant (“CPA”). Only about 700 of the more than 100,000 lawyers in California are also CPAs. Mr. Ebert was a research fellow at Kyoto University, Japan from 1983 to 1986 pursuant to a Japan Ministry of Education (Monbusho) Fellowship. He is experienced in assisting Japan businesses with business litigation, arbitration, contracts, tax litigation, maritime law, collection matters, real estate and corporate law. He is licensed to practice law in the states of California, Georgia, Nevada, Texas, Alabama and Michigan.

He graduated with honors from Loyola Law School (J.D. 1982, Dean’s List) and the University of Santa Clara (B.S.C. Accounting 1979, Cum Laude). He has worked in the international business and Japan practice groups of both Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Deloitte Touche Tomatsu.

Mr. Ebert is AV Preeminent-rated by Martindale Hubbell as of 1990. He is a member of the American Bar Association, California State Bar Association, Georgia State Bar Association, Michigan State Bar Association, Texas State Bar Association, Nevada State Bar Association, Orange County Bar Association, Japanese American Bar Association, Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Academy of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants (member of the Estate Planning and Practice Development Committees). He is a founding member and was the 1992 President of the Orange County Japanese American Lawyers Association. He is an Eagle Scout and enjoys sailing and golf.

Mr. Ebert has taught numerous seminars to lawyers and certified public accountants. He is the co-author of Selected Topics in Japanese Tax Law, Professor Zentaro Kitagawa, Doing Business in Japan (1985 and 1986 supplements).

  • Seminars & Publications

    • Estate Planning and Living Trusts (1991);
    • New Compliance Regulations-Foreign Inbound Investments (1991, 1992);
    • Sports, Entertainment and Tax Law in Japan, California Society of CPAs (1992, 1993);
    • Legal and Business Considerations in Acquisitions, Including Auctions. RTC/FDIC, REO, Bankruptcy and Probate Sales, Osaka and Tokyo (June 1993);
    • Business Law Tips for Avoiding Litigation and Overview of the Litigation Process (January 1996);
    • Facts and Myths about Probate and Trust Administration, California Society of CPAs (1997);
    • Estate Planning For Japanese and Nikkei (1997, 1998, 2006, 2007);
    • General Legal and Procedural Considerations for Real Estate Purchase and Sales Transactions in the United States, ILS International Legal Strategy (January 1998);
    • Debt Collection, ILS International Legal Strategy (January 1998);
    • Alternative Dispute Resolution (June 1998);
    • Entity Planning in the New Millennium, California Society of CPAs (September 1999);
    • Estate Tax Planning For CPAs (June 2000);
    • The CPA as an Expert Witness, California Society of CPAs (November 2001) and Estate Planning & Trust Council of Long Beach (February 2002);
    • Collection Litigation, California Ikkikai Benkyokai (January 2006);
    • Debt Collection, U.S. Japan Publication (July 2009);
    • Alternative Dispute Resolution: How It Can Benefit You, California Society of CPAs (October 2011);
    • Collection Litigation and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, California Society of CPAs (December 2013);
    • Creditor’s Rights After the Business is Sold, American Academy of Attorney – CPAs (January 2016);
    • Creditor’s Rights After the Business is Sold, California Society of CPAs North Orange County Discussion Group (May 2016);
    • Key Points and Strategies for Office Leases, MUFG BizBuddy (November 2016);
    • Successful Strategies for Collection and Litigation, MUFG BizBuddy (July 2017);
    • Japan Business Association of Houston Gulf Stream Newsletter, (April 2020);
    • ”Important Considerations in International Transactions and International Litigation” American Academy of Attorney – CPAs (July 2021);
    • UJP News November 1, 2020 Vol. 261, U.S. Japan Publication (November 2020);
    • Litigation Strategy: The Key to Winning Legal Disputes, The Japan Times (October 2021);
    • The Key to Winning Legal Disputes: Litigation Strategy, The Japan Times (March 2022);
    • UJP News May 1, 2022 Vol. 280, U.S. Japan Publication (May 2022);
    • Litigation Firm Wins Trials and Arbitrations for Japanese Companies, The Japan Times (June 2022);
    • Professional Litigators Win Cases for Japanese Companies, The Japan Times (February 2023);
    • UJP News June 1, 2023 Vol. 294, U.S. Japan Publication (June 2023);
    • “Tech Changes, Tech Tools, & AI in U.S. Trials & Arbitrations” Osaka Bar Association (July 2023);
    • “U.S. Litigation Process, Winning Strategies, Tech Changes, Tech Tools & AI” Lexis Nexis Japan, Tokyo (July 2023);
    • “Breach of Contract: U.S. Litigation Process & Tech Changes, Tech Tools & AI” Business Research Institute (BRI), Tokyo (July 2023);
    • “U.S. Trials & Arbitration: Tech Changes, Tech Tools, AI, Winning Strategies” Japan Overseas Enterprises Association (JOEA) Tokyo (July 2023);
    • “Post-Pandemic Technology Changes to U.S. Courts, Tech Tools & AI” Japan Business Association of Southern California (JBA) Irvine, California (November 2023);
    • “Importance of U.S. Trials, Mediation and Arbitration Post-Pandemic and Legal Tech Developments, Tech Tools, AI, Winning Strategies” Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners, Osaka (March 2024);

    • “U.S. Mediation and Arbitration Important Changes After the Pandemic: Tech Tools and Winning Strategies” Business Research Institute (BRI), Tokyo (March 2024)

    • “Texas Legal Risk Management For Japanese Companies: Overview For Japanese Companies To Understand Important Points Of The U.S. Legal System Including Post-Pandemic Changes To Federal Courts, Texas Courts,ADR Arbitration, Mediation, Trials And Tech Tools” Dallas Japanese Association Chamber of Commerce (May 2024);

    • “The Importance of Trials and Arbitration in Texas, and the Increase in Arbitration after the Pandemic: How Technological Development and AI are Changing Business Litigation, and Required Winning Strategies” Japan Business Association of Houston (May 2024);

    Organizations

    • American Academy of Attorney – Certified Public Accountants (AAA-CPA)
    • American Bar Association
    • California State Bar Association
    • Georgia State Bar Association
    • Michigan State Bar Association
    • Texas State Bar Association
    • Nevada State Bar Association
    • Orange County Bar Association
    • Japanese American Bar Association
    • Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia
    • National Eagle Scout Association

    Court and State Bar Admissions

    Federal Court Admissions

    • U.S. Supreme Court (12/15/2008)
    • U.S. Court of Federal Claims (09/28/1983)
    • U.S. Tax Court (08/10/1983)
    • U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (08/22/1983)
    • U.S. District Court California Central District (08/18/1983)
    • U.S. District Court California Southern District (04/04/2012)
    • U.S. District Court Texas Eastern District (08/16/2019)
    • U.S. District Court Texas Southern District (09/26/2019)

    State Court and State Bar Admissions

    • California State Bar Association (12/03/1982)
    • California Supreme Court (12/03/1982)
    • California Certified Public Accountant – California State Board of Accountancy (03/12/1988)
    • Georgia State Bar Association (07/01/1996)
    • Nevada State Bar Association (05/16/2013)
    • Nevada Supreme court (05/16/2013)
    • Texas State Bar Association (11/13/2014)
    • Texas Supreme Court and all Texas Courts (11/13/2014)
    • Alabama State Bar Association (04/24/2019)
    • Alabama Supreme Court and all Alabama Courts (04/24/2019)
    • Georgia Supreme Court (10/8/2019)
    • Michigan State Bar Association (10/22/2020)