Overview
- Searches targeted Albatross’s headquarters in Shinagawa and two partner law firms in Tokyo, with documents and data seized.
- Police suspect the company brokered clients to attorneys for fees and may also have conducted legal negotiations itself.
- Partner law firms were searched on suspicion of illegal tie-ups, as Japan’s Attorney Act Article 72 forbids paid legal brokering by non-lawyers and bans lawyers from accepting such referrals.
- The Metropolitan Police Department plans to analyze the materials and question dozens of people before determining criminal liability, and no charges have been filed.
- Albatross launched the service in 2022 and reports more than 40,000 cases handled; its CEO previously told Asahi there were no payments to lawyers and denied any illegality.