Our team includes attorneys
who have been seconded
to the MLIT’s Automobile Bureau
End-to-End Support
for Your Autonomous-Driving & MaaS Ventures
The automotive industry is said to be in its “once-in-a-century” transition. As technology races ahead, Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) and autonomous-driving solutions are evolving at lightning speed. That progress, however, brings a tangle of legal considerations—from intellectual-property strategy to data- and privacy-protection rules—that must be addressed before any business can scale with confidence.
ZeLo is ready to help. Our team includes lawyers who have served on secondment in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s Automobile Bureau, giving us a firsthand view of how mobility policy is made. Together with our broader bench of attorneys steeped in autonomous-driving and MaaS matters, we deliver the clear, practical guidance you need to navigate regulation, protect your innovations, and accelerate growth.
What ZeLo Brings to the Table
STRENGTH 01
Regulatory Experience at MLIT’s Automobile Bureau
Our roster includes an attorney who, while on secondment to Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), served as a Specialist Officer in the Passenger Division and later as Planning & Coordination Officer in the Office of Guarantee Systems, drafting the very rules that govern autonomous driving and MaaS. With this first-hand insight into how regulators think and where policy is headed, we deliver highly specialized advice that lets clients anticipate and shape their compliance strategies.
STRENGTH 02
Expertise in Frontier Technologies
and Innovative Business Models
Beyond traditional mobility matters, ZeLo excels in cutting-edge domains such as Web3, AI, and data protection. Because ZeLo was co-founded alongside LegalOn Technologies, the legal-tech start-up behind Japan’s leading AI contract-review platform, we have been working at the intersection of law and AI since day one. That depth equips us to guide clients who are building the next generation of mobility services.
STRENGTH 03
A Proven Record from Business-Model Design to Rulemaking
ZeLo has a strong track record of helping companies move into sectors where the legal framework is still emerging. We go far beyond basic compliance: from designing business models to negotiating with government ministries, engaging industry groups, and leveraging tools such as Japan’s Gray-Zone Clarification and Regulatory Sandbox schemes. This end-to-end support ensures that your autonomous-driving or MaaS venture can move smoothly from concept to full-scale deployment.
Our Services
ZeLo offers a full suite of legal support for the autonomous-driving and MaaS sectors.
SERVICE 01 Launch & Operation of Autonomous-Driving / MaaS Services
- Business-model design & legal feasibility checks
Tailor-made advice for each service type—autonomous buses and taxis, e-scooter sharing, car sharing, and more—under the Road Transport Act, Road Traffic Act, Road Vehicle Act, and related regulations. - Leveraging special regulatory schemes
End-to-end assistance with Japan’s Gray-Zone Clarification and Regulatory Sandbox programs. - Documentation
Drafting and reviewing all necessary contracts, terms of use, and other customer-facing policies.
SERVICE 02 Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Representation and strategic counsel in disputes such as:
- Product liability (PL) claims
- Intellectual-property litigation
- International arbitration
SERVICE 03 M&A and Strategic Alliances
- Deal execution — structuring, legal due diligence, contract drafting, and negotiations
- Competition analysis — antitrust assessments and clearance strategies
Whether you are building a breakthrough mobility service, defending your technology, or expanding through acquisitions,
ZeLo delivers the legal expertise that keeps your business moving forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
A
Once you contact us, we schedule a meeting to introduce our services and learn the outline of your project. Based on that discussion we prepare a fee proposal; after you approve it, we start work immediately.
A
Yes. In addition to Japanese and English, we can also work in Indonesian. If you need support in another language, let us know during the initial meeting and we will explore options.
A
We provide a tailored quotation after hearing the specifics of your matter. Please reach out for details.
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Fees start only after you sign off on our proposed plan. There is no charge for making an inquiry or requesting materials.
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Absolutely. We regularly collaborate with in-house and outside counsel and will recommend the most effective way to integrate our expertise with your current legal team. Feel free to contact us to discuss your situation.
Track Record
Track Record
- Capital and business alliance for a major automotive manufacturer
- Business integration of a leading taxi-hailing app operator
- Regulatory advice to a global company on location-data services for autonomous driving
- Legal opinions (JP / EN) and Road Transport Act analysis for a MaaS platform
- Launch support for a foreign company’s food-delivery app in Japan
- Legal guidance on a B2B car-sharing platform
- Government-Side Experience (MLIT)
- As Specialist Officer, Passenger Division, Automobile Bureau
- Interpreted, administered, and amended laws governing passenger transport by bus, taxi, private vehicles, rental cars, and car-sharing (Road Transport Act, etc.).
- Drafted regulations for autonomous-bus and autonomous-taxi services.
- Studied system and operational reforms to secure mobility in depopulated areas.
- Contributed to the 2023 amendments to the Regional Public Transportation Revitalization Act and Road Transport Act aimed at “re-designing” local transit networks.
- As Planning & Coordination Officer, Office of Guarantee Systems
- Examined liability and victim-compensation frameworks for accidents involving autonomous vehicles and new mobility devices (e-scooters, delivery robots, etc.).
- Led the digitalization of compulsory automobile liability-insurance certificates for e-scooters.
- Additional MLIT Contributions
- Played a key role in the 2022 Road Traffic Act revision that established Level 4 autonomous-vehicle rules and new mobility traffic regulations.
- As Specialist Officer, Passenger Division, Automobile Bureau
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