After registering as an attorney with the Tokyo Bar Association in 1992 (44th term), Shoichiro Onishi joined the law offices of Okuno & Partners, and was appointed as a partner in 1997. He joined the Industrial Revitalization Corporation Japan in 2003, where he served as Managing Director. Mr. Onishi co-established Frontier Management Inc. in 2007 and currently serves as Co-president. He was appointed President of Frontier Turnaround Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary) upon its establishment in 2012.
He was appointed as an outside director of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Incorporated in 2020 and a Representative Director & Co-President of Frontier Capital Inc. in 2022.

During his tenure at Okuno & Partners, in addition to civil suits, Mr.Onishi served as representative counsel and acting trustee in numerous corporate rehabilitation cases (corporate reorganization, civil rehabilitation, bankruptcy and composition, corporate liquidation, private liquidation, etc.) involving hotels, major supermarket chains, apparel manufacturers, and non-bank financial institutions. From 1998 he served as acting trustee for the corporate reorganization case of Japan Lease, the largest at the time (2.3 trillion yen in debts) and contributed to the company’s reorganization by supervising the transfer of its lease business operations and the drafting of a reorganization plan. As acting trustee in the corporate reorganization case of Life Co. (960 billion yen in debts) in 2000, and in the same capacity in the case of corporate reorganization of Taisei Fire and Marine Insurance Co.(400 billion yen in debts) through the application of Japan’s rehabilitation law for financial institutions in 2001, he was central in the M&A projects and drafting rehabilitation plans for each, and served a tremendously important role in the reorganization of those and other companies.

When he was with the Joined Industrial Revitalization Corporation Japan, Mr.Onishi was involved in drafting business revival plans for Mitsui Mining Co. and in the reconciliation of interests with financial institutions. He was appointed as auditor of the company in 2004. Also in 2004, he was involved in drafting business revitalization plans for Kanebo, Ltd. and helped in the execution of revitalization plans as a director for the same. He was involved in drafting business revitalization plans for Daiei, Inc. beginning in 2004, and in 2005 served as a director in the company to lead its turnaround. In addition to major cases like the ones above, he has also served as case supervisor for local cases, such as that of Tochigi Leather (formerly Tochigi Hikaku).

After Mr. Onishi established Frontier Management Inc., he was appointed as a director of Alpico Holdings Co., Ltd. in2008, and was elected a member of JAL task force in 2009, and was appointed as a financial trustee of Willcom Inc in 2010. Also in 2011, he was appointed as a deputy director-general of TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) Management and Finance Investigation Taskforce of the Cabinet Secretariat.

Mr. Onishi is co-author of Tousan-hou Jitsumu Jiten (“A Dictionary for Bankruptcy Law Work”, Kinzai Books, 1998),
co-author of Kousei Keikaku no Jitsumu to Riron (“Practice and Theory in Revitalization Planning”, Shoujihoumu, 2004),
co-author of Shin Saiban Jitsumu Taikei 21: Kaisha Kousei-hou / Minji Saisei-hou (“New Court Practice 21: Corporate Reorganization Law & Civil Rehabilitation Law”, Seirin Shoin, 2004),
co-author of Torihiki-saki Hatan ni okeru Keiyaku no Sho-mondai (“Various Contractual Problems when Business Clients Become Insolvent”, Shinnippon-Hoki Publishing, 2006),
co-author of Tousan-shori Jitsumu Handbook (“Practical Bankruptcy Disposal Handbook”, Chuokeizai-Sha, Inc., 2007),
co-author of Kaisha-hou Taikei (“Comprehensive Summary of the Companies Act”, Vol. 2, Seirin Shoin, 2008), co-author of Shiteki-seiri Keikaku-sakutei no Jitsumu (“The Practice of Drafting Plans for Private Liquidation”, Shojihomu, 2011),
co-author of Judgment Innovation (DIAMOND, Inc., 2013),
co-author of Turnaround Manager no Jitsumu (“The Practice of the Turnaround Manager,” Shojihomu Co., Ltd., 2015),
co-author of Hoteki-seiri Keikaku-sakutei no Jitsumu (“The Practice of Legal Liquidation Planning”, Shojihomu, 2016),
and co-author of Jigyou Saisei ADR no Subete(“All About Alternative Dispute Resolution on Business Revitalization (2nd Edition)”, Shojihomu, 2021).

He is also a member of the Japanese Association for Business Recovery, the Japanese Association for Turnaround Professionals, the National Bankruptcy Proceedings Attorney’s Network, the Community Power Revitalization Organization (tentative name) Study Group, an expert member of the Cabinet Office’s Council on Economic and Policy (Working Group on the Reform of Government Assets and Debt), a member of the Study Group on Debt Adjustment, a member of the Working Team Studying Assessment Criteria for Liability for Compensation of Losses related to the Act on Assurance of Sound Financial Status of Local Governments, committee member of the Third Sector Management Study Commission of Joetsu and Itoigawa City, Financial Services Agency (Strategy Development and Management Bureau) counselor, a member of the Expert Panel to Review Electricity Rate System and Its Operation, chairman of the Committee for Sale of Subsidiaries and Affiliated Companies of the Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund, Acting Secretary General of the Global Network Council, and Temporary member of the Legislative Council of the Ministry of Justice.