Celebrating sports is a time-honored tradition at Morrison & Foerster (MoFo). So when Louise Stoupe, head of the firm’s Tokyo Litigation Department and co-chair of the firm’s Commercial Litigation & Trial Practice Group, presented the firm with the opportunity to become a major sponsor of the Samoa national rugby team (Manu Samoa) for the 2019 season, MoFo jumped at the chance.
The sponsorship agreement, which was signed in March 2019, extended support to the team via pre-camps and provided overall assistance to the team during the regular season. For Louise, who has close ties to the region, the partnership is particularly meaningful because this year’s World Cup games will be held in Japan:
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to do our part in supporting the development of Samoan rugby in the lead-up to the Rugby World Cup. We strongly believe in the abilities of Manu Samoa and cannot wait to see the team in action.”
Sponsorships like these also help level the playing field for Samoa against some of its fiercest, most high-profile competitors on the global stage.
In addition to cheering on Manu Samoa throughout the season, MoFo’s Japan office hosted a welcome reception for the players at the Palace Hotel Tokyo on September 10, 2019. Members of the office wished the players good luck for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which takes place September 20 – November 2, 2019.
Visit the Samoa Rugby Union website to learn more about Manu Samoa and the program.