Pictured: British lawyer, 34, killed in an avalanche while skiing off-piste with his brother in Japan

• Barnaby Levy, 34, was skiing with his brother and a local guide on Saturday
• He died in hospital after being hit by an avalanche on northern Hokkaido island 
• His employers described him as a ‘wonderful colleague, friend and lawyer’  

A British man who was killed in an avalanche on a Japanese mountain on Saturday has been named as 34-year-old lawyer Barnaby Levy. 

Mr Levy was skiing off-piste with his brother and a local guide when he was caught in an avalanche on northern Hokkaido island. 

The Briton worked in Hong Kong for law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where a spokesman described him as a ‘wonderful colleague, friend and lawyer’. 

According to Japanese media, Mr Levy was airlifted off the mountain in a helicopter but was later pronounced dead in hospital. 

His brother and the Japanese tour guide were unhurt.  

A British man who was killed in an avalanche on a mountain in Japan on Saturday has been named as 34-year-old lawyer Barnaby Levy (pictured)

‘Barnaby Levy was a wonderful colleague, friend and lawyer,’ a spokesman for the company told SCMP. 

‘We are shocked and saddened by this news and he will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to his family and many friends at this difficult time.’ 

According to his Linkedin profile, Mr Levy was based in Hong Kong as a senior associate for the company. 

The company website said he was a UK-trained tax lawyer who had focused on the Asia-Pacific region since relocating from London to Hong Kong.  

Reports said that Mr Levy had been skiing at around 2,300ft on Mt Pinneshiri when he was caught in the avalanche on Saturday. 

‘He was sent to hospital but was later confirmed dead,’ Takahiro Sumiya, a local fire department official, said. 

The 34-year-old Briton was caught in an avalanche on northern Hokkaido island while skiing with two other people, a local official said

Two people, including a British man, were killed separately on Saturday as two avalanches struck mountains in Japan (Pictured: A ski resort in Hokkaido) 

Reports said that Mr Levy had been skiing at around 2,300ft on Mt Pinneshiri (pictured) when he was caught in the avalanche on Saturday

Separately, another man was killed on Saturday after he was hit by another avalanche near a ski resort in Nagano, central Japan.

‘He was caught in an avalanche when he was snowboarding with two other people outside a ski slope on Mount Norikura,’ a local fire department official said.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK identified the man as a 47-year-old freelance cameraman.

On Friday, a 38-year-old French man was found dead after an avalanche struck a mountain near another ski resort in southern Hokkaido.

The avalanche happened on Thursday afternoon when the group of eight went off the resort’s ski courses to venture into the untouched snow on the mountain. 

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