Asahi Koma law firm news

Japan’s largest law firm by headcount, Nishimura & Asahi, has announced plans to open its second office in Vietnam.

Japanese firms in Tokyo have returned for its first full day of business amid grim economic sentiment as more bad news pour in, in the wake of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan on Friday.

The rivalry heats up amongst Tokyo-based international firms at the night of nights for Japan’s legal fraternity – the ALB Japan Law Awards 2011.

Lex Mundi has welcomed five new members to its Client Advisory Council, bringing the current total to 12.

An increase in Japanese investment throughout South East Asia and Australia has led more Australian firms to focus their resources on building relationships with the Japanese market.

Nagashima, Ohno & Tsunematsu (NO&T), Mori Hamada & Matsumoto (MHM), Nishimura & Asahi (N&A) and Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (AM&T) have all indicated expansions and secondments into Asia as Japanese businesses shift from domestic markets and go regional.

Asia will undergo infrastructure and arbitration booms in the next ten years and the expanding market has room to accommodate more foreign law practices.

Nishimura & Asahi, the largest of Japan’s “Big Four” law firms, has launched its first representative office in Southeast Asia. The new office in Ho Chi Minh will be the firm’s second overseas venture, after its first international office was launched in Beijing only three months ago.

Korean firm Hwang Mok Park has closed its Shanghai office less than a year after acquiring it through a merger with another law firm, citing the office as ‘unsustainable.’

Nishimura & Asahi, the largest of the Japanese 'big four' firms, has opened its Beijing representative office upon receiving the licence from the Ministry of Justice in April.

日本西村朝日律师事务所获得司法部批准，已在北京开设代表处，并于6月开始正式执业。

The winners of the sixth annual ALB Japan Law Awards 2010 will be announced this Friday 28 May at the Ritz Carlton, Tokyo at a gala event attended by a sellout 200+ crowd of Japan’s pre-eminent solicitors, in-house counsel, investment bankers and business leaders.

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu and Nishimura & Asahi are set to fight it out for top honours at the Japanese legal fraternity’s night of nights – the ALB Japan Law Awards 2010

Former Japanese ministry of justice official Takashi Shibuya has joined local Big Four firm Nishimura & Asahi

Japanese ‘big four’ firms Nishimura & Asahi and Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, along with Wall Street firms Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Sullivan & Cromwell, have gained roles on the world’s biggest IPO in two years.

The Shanghai expo, themed “Better City, Better Life”, is expected to attract between 70 and 80 million visitors and will be a significant event for Shanghai. Aside from the opportunities brought by the World Fair, the city remains a key focus for international and domestic law firms.

Whether they are cash-strapped or expanding, Asia’s aviation industry has proven to be a big source of work for the region’s law firms recently.

Korean firm Hwang Mok Park’s merger with boutique litigation firm Hanseung has helped it to acquire an office in Shanghai.

Japan’s Nishimura & Asahi is opening an office in Beijing and has formed an alliance with Soga, Uryu & Itoga (SUI) to target the Chinese market.

A strategic review of Blake Dawson’s operations looking to find ways to take the firm to the next level ended in a decision to become the first Australian law firm to open an office in Japan. The move has not been all plain sailing as the firm and Japanese regulators are both breaking new ground but Blake Dawson’s north Asia head, Ian Williams, hopes that it will be a case of the early bird catching the worm