As the global legal landscape continues to evolve, prominent Japanese law firms are actively pursuing opportunities to strengthen their presence in Europe and the United Kingdom. This strategic move is primarily driven by the burgeoning number of deals and investment opportunities arising in these regions, necessitating a solid on-ground presence to provide localized legal support. Firms such as Nishimura Asahi, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, and Anderson Mori & Tomotsune are among those making significant strides.
Nishimura Asahi is set to inaugurate new offices in Brussels and London early this year, while Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu plans to launch its London office by mid-2025. Their goal is not to rival the long-established Western legal firms but to collaborate with them, supplementing local transactions with nuanced legal advice. As EY Law Japan managing partner Dan Matsuda notes, the deep-rooted history of UK and US law firms poses a challenge for Japanese firms aspiring to match their global footprint.
- Nishimura Asahi aims to augment its Brussels office with two Japanese and six to seven European lawyers initially, with plans to expand to a team of 10-15 within two to three years, confirms Kojiro Fujii, the office head. The London office is similarly poised for growth.
- Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu’s London branch, headed by Kiyoshi Honda, also intends to steadily increase its staffing, targeting both Japanese and local legal talent.
The drive to establish a foothold in the UK and Europe is underpinned by Japanese firms’ active participation in the region’s dealmaking activities, as evidenced by their ranking as the second most active Asia-Pacific bidders in Europe last year, according to the Japan External Trade Organization. Factors like recent trade agreements between Japan, the EU, and the UK have played a role in enhancing merger and acquisition activities by easing trade barriers and tariffs, as mentioned by international economist Rajiv Biswas.
Overall, Japanese firms are aware that amassing a comprehensive international presence will take time, but through strategic partnerships and leveraging trade synergies, they are progressively cementing their roles as key advisors in the thriving European market.