Japan’s largest law firm, Nishimura & Asahi, is due to open an office in Beijing this month.
Nishimura partner Saori Okada and an associate will be based in the new office, working on a ‘legally non-exclusive basis’ alongside three lawyers in the Beijing office of ally Soga Uryu & Itoga (SUI). SUI also has two lawyers in Shanghai.
In preparation for its new drive in China, Nishimura announced last December that it was forming an alliance with SUI, which has had an office in Beijing since 2000.
SUI was established in January 2005 following the merger of Itoga-Soga Law Office and Cast Law, and currently has 42 lawyers (35 Japanese and seven Chinese). International trade work forms the firm’s main focus, with foreign investment in China consisting of around 60% of its business.
The alliance gives Nishimura a presence in China, while SUI broadens its international capabilities. The two firms already have a working relationship. “We’ve been working together in respect of anti-dumping matters initiated by the Chinese government against Japanese corporations for almost 10 years, so we’re regarded very much as close friends,” said SUI managing partner Takashi Soga. Soga adds that the two firms are not committed to each other in a legal sense, but will be closer friends more than ever. “We haven’t started any talks of a merger or consolidation,” he said.
