Nishimura & Asahi to Launch Offices in London and Brussels, Strengthening Operational Capacity in Europe
15th October 2024
Nishimura & Asahi is pleased to announce the further strengthening of its operations in Europe, with the opening of offices in London and Brussels by early 2025. The firm’s presence in London, a global center for M&A and finance and a hub for Japanese companies entering Europe, and Brussels, the center of EU policies and regulations, hold critical importance in providing optimal support for our clients.
Our London office will be led by Partner Yoshiyuki Kizu, who has extensive experience in cross-border M&A. The Brussels office will be led by Partner Kojiro Fujii, who specializes in antitrust law/competition law, international trade law, digital regulation, and public policy. The new offices will be staffed by both Japanese lawyers, who have extensive knowledge of international projects and an understanding of the needs of Japanese companies, and local lawyers, who have substantial experience in European legal practice. As a Japanese, Asia-based law firm, the expansion of operations in Europe, including enhanced collaboration with our existing offices in Frankfurt and Dusseldorf, is a pioneering initiative.
Background and Aim of Expansion
The launch of these new offices is intended to strengthen client support for M&A matters and projects relating to Europe, ensure compliance with European regulations and policies, and position us to give strategic advice aligning with regional policies. As regulatory compliance increasingly impacts corporate operations globally, Nishimura & Asahi aims to provide borderless strategic legal services that encompass perspectives across Japan, the US, Europe, and Asia, for Japanese and other Asian companies.
Since 2020, our Frankfurt and Dusseldorf offices have provided a wide range of legal services to Japanese companies operating in Europe in areas including corporate law, M&A, supply chain regulations, due diligence, and GDPR.
In recent years, particularly in Brussels, we have witnessed rapid changes in competition and international economic laws, as well as updates to policies and regulations around sustainability and data protection. These changes are expected to affect not only companies operating in the region, but the corporate behavior of companies worldwide. London continues to maintain its reputation as a hub in European M&A and finance even after BREXIT, where the demand for expert legal services continues to increase.
It is in the context of these developments that we are opening offices in London and Brussels. We will meet the growing demand for legal services from our clients in the region, enabling us to quickly react to legislative policies and regulatory trends. In addition to our four offices in Europe, Nishimura & Asahi will promote close collaboration within our global network by leveraging the respective legal fields and industrial sector coverage of our offices in Asia, with the aim of realizing higher-quality client support throughout Europe.
Our New Offices
London:
Many European businesses operated by Japanese companies are headquartered in London. We will provide legal services focusing on cross-border M&A, corporate, and financial transactions in not only the UK, but Europe as a whole. Our initial London team includes both Japanese lawyers and a locally qualified lawyer with extensive experience.
Comment from Yoshiyuki Kizu, Representative, London Office:
Beginning with the opening of our two offices in Germany in 2020, we have been committed to providing high-quality legal services to our Japanese clients doing business in Europe. The opening of an office in London, where numerous Japanese companies operate their European headquarters, is part of our efforts to strengthen our operations to meet the increasingly diverse and complex demands in the region. In this way, we will provide high-value-add services.
In addition, through the establishment of these offices in London and Brussels, we are committed to providing expert legal services to support our clients operating globally by closely linking our 21 offices within Nishimura & Asahi.
Brussels:
Considering Brussels’s position at the center of EU policies and regulations, our office will serve as a base for matters relating to EU competition law, international trade law, sustainability, digital, and related public policies. Our Brussels team will include both Japanese lawyers and European qualified lawyers with extensive local experience.
Comment from Kojiro Fujii, Representative, Brussels Office:
Our new office, strategically located in the European regulatory hub of Brussels, is home to a number of key institutions including the European Commission. Brussels is an influential city for global corporate trends, where our experienced lawyers in the region will be based. Nishimura & Asahi already has many experienced professionals in the areas of competition law and international trade law in Japan and the Asia-Pacific, but going forward we will work closely with our London office to strengthen our response capabilities in Europe and globally. In addition, we will be able to promptly ascertain changes and developments in EU legal policies and regulations, especially in the areas of sustainability, digital regulation, and data protection. Ultimately, we aim to provide top-tier legal advice while organically collaborating with the Nishimura & Asahi network and local law firms.
For more information, please read the press release.
