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.

The firm is the result of the 2007 merger between two major Japanese firms – Nishimura & Partners and Asahi Koma Law Offices.

Attorney-at-law Hikaru Oguchi has been selected to head the firm’s Vietnam office. Her experience within the jurisdiction includes retention as the legal adviser to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a number of projects in Lao PDR and Vietnam between 2004 and 2006. Oguchi also held the role of deputy director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ aid policy division of the international cooperation bureau in 2006.

The firm said in a statement that it will continue to grow its networks in Asia as that is where it believes much of the growth in demand for legal services will come from.

The Ho Chi Minh office will be supported by a team of lawyers and staff that specialises in international transactions and disputes relating to Southeast Asia and India from its Tokyo headquarters.
Currently, none of the other Japanese firms have Vietnam offices but a number of other non-Vietnamese firms do.ALB

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