Nishimura & Partners and Kokusai Bumon (International Division) of Asahi Law Offices to Integrate in July- To be the Largest Law Firm in Japan -

Tokyo, Japan - Nishimura & Partners and Kokusai Bumon of Asahi Law Offices will integrate as of July 1, 2007 and create a new law firm.

The name of the new firm will be Nishimura & Asahi and its offices will be located in the Ark Mori Building, where Nishimura & Partners has its current offices. Nishimura & Asahi will have a scale of more than 300 lawyers at its inauguration and this number will exceed 350 after new lawyers join in the autumn of this year. The integration will create the largest law firm in Japan, offering a depth and quality of service that no other law firm in Japan can rival.

Background
Recent changes in the Japanese legal system and a series of Japanese legislative reforms have increased the demand for highly-skilled Japanese law-qualified attorneys. While the number of Japanese attorneys is expected to double over the next ten years from the current level of 23,000 (as of March 2007), such increase may not keep pace with the greater demand for Japanese attorneys to assist on large, complex transactions.

Reasons for the Integration
Many lawyers at Nishimura & Partners and Kokusai Bumon of Asahi Law Offices are well known to each other from having worked together on a number of transactions over the years. Recognizing the strengths of each firm, Nishimura & Partners and Kokusai Bumon of Asahi Law Offices reached a common understanding that pooling their resources into a fully-integrated law firm would allow them to (i) offer superior quality and the most comprehensive Japanese legal services through a one-stop solution, and (ii) create valuable synergies that could not be achieved as efficiently if the two firms practiced separately. As consumers of legal services in Japan require top-notch legal advice delivered under time-sensitive conditions and international law firms are starting to develop a Japanese law capability, Nishimura & Partners determined that its success and premier position would be further entrenched if it could offer greater depth and enhanced practice areas to satisfy Japanese market demands.
The two firms do not seek mere size expansion to maintain their competitiveness, but to create a stronger platform to attract and develop human resources that will lead the future generation of the Japanese legal industry. Nishimura & Partners and Kokusai Bumon of Asahi Law Offices share a common belief that employing attorneys who maintain the highest degree of integrity and standards is fundamental to success.

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Nishimura & Partners

History :
- December 1966
- Late Toshiro Nishimura established Nishimura Law Office (later to become Nishimura & Partners)
- March 1976
- Hideki Matsushima (current senior partner) established Matsushima Law Office (later to become Tokiwa Sogo Law Offices)
- January 2004 Nishimura & Partners merged with Tokiwa Sogo Law Offices
October 2004
- Exceptional team of finance lawyers (from former Mitsui, Yasuda, Wani & Maeda) specializing in project finance matters and private finance initiatives joined Nishimura & Partners

Asahi Law Offices

History :
- November 1977
- Masuda and Ejiri Law Office established
- January 1978
- Tokyo Yaesu Law Office established
- April 1979
- Forerunner of Komatsu, Koma and Nishikawa established
- April 1993
- Asahi Law Offices established through a merger between Masuda & Ejiri and Tokyo Yaesu
- October 2002
- Asahi Koma Law Offices established through a merger between Asahi Law Offices and Komatsu, Koma & Nishikawa
- September 2004
- Asahi Koma Law Offices Tokyo Office relocated from Akasaka to Marunouchi
- April 2007
- Renamed to Asahi Law Offices

For further information regarding this matter, please contact:
Public Relations Department, Nishimura & Partners
+81-3-5562-8353 (Direct)
info@nishimura.com