Asia Practice Group

Our Tokyo Office has organized a group called the “Asia Practice Group (APG)” that focuses on providing legal support to Japanese companies in their activities in the Asia region, and it has been providing services Asia-wide, including China, India, and ASEAN countries. The Asian market has become vastly more important for company activities; however, there are still many countries that have not yet fully established firm legal and judicial systems or a sound basis for the provision of legal services by law firms. In addition, Asian countries have many differences in their legal, economic, social and historical backgrounds. Taking those characteristics into account, and by accumulating each country’s expertise and know-how obtained through the co-operative alliance and relationship with Zhong Lun Law Firm (“Zhong Lun”) and Allens Arthur Robinson (“Allens”), our office is well prepared and organized to provide appropriately customized legal services to each client.

Main objective countries

China

China is now one of the world’s leading economic powers and will continue to grow to become one of the most attractive countries to Japanese businesses, not only as a manufacturing base, but also as an important market in its own right. Our firm is specialized in meeting our clients’ needs for reliable legal advice relating to China, and has developed its know-how in matters relating to China by handling a broad and diverse spectrum of China-related projects such as joint ventures, M&A and group restructurings, antitrust matters, real estate projects, alternative dispute resolution, intellectual property matters including licensing and anti-counterfeiting strategies, syndicated loans and other corporate matters, as well as advice on the expansion of Chinese companies into Japan. By maximizing the use of our accumulated know-how and taking full advantage of our firm’s co-operative alliance relationship with Zhong Lun, we are perfectly positioned to provide prompt and accurate legal advice of the high caliber to all of our clients.

India

India is an attractive market: it maintains about 8% economic growth per year; more than 50% of its population, which is about 550 million, is younger than 25 years old; and its middle class is rapidly growing. Enthusiasm for expanding business into India by Japanese corporations seems never to fade. We have been providing legal support to Japanese corporations for their businesses in India, by utilizing knowledge and know-how accumulated locally and through private practice, and have established networks with prominent local lawyers and law firms. We have been involved in the establishment of joint ventures with local corporations, technology alliance, M&A, foreign investment restrictions and/or the merger control rules, dispute resolutions, including (international) arbitrations, labor law advice, and a wide range of general corporate advice related to the expansion of businesses into India by Japanese corporations.

Thai

Thailand is probably the country most familiar with Japanese corporations, even amongst the countries in Southeast and South Asia, the regions that have been recently attracting much attention, as there is a long, traditional and friendly relationship between Thailand and Japan and an old history of direct investment into Thailand by Japanese corporations. It is highly expected that, in the future, Thailand will continue to be one of the most important countries in the said Asian region, and that the number of new investments and M&A by Japanese corporations will increase. We have been providing full-fledged legal services regarding Thailand, by utilizing networks, especially that with Siam Premier International (where our Japanese lawyer is resident), a law firm in Thailand that is affiliated with Allens, with which we have a co-operative alliance. We are pleased and eager to provide a wide range of legal services to Japanese corporations regarding the expansion of their businesses into Thailand and their local operations, including the establishment of local corporations by Japanese corporations, M&A of Thai corporations, labor law advice, and litigation with Thai corporations.

Vietnam

Many Japanese corporations have already expanded into Vietnam in search of an inexpensive and high quality labor force, and for the purpose of avoiding the risk of overconcentration in China. Recently, there is an increasing trend for Japanese corporations to target for expansion into Vietnam’s domestic market, which has an 85 million population, and the neighboring countries’ markets. Also, an increase in investment from Japan is expected for programs related to Vietnam’s current transit maintenance phase, energy, and for its national infrastructure projects. We have been providing a wide range of legal services on matters regarding expansion into Vietnam, infrastructure projects, and investment, utilizing networks with the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh offices of Allens (where our Japanese lawyers are resident in each office), with which we have a co-operative alliance, through the use of experience accumulated from transactions all over the world, including those in Vietnam.

Indonesia

In the past, Indonesia has drawn less attention than the BRICs; however, it is receiving much attention in recent years as a country that promises growth that follows that of the BRICs. Its 240 million population is ranked fourth in the world, 60 % of which is said to be younger than 35 years old, and therefore, it is highly expected to be not only a country of manpower supply but also one of a future mass consumption market. By utilizing the network with Widyawan and Partners (where our Japanese lawyer is resident), Allens’ office in Jakarta, we are well organized to provide full-fledged legal services with respect to Indonesia. We have been involved in overall corporate legal matters, including the establishment of local corporations by the Japanese corporations, M&A of Indonesian corporations, and general commercial legal advice including company law advice and labor law advice.

Others

APG is also well prepared and organized to support the expansion of Japanese companies even to countries other than those mentioned above, by utilizing accumulated experiences developed through interaction with prominent local law firms and from the provision of legal service for matters. The expansion of business activities of Japanese companies overseas is expected to further extend into, for example, Korea and Taiwan, which both have deep geographical and historical connections with Japan; Hong Kong and Singapore, where many Japanese companies locate their controlling offices to oversee businesses in the Asian region; the Philippines and Malaysia, which are drawing increased attention from the view point of the diversification of risk in the Southeast Asian region; and Myanmar, where further development is highly expected due to democratization. Under such circumstances, APG is eager to provide genuinely valuable legal services to our clients who are exploring the expansion of their business activities overseas, by recognizing both the uniqueness and peculiarities of the legal systems of each country on the one hand and the common legal issues that we are usually faced with in the process of expanding business activities into the Asian region, on the other hand.