TMI Associates, one of Japan’s largest law firms, has expanded its Asia-Pacific legal service network to Australia by launching an alliance with Australian firm Johnson Winter Slattery (JWS), and establishing a Sydney desk within its office.
TMI Associates’ partner Masayuki Nagai, who has been seconded to JWS and stationed locally, told Asia Business Law Journal that the firm picked Sydney for setting up a local desk because it had more Japanese companies based there than other Australian cities, as it targeted Japanese corporates seeking Japanese-language support for Australian legal matters.
“Although we do not intend to limit ourselves to any particular area, we think that corporate M&A including joint ventures and regulatory investigation will be the main focus,” said Nagai, a New South Wales-admitted solicitor who previously spent five years working at Clayton Utz as a secondee from TMI Associates.
Besides Japanese companies, Nagai said that the Sydney desk would focus on assisting companies in Oceania that wanted access to Japanese legal services. Also admitted in Japan and New York, Nagai advises on a range of practice areas from M&A, risk management, fraud investigation and cartel to international litigation and arbitration.
For JWS, which operates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra, the alliance with TMI Associates will increase its representation of Japanese clients investing in Australia and assist its clients transacting in Japan, Sydney-based managing partner Jeremy Davis told Asia Business Law Journal.
“We have seen a significant uptick in investment into Australia and bilateral co-operation between Australia and Japan. Rather than operating through a branch office in either Tokyo or Sydney, we are able to team up to offer Japanese clients a deep bench of experienced lawyers in both markets,” said Davis.
He said JWS had significant practices in the key areas of focus for Japanese corporates and funds, including foreign investment through its Canberra Team, M&A, energy and resources, defence and technology.
“We are looking to assist Japanese clients with foreign direct investment clearances, M&A generally, and specific mandates in the oil & gas sectors, energy transition and tech sectors,” he said. “We also are looking to attract lawyers with an interest in the strong activity between Japan and Australia.”
