The move will result in a Thai presence of more than 100 lawyers and professional staff
Japan’s largest law firm is expanding its presence in Thailand with the acquisition of major Thai firm.
Nishimura & Asahi has agreed to acquire SCL Group. The move comes six years after Nishimura & Asahi established its own presence in Thailand.
The acquisition will create SCL Nishimura, which is expected to go live in October. The merged firm will have more than 100 lawyers and professional staff providing legal and business-advisory services.
“Southeast Asia is one of the most exciting places in the world to do business, and the profile of Southeast Asia is clearly rising around the world – especially in Japan and for our Japanese clients. The region is one of the biggest trading partners globally for Japan, as well as one of Japan’s most favoured destinations for foreign direct investment. As a result, we see strong and continuing growth and returns on investment for our clients and for our firm in the region,” said Masaki Hosaka, Nishimura & Asahi managing partner.
The move shows the firm’s commitment to Japanese and international clients, who are taking advantage of increasing investing opportunities in the region, Hosaka said. He said that the firm’s goal with the acquisition is to provide seamless support, a closer and more convenient presence, and a coordinating point for its numerous Japanese and multinational clients that do business in Thailand.
Chavalit Uttasart, managing partner of SCL, said that being the first Japanese law firm to establish and maintain a permanent presence in many key Southeast Asian jurisdictions, Nishimura & Asahi was already well known to SCL.
“We are really delighted to formalize our relationship at this time and to provide our clients with services they can rely on, grounded in years of experience in the mature Japanese business markets as well as in Thailand and Southeast Asia, and with vision, to help chart their future course through these young and rapidly-expanding investment markets. Companies investing in the region — both local and foreign — face a landscape of tremendous opportunity. But there remain many strategic challenges. There will be no law firm better placed than SCL Nishimura to help Japanese, Thai and international clients navigate the complex legal environment and cultural nuances of doing business and succeeding in Thailand and Southeast Asia,” he said.
Chavalit Uttasart Hosaka Masaki
