The future is nowx
Tokyo is one of the most exciting, vibrant and densely populated cities in the world. Here’s our profile of this thriving office.
Famous for its futuristic skyline, convention-busting fashion, and reputation as a technological powerhouse, Tokyo is among the world’s most recognizable cities.
This year saw our Tokyo office celebrate its 30th anniversary and, over the years, we’ve broken a few boundaries ourselves, becoming the first foreign law firm to set up a joint enterprise working with Japanese-licensed attorneys of law (bengoshi).
“Clients come to us for global capabilities, but they also value the fact that we bring a local perspective and a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges they face on a daily basis.”
It was a groundbreaking step that helped us establish ourselves as one of the largest international law firms in Japan.
Office Executive Partner Toshio Dokei explains: “Clients come to us for global capabilities, but they also value the fact that we bring a local perspective and a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges they face on a daily basis.
“It helps that we have a diverse team of bengoshi and internationally qualified lawyers. Most of our lawyers are long standing residents who are fluent in English and Japanese.
“We also have a deep understanding of local business and industry trends, so we can guide clients through the cultural intricacies of doing cross-border business involving Japan, both inbound and outbound. It’s a truly global team with a lot of local knowledge.”
Our office is located in the heart of Tokyo’s central business center, Marunouchi, just a minute away from Tokyo Station and one of the world’s most advanced transport networks. On a clear day, you might even get a glimpse of Mount Fuji, Japan’s most iconic mountain, some 100km away.
There are around 120 people on the team, including around 50 lawyers, a big difference from when the Firm set up the office 30 years ago in 1987.
Toshio says: “One of the critical elements of our success in Japan has been that we are a full-service law firm, so we’re able to advise on virtually all business matters, including corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, financial transactions and regulation, projects and energy, real estate, antitrust, intellectual property and commercial disputes.
“Our speciality though, is the international depth of our team when it comes to cross-border matters.
“Even the long-established Japanese multinationals are increasingly looking to high-growth emerging markets in their efforts to grow, just as the new generation companies already are.
“That said, today’s Japanese entrepreneurs face a more challenging and complex global landscape and greater competition on the international scene, so the Firm’s history in Japan and in other jurisdictions is ideal for providing the legal guidance clients need to reach their goals.”
Contributing to the bigger picture
In line with the Firm’s global strategy, the Tokyo office recently strengthened its team with some strategic hires, including the appointment of David Albagli as Local Partner for Intellectual Property, and Nels Hansen as Local Partner in M&A/Corporate.
The team also welcomed former Secretary General of the Japan Fair Trade Commission Hideo Nakajima as Special Adviser to our Competition team.
“We’ve gone from being quite independent to a point where we’re leveraging the strength of the network far more.”
Toshio says: “Reflecting the Firm’s strategy, we’ve also been shifting our focus towards large clients and large matters, making sure we are growing in the right areas, such as more cross-border and premium domestic work.
“Our relationship with the Firm’s network is getting deeper all the time. I’m sure this is the case for all of our offices, but it’s certainly true for Tokyo, where we’ve gone from being quite independent to a point where we’re leveraging the strength of the network far more.
“While there are several global law firms with offices in Tokyo, I believe we offer the most integrated office, where Japanese lawyers and lawyers from the US, UK, etc, work frequently together on matters. This sets us up nicely for future growth and I think that, both as an office and as a wider firm, we can look forward to exciting and successful times ahead.”
How long have you been working in the Tokyo office?
I moved over from London six years ago. An opportunity came up and, though I didn’t have any prior links here, I liked the idea of moving to such an exciting city.
What’s the best thing about working in the office?
I love the fact that, because it’s quite small, everyone knows everyone, plus there is a good mix of Japanese bengoshi and lawyers from abroad.
It’s a fantastic market in its own right, but our clients are also active around the world, so there is a big element of cross-border work.
In addition, the Firm has made a big investment in Asia-Pacific, including a very large new EIPAF team in Australia, for which I was an integration partner, so it’s a very exciting time to be in the region.
TOKYO:
DID YOU KNOW?
Tokyo’s wider metropolitan
area is home to more than
35 million people, making
it the largest area of its
kind in the world.
Tokyo has more Michelin stars
than any other city in the
world, with an impressive
14 restaurants awarded the
top three-star rating.
The city is home to Tsukiji,
the largest wholesale fish
market in the world.
Tokyo’s Shinjuku train station
is the busiest in the world,
catering for around 3.64
million passengers each day.
The Tokyo Skytree is the
tallest free-standing tower
in the world, measuring 634m.
Tokyo will host the
2020 Olympic Games.
What are the best and worst aspects of working in the city?
Tokyo is a unique city with a lot going on and, while other cities around the world may have lost a bit of their cultural edge, there is still nowhere like Tokyo.
I also love the food, the culture and the fact that, in the winter, you can be on the ski slopes in a couple of hours.
My wife is from Russia and I’m from the UK, so the downside is living so far away from our friends and family.
What’s the office like socially?
There is a great atmosphere and people get together regularly either informally or for events, such as our recent ‘Back to the 80s and 90s’ Halloween party and our summer party (pictured).
How does the office contribute to the community?
We’re really active in our pro bono and social responsibility work and, most recently, quite a few of us have competed in charity runs.
What things would you recommend to someone visiting Tokyo for the first time?
The food is amazing – you can go to any average restaurant and know the quality will be great. I’d also recommend experiencing some of the unique things you could only find in Tokyo, such as the hedgehog café I took my kids to recently, which is a cross between a pet shop, petting zoo and café.
