is the largest law firm

Law firm

A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...

 in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 and one of the "Big Four

Big Four law firms (Japan)

or is a term informally used in Japan to refer to those firms which, collectively, are perceived to be the largest firms headquartered in Japan and distinguished in comparison to their other competitors...

" law firms in Japan.

The firm was "founded" in 2007 by the acquisition of the Kokusai Bumon　(International Division) of Asahi Law Offices (Former Asahi Koma Law Offices, itself a merger of the Masuda & Ejiri and Komatsu Koma law firms) by Nishimura & Partners (one of the "Big Four" and founded in 1966. Formar Nishimura & Sanada.).

The firm is a member of the international legal networks Lex Mundi

Lex Mundi

Lex Mundi is a professional services network. It is the largest law firm networks. The network was established in 1989. As of 2011 it had 160 member firms which have 21,100 attorneys...

 and Pacific Rim Advisory Council

Pacific Rim Advisory Council

The Pacific Rim Advisory Council is an international law firm association with a unique strategic alliance within the global legal community providing for the exchange of professional information among its 30 top tier independent member law firms....

.

The office is in Ark Hills

Ark Hills

is a major office development by Mori Building in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Completed in 1986, the complex includes the ANA InterContinental Tokyo Hotel, the ARK Mori Building , the world-class Suntory Hall concert hall, a TV studio and several apartment buildings...

 in Akasaka

Akasaka, Tokyo

is a residential and commercial district of Minato, Tokyo, located west of the government center in Nagatachō and north of the Roppongi nightlife district....

, Minato, Tokyo

Minato, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...

.

In 2008, at the 2008 ALB Japan Law Award, Nishimura & Asahi was crowned:

• Firm of the Year - Insolvency Law Firm of the Year
• Deal of the Year - Debt Market Deal of the Year
• Deal of the Year - M&A Deal of the Year
• Deal of the Year - Japan Deal of the Year