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National law firm Johnson Winter Slattery has entered an alliance with TMI Associates, one of the biggest law firms in Japan.
Johnson Winter Slattery (JWS) has entered an alliance with TMI Associates, which currently has 632 attorneys and 101 patent/trademark attorneys among its 1,232 total personnel. It is one of the five biggest law firms in the Japanese market.
TMI has overseas branches, local desks, and affiliate offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Yangon, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Silicon Valley, São Paulo, Mexico City, London, Paris, Brussels, Nairobi, and Sydney.
In a statement, JWS said that the alliance strengthens the firm’s “deep connection” with Japan, as well as its commitment to providing exceptional legal service to Japanese corporates and funds doing business in Australia and to Australian companies seeking opportunities in Japan.
In conversation with Lawyers Weekly, JWS managing partner Jeremy Davis said the alliance is not a merger but will see the two BigLaw firms work closely together and refer work to each other to service the needs of each other’s clients.
This will be particularly so, he said, in the energy and resources, consumer, defence, tech and real estate sectors.
“The two firms offer a deep bench in both the Australian and Japanese market,” Davis said.
“The relationship enables us to offer our clients outstanding service and a gateway between Australia and Japan.”
The alliance is now in effect, and it will see TMI partner and attorney-of-law Masayuki Nagai seconded to JWS’ office in Sydney.
When asked what the alliance will mean for Australia-based JWS clients looking to do business across the Asia-Pacific region, Davis said the two firms will be able to service their needs on the ground in Australia or through appropriate specialists in Japan.
JWS currently comprises over 450 people, including more than 80 partners, across Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Brisbane, and Perth.
The news follows Australian reputational risk law firm Giles George entering into a strategic alliance in April 2024 with leading defamation practices from the United Kingdom and the United States, respectively: Schillings, which represented the Duchess of Sussex, and Clare Locke, which represented Dominion against Fox News.
It also follows the combinations that global firm Dentons has entered into in the past two years, with Link Legal in India and Philippine firm PJS Law.
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Jerome Doraisamy is the managing editor of Lawyers Weekly and HR Leader. He is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in New South Wales, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
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Jerome Doraisamy
