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. The Big Four firms are:
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Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune
is one of the " Big Four" law firms in Japan.
The firm was founded in July 8, 1952 as O'Gorman, Nattier & Anderson after its three initial partners who were all American attorneys. The firm merged with Shenoh & Mōri in 1961 to form Anderson, Na ...
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Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
is a law firm in Japan.
The firm was founded in 2002 by the merger of Mori Sogo Law Offices and Hamada & Matsumoto. Mori Sogo Law Offices was founded in 1949. It opened offices in Singapore and Yangon.
Offices
Mori Hamada's main office is in th ...
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Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
is one of the " Big Four" law firms in Japan.
It was founded in 2000 upon the merger of Nagashima & Ohno with Tsunematsu Yanase & Sekine. Nagashima & Ohno was founded in 1961 and was considered to be one of the "Big Four" prior to the merger. Tsu ...
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Nishimura & Asahi
is the largest of the " Big Four" law firms in Japan, as of January 2024, by number of lawyers. History
The firm's current form was established in 2007 by the acquisition of the Kokusai Bumon (International Division) of Asahi Law Offices (the fo ...
Nowadays, the term "Big Five" is also being used to include the fifth-largest firm in Japan,
TMI Associates
is one of the five largest law firms in Japan.
The firm was founded in 1990 by ten intellectual property specialists who left the law firm of Nishimura & Partners. It grew quickly in ensuing years, with 33 attorneys as of 1998 and more than 600 ...
.
These are leading law firms in Japanese business law practices and considered to be the top tier.
"International firm"
In Japanese, the term is used to refer to the Big Four firms and other Japanese law firms that specialize in international business matters. During the years immediately following
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, several American lawyers established such firms in Japan (e.g. Anderson Mori). Japanese lawyers with international training began establishing international firms in the 1960s, and since regulatory changes in the 1990s, many Japanese lawyers have joined or partnered with Tokyo offices of major multinational law firms.
Other Japanese firms historically grouped in the "international firm" category include:
* Mitsui, Yasuda, Wani & Maeda (dissolved in 2004, with a number of lawyers joining the Tokyo office of
Linklaters
Linklaters LLP is a multinational law firm, headquartered in London, England. Founded in 1838, it is a member of the "Magic Circle" of elite London-headquartered law firms. It currently employs over 5,000 lawyers across 31 offices in 21 count ...
)
* Tokyo Aoyama Law Offices and Aoki Law Offices (merged in 2001 to form the Japanese arm of
Baker & McKenzie
Baker McKenzie is an international law firm located in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1949, originally named Baker & McKenzie. It now has 77 offices in 46 countries. It employs 4,809 attorneys total, and approximately 13,000 employees tot ...
)
See also
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White shoe firm
A white-shoe firm is an American term used to describe prestigious professional services firms that have traditionally been associated with the upper-class elite who graduated from Ivy League colleges. The term is most often used to describe leadi ...
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Magic circle law firms
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Red circle law firms
References
{{reflist
Law firms of Japan