Leading Japanese law firm Nishimura & Asahi has agreed to acquire SCL Group, one of Thailand’s leading local firms. The deal will create one of Thailand’s largest Japanese law firms, as well as one of the largest, well-resourced and most diverse international business law practices in Southeast Asia.

“Exciting” market

Following the acquisition, the new firm will operate under the name SCL Nishimura, starting from October 2019, and will comprise of over 100 lawyers and professional staff providing top-quality legal and business-advisory services. Nishimura & Asahi first opened its Bangkok office in 2013, under the name Nishimura & Asahi (Thailand) Co Ltd. Following the acquisition, SCL Nishimura will have a significantly larger support structure, thereby establishing a stronger presence in the Thai legal market and meeting the growing and varied demands for legal services throughout the Southeast Asia region. Nishimura & Asahi managing partner Masaki Hosaka said “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 favored destinations for FDI. As a result, we see strong and continuing growth and returns on investment for our clients and for our firm in the region.” Mr Hosaka added, “The integration of SCL’s top-class lawyers and operations across Thailand with our existing offices underlines our commitment to our Japanese clients, and to our international clients who are taking advantage of increasing opportunities to invest in the region. Our goals for this transformative integration include providing seamless support, a closer and more convenient presence and a coordinating point for our large number of Japanese and multinational clients as they do business in Thailand.”

None “better placed”

Founded in 2005, full-service commercial law firm SCL (formerly the Chavalit Law Group) has been a law firm of choice for local, regional, national and international business clients requiring world-class legal services in Thailand. SCL comprises of companies with diverse legal and business-advisory specializations, with operations throughout Thailand. Chavalit Uttasart, managing partner of SCL, explained “As 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."