- Middle East
- Offices
- Dubai
Nishimura & Asahi, Japan's largest law firm by lawyer headcount, will open a full office in Dubai in January 2027. It is the third overseas expansion announced by a Japanese firm in a week, according to Law.com International.
The office will replace the representative presence the firm established in October 2016. Nishimura was the first of Japan's Big Four to open in Dubai, where it supported its Middle East and Africa practice groups, the firm's own records show.
Mori Hamada and Miura & Partners made overseas moves in the same week
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto announced three new offices, in Dallas, Houston and Kyoto, all for 2027, Law.com International reported. The firm is opening its first European office in London in 2026, Law.asia reported, after opening in the United States with a New York office in 2023.
Miura & Partners opened in Plano, Texas, its third US base after San Francisco in April 2023 and Seattle in February 2025. It also confirmed plans for Hong Kong and an Okinawa office in January 2027, according to Law.asia.
The expansion extends beyond these three firms. Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu began operating in London on 11 August 2025, Legal 500 reported. Anderson Mori & Tomotsune opened in Paris, its third European base after London in 2022 and Brussels in 2024, the Global Legal Post reported. Nishimura entered Germany in 2020 and added Brussels and London in 2024, Bloomberg Law reported.
Japan-Gulf capital flows and DIFC filings up 25% in the first half of 2026
Japanese companies were the second-most active Asia-Pacific bidders in Europe in 2024, with 240 deals worth $10.9 billion, Bloomberg Law reported. The data suggests firms are following client deal flow offshore.
Gulf sovereign wealth funds including ADIA and Mubadala announced roughly $6.2 billion of commitments in 2026 across data centres, semiconductors and infrastructure, S&P Global Market Intelligence reported. JETRO and Japan Exchange Group co-hosted a Japan-Gulf investment forum in Dubai on 14 January, per JETRO.
The DIFC filing data points to rising legal demand as capital moves in. DIFC Courts filed 810 new cases in the first half of 2026, up 25% year on year. Cases in the Arbitration Division rose 61%, Zawya reported. The DIFC registered 775 new companies in the first quarter, a 62% increase from the previous year, according to KXLG.
Nishimura leads Japanese arbitration as Kirkland and Mishcon enter the Gulf
Nishimura is the leading Japanese firm for international arbitration, with nearly 40 years of work under ICC, SIAC, HKIAC and JCAA rules, per Global Arbitration Review. That arbitration growth is the market context most relevant to a Japanese firm known for the practice. The firm's Dubai presence has been anchored by resident partner Masao Morishita, described there as the only long-term resident attorney in the Middle East at a Japanese firm.
The Gulf legal market is already contested. Kirkland & Ellis established in ADGM in April 2026, and Mishcon de Reya opened in Dubai World Trade Centre in June 2026, AGBI reported. Japanese firms typically start with one or two Japanese lawyers and grow to 10 to 15 lawyers, including local hires, over two to three years. They usually cooperate with established Western firms rather than compete head-on, Bloomberg Law reported.
The three announcements in a week follow the same pattern: offices located along Japanese corporate deal flow and Gulf capital, built gradually around disputes, M&A and energy work. Nearly half of Japanese firms already in Europe plan to expand further within two years, Bloomberg Law reported. The Dubai office is part of that continuing expansion across multiple markets, rather than a one-off decision.
