Ko Hanamizu to Lead Japanese Law Firm Anderson Mori & Tomotsune’s New Office in Brussels

Ko Hanamizu to Lead Japanese Law Firm Anderson Mori & Tomotsune’s New Office in Brussels

It will begin operations early next year

One of the Big Four law firms in Japan Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (AMT) is set to open an office in Brussels, Belgium.

Led by corporate partner Ko Hanamizu, the head partner of the firm’s Singapore office since 2013, it will include M&A partner Ryoichi Kaneko.

Hanamizu has been with AMT since 2002 and his practice is focused on corporate matters including corporate and structured finance. He also advises on financial regulations, including the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law. He has been seconded to Mannheimer Swartling in Stockholm and legacy firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques in Sydney.

AMT seeks to broaden its ability to offer Japanese law advice to European companies and investors regarding investment projects in Japan, their alliance with Japanese companies, and entry into the Japanese market.

The branch is the Tokyo-based firm’s second in Europe. It launched an office in London last year, its second location outside Asia.

Apart from advising on legal issues relating to existing businesses and investments in Japan, the firm will deal with day-to-day corporate matters, labor issues, and disputes. It will leverage the close network of relationships established with various leading firms in Europe over the past decades.

In a note, the firm stated, “Brussels is the regulatory as well as political centre of the European Union and the place where the European Commission is seated. It is attracting leading law firms from not only Europe but also from across the world. With its superior access to major European cities, our Brussels office makes it possible for us to promptly provide practical and strategic Japanese law advice.”