Japanese law firm Nishimura & Asahi has announced plans to open two new Asian offices in Myanmar and Thailand.

The Tokyo-headquartered outfit, one of Japan's big four law firms, said its base in Yangon, Myanmar, the country's former capital, would open in May, whilst the Bangkok branch would launch in July.

The Myanmar office will be located in the centre of downtown Yangon, Kyauktada Township, and will be led by associate Yusuke Yukawa, who previously worked for Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in New York.

In Thailand, the firm has secured space in the district of Pathumwan, close by to the office of Japanese firm Miyake & Yamazaki, and will be headed by associate Hideshi Obara.

In a statement, the firm said the new offices were important in allowing it to provide a regional service to its clients.

"The opening of our office in Myanmar, which is attracting attention as a fast growing emerging market, and our office in Thailand, which many Japanese companies are making inroads into, is in line with our commitment to respond to our clients' needs and expand our network in Asia," said a spokesperson.

"Our overseas presence in Asia, in close cooperation with our offices in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, enables us to provide quality legal services to Japanese companies wherever they do business in the region."

Nishimura is among a long list of local Asian firms seeking to grow their presence around the region.

The 474-lawyer firm currently has seven offices, four of which are international, whilst it regularly sends its lawyers on secondment to India, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Its most recent openings include Singapore in January last year, and Beijing and Ho Chi Minh City in 2011.