Major Japanese law firm Nishimura & Asahi has launched its first European presence with a duo of office openings in Germany.

The firm, which has expanded internationally in recent years, has opened offices in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf. The new bases will be co-led by corporate partner Noriya Ishikawa and foreign law partner Dominik Kruse.

The Frankfurt base will be the primary focus for the firm, while a branch office in Düsseldorf will supplement the offering. The Düsseldorf office is intended to advise the subsidiaries and affiliates of existing Japanese clients based in the city and surrounding region, according to a statement by Nishimura & Asahi. Practice areas will include cross-border transactions, data protection, real estate and dispute resolution.

It is the first of the main Japanese law firms to debut in Europe, with the other major players- Nagashima Ohno, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto and Anderson Mori & Tomotsune – not having established European bases.

The firm has expanded its global reach in recent years. It opened in Dubai in 2016, and New York two years later.

Last year, the firm merged with Thai firm SCL Law Group in Bangkok. Elsewhere in southeast Asia, Nishimura & Asahi has offices in VietnamMyanmar and Singapore, as well as an alliance in Indonesia with Walalangi & Partners.