Japanese firm hit by Freshfields raid

Japan’s Asahi Koma Law Office has lost its second corporate partner in just three months, this time to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Nobuo Nakata yesterday (February 2) moved to Tokyo-based joint venture Freshfields Law Office. In November, Asahi Koma lost corporate partner Satoshi Karashima to Latham & Watkins.

Nakata will be joining Freshfields other new recruit Akihito Katayma from Atsumi & Partners. Both partners’ appointments mean Freshfields now has five bengoshi partners, including local managing partner Naoki Kinami, who is joint US-Japanese qualified.