History
Throughout periods of great change since the establishment of our predecessor firm in 1949, we have continuously expanded and enhanced our practice areas in order to provide clients with outstanding and comprehensive service, and we have always sought to have a positive impact on society at large.
1970s and earlier
1949
Mori Ryosaku Law Office
established in Tokyo
1971
Reorganized as Mori Sogo Law Offices
(Number of lawyers upon reorganization: 4)
1974
Chandler & Thong-ek
established in Bangkok
1975
Hamada & Matsumoto
established in Tokyo
(Number of lawyers upon establishment: 3)
1980s
Riding the tailwinds of globalization and Japan’s bubble economy, lawyers at Mori Sogo increasingly specialized in corporate law, intellectual property, litigation and bankruptcy, while the firm expanded its practice into newer fields, such as M&A, and its cases became more international in focus. During the same period, Hamada & Matsumoto, as a leading firm in the field of finance in Japan, was the first Japanese firm to open an overseas office and went on to expand its legal practice by engaging in bankruptcy cases, among other matters.
1981
Matsuda Masayuki Law and Patent Office established in Tokyo
(reorganized as Max Law Offices in 1991)
1987
Hamada & Matsumoto
opened office in London
(closed in 1994)
1990s
The bursting of Japan’s bubble economy and subsequent financial crisis plunged the Japanese economy into turmoil. With companies in Japan facing a barrage of legal issues as a result, the number of matters for corporate clients handled by both Mori Sogo and Hamada & Matsumoto increased rapidly, and the scope of work became more specialized and complex.
1998 (Apr)
Mori Sogo opened office in Beijing
2000s
Amidst the Japanese government’s promotion of financial system and economic structural reforms, known at the time as “structural reforms with no sacred cows,” Mori Sogo and Hamada & Matsumoto merged to form Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, and with the subsequent addition of Max Law Offices, the firm became a ful service office boasting the knowledge and resources required to meet the wide-ranging needs of our corporate clients. During this period, we also began to second our lawyers to government ministries in Japan, such as the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Financial Services Agency, broadening the potential for the firm to make policy recommendations and provide support in relation to legislation and the operation of legal systems.
2002 (Dec)
Mori Sogo and Hamada & Matsumoto merged to become Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
2005 (Jan)
Shanghai office opened
2005 (Jul)
Merger with Max Law Offices
2010s
The Great East Japan Earthquake struck in March 2011 and triggered great turbulence and instability in the Japanese economy. Subsequently, the “Abenomics” economic policy, designed to revive the Japanese economy, led to bold monetary easing, flexible fiscal policy, and corporate governance reform. During this period, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto set its sights on becoming Asia’s number one regional law firm, and in addition to integrating the practice of Chandler & Thong-ek, one of Thailand’s leading firms, we accelerated the opening of branch offices in Southeast Asian countries and established a series of branch offices in Japan to provide flexible support to companies doing business throughout the country.
2012 (Feb)
Singapore office opened
2013 (Sep)
Bangkok Desk established
2013 (Oct)
Fukuoka office opened
2014 (Apr)
Osaka office opened
Yangon office opened
2015 (Apr)
Bangkok office opened
2015 (Sep)
Nagoya office opened
2016 (Jan)
Jakarta Desk established
2017 (Jan)
Business integration with Chandler & Thong-ek
Bangkok office reorganized as Chandler MHM Limited
2018 (Aug)
Ho Chi Minh City office opened
2020s
Socioeconomic activities entered a period of global stagnation and decline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of this decade. Subsequently, an era of ultra-low interest rates came to an end in various countries, and the global economy entered a new phase. During this period, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto has continued to open offices around the world and across Japan, as well as to form alliances with local law firms overseas, and we have also expanded our network to North America.
2020 (Apr)
Takamatsu office opened
2020 (Sep)
Mori Hamada & Matsumoto Intellectual Property Co., Ltd. established in Beijing
2022 (Jan)
Hanoi office opened
2023 (Jan)
Jakarta office* opened
(*Member firm)
2023 (Sep)
New York office opened
2023 (Oct)
Sapporo office opened
2024 (Jan)
Strategic relationship established with Tayag Ngochua & Chu in the Philippines
2024 (Aug)
Yokohama office opened
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