TMI Associates Expands European Presence with New Brussels Office

TMI Associates Expands European Presence with New Brussels Office

TMI Associates, one of Japan’s largest law firms, has expanded its European footprint with the launch of a new office in Brussels. This new branch will guide Japanese companies through complex EU regulations, covering areas such as Competition, Data Protection, Artificial Intelligence, and Cybersecurity laws.

The Brussels office marks TMI’s third location in Europe, following the establishment of its Paris office last year and its initial European presence in London, opened in 2018. With this expansion, TMI aims to leverage its international network to offer Japanese clients robust support in regulatory compliance across the EU. "Utilising TMI’s international network built to date, the newly established Brussels office will provide legal support to Japanese companies in Compliance matters and EU authority dealings," the firm stated.

Leading the Brussels team is Partner Mizuki Koshimoto, qualified in Japan and New York State, who brings deep expertise in Energy, Cross-Border Transactions, Renewable Energy, and Carbon Credits. Koshimoto’s role will also focus on advising clients in ESG-related matters within the EU. He will work closely with Akihiro Kudo, a London-based Partner and former Ashurst lawyer with a specialization in EU Competition Law, who will support the Brussels office on regulatory and Compliance issues.

In addition to supporting Japanese clients in Europe, the Brussels office will assist European companies looking to enter the Japanese market, particularly in sectors such as Energy, Environment, and ESG. Recently, TMI also brought on board Colin Passmore, the former

Senior Partner of Simmons & Simmons, as a Special Adviser. Passmore, who left Simmons & Simmons in September after nearly 40 years with the firm, brings a wealth of experience in Commercial Litigation, Finance Disputes, and Professional Indemnity Claims. In his role with TMI, Passmore will focus on advising the firm on its growth and strategic development in Europe and Africa.

TMI’s longstanding alliance with Simmons & Simmons began in 2001 as a Qualified Joint Venture and was formalized as a Foreign Law Joint Enterprise in 2005, covering various practice areas with a focus on Finance, Antitrust, and Mergers and Acquisitions.