Japan’s largest law firm, Nishimura & Asahi, has expanded its M&A capabilities in Thailand with the addition of Christopher Osborne, who previously led UK firm Watson Farley & Williams’ Thai corporate practice.

Osborne joins Nishimura’s Thai firm, SCL Nishimura & Asahi, as a partner in Bangkok. He has been based in Thailand since 2001, with stints at Herbert Smith Freehills, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and DLA Piper before moving to WFW.

He advises on cross-border deals with a focus on renewable energy, manufacturing, TMT and logistics sectors.

SCL Nishimura now has 13 partners in its Bangkok office. It was established following a merger in 2019 between Nishimura, which had a presence in Thailand since 2013, and local law firm SCL Law Group.

Osborne’s departure means WFW now has five partners in Bangkok.