Thomson Reuters, a global content and technology company, announced that Thomson Reuters K.K. (“Thomson Reuters Japan”) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire full ownership of the Westlaw Japan business (the “Proposed Transaction”) that currently operates through Westlaw Japan K.K., a joint venture between Thomson Reuters and Shinnippon-Hoki Publishing Co., Ltd.’s (“Shin Nippon”).
Westlaw Japan K.K. was formed in 2006 by combining Thomson Reuters’ state-of-the-art technology with Shin Nippon’s legislation and case content. The organization, operating as Westlaw Japan, is a leading provider of legal information services in Japan through its namesake solution, the largest case database in Japan which covers more than 310,000 cases.
Closing of the Proposed Transaction is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2023. Following the closing of the Proposed Transaction, Shin Nippon will no longer retain ownership of the Westlaw Japan business and the Westlaw Japan business will become part of Thomson Reuters Japan, led by Young Sun Bang, President and Representative Director.
Following the closing of the Proposed Transaction, Shin Nippon will remain an important key partner after Thomson Reuters assumes full ownership of the Westlaw Japan business. Shin Nippon will continue its business partnership with Thomson Reuters and will be a strategic partner providing content to and selling Westlaw Japan.
“Westlaw Japan owes its success to the unwavering commitment and partnership from Shin Nippon. We look forward to ushering in a new era of continued support for Japan’s legal professionals,” said Young Sun Bang, President and Representative Director of Thomson Reuters Japan. “Westlaw Japan’s integration into Thomson Reuters Japan supports our strategy to provide Japanese legal professionals with cutting-edge content technology at scale and pace.”
“We look forward to continued partnership with Thomson Reuters Japan to provide Westlaw Japan users access to the country’s largest case database,” stated Kenichiro Hoshi, Representative Director of Shin Nippon. “We are excited for Thomson Reuters Japan’s plans for Westlaw Japan, which will extend its reputation as an indispensable resource for the legal community.”
Thomson Reuters’ presence in Japan dates to 1872, when the Reuters News Agency established its first office in the region, later followed by the founding of Thomson Corporate Japan Limited in 1989. Today, Thomson Reuters Japan offers its customers market-leading legal, tax and accounting, compliance and risk, and global trade information technology solutions.