Riding the Pacific Wave

Published: Monday, 31 August 2009

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Davis was recognized in the September 2009 issue of Canadian Lawyer Magazine. The article showcases Canadian law firms who have established roots in South Asia.

Davis' Anthony McArthur was quoted in the article and also featured in a full-page image standing outside of our office in Tokyo.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"With all eyes on China, it's easy to forget that across the East China Sea lies Japan, still the world's second-largest economy. Japan is an important trading partner for Canada: it represents the third-largest market for Canadian goods exports ($9.2 billion in 2007). "As the number two economy in the world, Japan is still a major driver of the world's economy," says Anthony McArthur, managing partner of Davis LLP's Tokyo office. "In metropolitan Tokyo alone, there are 30 million people, roughly the population of Canada. The types of activities you see here - the size, the scale, the breadth - are huge."

Davis' Japan practice started after the Second World War, when the firm began acting for Japanese-Canadians forced from their homes and detained in internment camps from 1942 to 1949. The firm sued the federal government to recover their clients' confiscated property.

As Japan rebuilt its economy during the 1950s and '60s, Davis began representing major Japanese companies investing in Canada. Today, it has one of the nation's leading Japan practices, and is the only Canadian firm with an office in Japan.

Davis' inbound work overshadows its outbound transactions. "By far, a big part of our Japan practice is representing Japanese clients," says McArthur. "Here in Tokyo, we help our Japanese clients with their ongoing investments and operations in Canada. Some issues are dealt with locally in Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver, but we try to help on issues which reach their head offices." "

Read Riding the Pacific Wave, Canadian Lawyer Magazine, September 2009.