We believe that working closely with our clients is a central factor in resolving their issues and achieving success for our clients.
For each case, we assess the nature of the situation and the client's needs so that our understanding is accurate and complete. We can therefore offer each client the most appropriate solutions to obtain the best results. This is enhanced and supported by our commitment to building strong mutual trust with our clients and maintaining open lines of communication.
We believe that without such trust and support from our clients, even the most advanced legal strategy or innovative approach will be ineffective. Therefore, we always work together with our clients to seek solutions and to take appropriate action.
The globalization trend has been accompanied by a growing demand for multi-tiered legal services that extend across national boundaries,
languages, and legal systems.
In 1995, TMI established a qualified joint venture ("tokutei kyodo jigyo") with the French law firm Gide Loyrette Nouel, and in 1999, this joint venture was succeeded by a qualified joint venture with the Laurent Dubois Foreign Law Office which continued until March 2007.
In 1998, TMI opened an overseas office in Shanghai.
TMI also established qualified joint ventures with the major international law firms Simmons & Simmons in 2001, Morgan-Lewis & Bockius in 2005, Wakely Foreign Law Office in 2006, ARQIS Foreign Law
Office in 2009, and Ali Al-Kahtani Law Firm in 2011. Through these equal partnerships with leading foreign law firms, we have succeeded in developing a global network that responds to the international needs of our clients.
The collection, organization, and sharing of information is integral to building and maintaining our legal expertise. TMI has increased its knowledge and capability by creating a tailored document management system and a shared database containing all our members' know-how.
Also, by accessing major worldwide databases that allows us to conduct legal research across many jurisdictions, we continually seek more knowledge and information. In addition, we are constantly updating our precedent research system and our library resources which cover general and specialized books, journals, and videos.
Our information system and experience have assisted us in creating new precedents and in developing new legal solutions for our clients.
At TMI, our lawyers and patent attorneys work together as a team which also includes experienced judicial scriveners, administrative scriveners, paralegals, translators, secretaries, editors, and other support staff. Team members with different areas of expertise and experience cooperate with each other to find optimal solutions, enabling TMI to meet each client's specific needs. Open, effective communication among our team members is paramount to our success as it facilitates prompt access to and the accumulation of relevant information, skills, and know-how, which all contribute to providing the best available outcome to our clients.
This is evident in the teamwork among our lawyers, patent attorneys, and support staff. Our efforts and commitment to delivering the highest quality global legal services are apparent in our equal partnerships and in our close relations with our clients.
We offer excellent services to both our Japanese and international clients through our high awareness and integration of the latest international legal trends and our ability to handle complex cases.
In recent years, many Japanese law firms have rapidly grown in size to provide more extensive legal services. We have also expanded while still maintaining our belief that effective teamwork is the key to maximizing the collective strengths, talents, and potential of all individual members at TMI. A sense of unity based on mutual trust, a common philosophy and shared values, as well as the development and growth of collective know-how and experience among our team members are all fundamental to us for TMI to provide our incomparable services that meet our clients' needs.