Japanese finance firm Atsumi & Partners' crusade to exploit the lifting of restrictions on foreign lawyers forging local partnerships with bengoshi continued this month with the hiring of its first UK partner.

Private equity, M&A and general corporate lawyer Daniel Hounslow, who until recently was up for partner at Clifford Chance, joined A&P in early November.

"I am looking forward to this exciting opportunity," Hounslow told ALB. "As an integrated partnership with the strength and depth of a highly respected Japanese practice, and experienced foreign partners and other lawyers trained in major international law firms, we will be in a unique position to serve both domestic and international clients in the Japanese market."

Hounslow's appointment is the next step in a carefully planned recruitment strategy that began in April 2005 with the appointment of Bonnie Dixon as the first non-Japanese partner of a Japanese law firm.

"[Hounslow] decided that this is the more logical career track for him as a partner," said Dixon. "It was always our intention to expand our foreign lawyers to include several foreign partners and eventually up to 20 or 25 foreign associates. We are moving in that direction by diversifying to include a UK partner as well as our existing New York partner."

The first of the foreign associates to be put on partner track at the Japanese firm was the former London-based Mitsubishi Securities in-house swaps and derivatives lawyer Nicola Lawson, in January this year. She was recently joined by US attorney John Shanahan from the Tokyo office of US firm Squire Sanders.

The Japanese Diet passed the regulations lifting restrictions on foreign lawyers forging local partnerships with bengoshi back in July 2003.