Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu and Nishimura & Asahi are set to fight it out for top honours at the Japanese legal fraternity’s night of nights – the ALB Japan Law Awards 2010.

The law firms will vie for the top place in up to 12 categories this year – including the highly sought-after Japanese Dealmaker and Japanese Deal Firm of the year awards. The finalists for the much anticipated Japan Deal of the Year will be announced on the night.

Japan’s international firms are also up for some of the evening's biggest awards – Davis Polk & Wardwell, Linklaters Tokyo, Paul, Weiss, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Sullivan & Cromwell will vie for the coveted Zensho Award for International Deal Firm of the Year.

Dominating the nominations for the Banking & Financial Services In-House Team of the Year are Mitsubishi UFJ Securities, Shinsei Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui; while the legal departments of Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and UBS will turn up to see who takes out the Mercedes Benz Japan Award for International Investment Bank In-House Team of the Year.

A full list of finalists can be found by clicking here. The awards gala will be held on 28 May 2010, Ritz Carlton Tokyo. It's not too late to reserve your tables - click here to be redirected to the bookings page.

Related stories:

• Last year's winners