Company History

The history of West Publishing Company dates back to 1872 when John B. West founded John B. West, Publisher & Bookseller in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1873, the company published The Syllabi, the first weekly law reports in the United States. Then, in response to requests from Wisconsin State lawyers, the company issued The North Western Reporter which contained law reports of Minnesota and Wisconsin courts. This series is now known as the National Reporter System and is the most authoritative collection of federal and state law reports in the United States, along with all official law reports published nationwide. The introduction of the Key Number System in 1908 allowed legal researchers to conduct searches quickly according to legal issues. This system became a powerful tool for legal researchers and a standard in the industry. In 1975, Westlaw®, an online database of cases and legislation, was released. In 1996, Thomson Corporation acquired West Publishing Company and launched Westlaw.com, an online legal research service.

On the other hand, the history of Shinippon-Hoki Publishing dates back to 1948. Zenjiro Kawai, who was a senior managing director of Kabushikigaisha Koubunsha, founded a new company to publish Shin Roudou Kankei Hourei Shuu (The New Collection of Labor-Related Laws and Regulations) upon request from the Ministry of Labor. Shin Roudou Kankei Hourei Shuu was published as the company’s first book in the same year. In 1951, Shinnippon-Hoki Publishing issued a comprehensive law report titled Shin Hanrei Taikei (The New Encyclopedia of Japanese Law Cases). In 1964, Genkou Jitsumu Roppou (Current Practical Compendium of Laws), the first loose-leaf Compendium of Laws was published and achieved remarkable circulation by meeting market needs. In 1988, the company issued 判例MASTER® (Hanrei Master), the first CD-ROM case research tool system in Japan. Hanrei Master has continued to be updated and issued for more than 15 years ever since and established its position as the most frequently used case database in the legal community. Furthermore, to respond to the waves of digitalization, in the year 2000, the company launched e-hoki.com, the most significant legal portal site in Japan. In 2001, MASTER Library®, an internet-based comprehensive database of cases and legislation, was released to address the needs of the broadband era.

Thomson Reuters and Shinnipon-Hoki Publishing have continued to pursue the needs of the times and the ideal way of providing legal information in Japan and the United States. As leaders of legal publishing and information services in their respective countries, the two companies jointly established Westlaw Japan K.K. in 2006 to provide the next-generation comprehensive online Japanese legal service by leveraging their knowhow and state-of-the-art information technology. Westlaw Japan K.K. inherits the DNA of Shinnippon-Hoki Publishing and Thomson West, who have walked hand in hand with the history of law in both countries.
And on November 1, 2023, Thomson Reuters (NYSE/TSX: TRI), announced that Thomson Reuters K.K. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire full ownership of the Westlaw Japan business that operated through Westlaw Japan K.K., a joint venture between Thomson Reuters and Shinnippon-Hoki Publishing Co., Ltd.’s.

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is one of the most trusted providers of news and information-based tools, helping professionals by bringing together industry-specific knowledge and innovative technology. The company’s worldwide network of journalists and experts provides the information needed to expand business globally with a focus on law and tax arenas.

On April 18, 2008, Thomson Corporation and Reuters formed Thomson Reuters, the world’s largest provider of intellectual information.