In 1977, Milbank became the first U.S. law firm to establish an office in Tokyo under its own name, amid opposition from both the Ministry of Justice and Japan Federation of Bar Associations, who viewed it as illegal for foreign lawyers to practice in Japan at that time. Despite these protests, Milbank's office remained open through the early 1980s and was the only office of an American law firm in Japan during that time. Restrictions on foreign law firms in Japan were eased with the introduction of the attorney at foreign law system in 1987.