Agenda

8.15am – 9.00am Registration 

9.00am – 9.15am Opening Remarks

• • Joe Boswell, global editor, GC Powerlist Series, Legal 500
  • Sayo Takizawa, managing director, Legal and compliance group, Blackstone

9.20am – 10.20am Managing International Arbitration Cost Effectively

Japanese corporations are increasingly active in cross-border trade and investment, making efficient dispute resolution an essential consideration. This panel will explore practical strategies for cost-effective arbitration, from early case assessment and innovative fee structures to the use of technology, legal process outsourcing, and effective tribunal selection. Speakers will share insights tailored to Japanese in-house counsel, highlighting how global best practices can be adapted to Japan’s corporate environment and how businesses can balance cost, risk, and quality in international disputes.

• • Mihoko Kawamizu, head of legal & compliance, Philips Japan
  • Kengo Nishigaki, representative partner, GI&T Law Office
  • Joel Greer, counsel, GI&T Law Office
  • Patrick Forman, counsel, GI&T Law Office
  • Yuji Yamamoto, senior associate, GI&T Law Office

10.25am – 11.25am International Law in Practice: Why Global Companies Can’t Afford to Ignore It

As international law becomes a more mature and powerful discipline, it increasingly shapes business strategy. For example, global companies face new risks and obligations arising from treaties including international conventions on trade, environment, and territorial boundaries. They also benefit from multiple rights and remedies such as those provided by international investment treaties. This panel explores how these developments affect cross-border projects, investment decisions, and compliance, equipping GCs with insights to anticipate and manage emerging challenges as well as to take advantage of opportunities that only those with some knowledge of international law can identify.

• • Peter Harris, partner, Clifford Chance
  • Masako Takahata, general counsel, Exponential Design
  • Joe Boswell, global editor, GC Powerlist series, Legal 500
  • John Ribeiro, international arbitration lawyer, Inpex

11.25am – 11.55am Coffee Break

12.00pm – 12.50pm Transforming Japan’s Legal Market: Perspectives from Corporate Counsel

Japan’s legal market is undergoing significant change. Traditional hourly billing models are giving way to demands for greater transparency, while generative AI and legaltech are reshaping service delivery. Independent lawyers and alternative providers are challenging the dominance of large firms, which in turn are launching their own innovation ventures. In this session, leading corporate counsel in Japan will share their perspectives on these shifts—how they are adapting their engagement with external advisors, what they expect from law firms in a changing market, and what the future of legal services in Japan might look like.

• • Joe Boswell, global editor, GC Powerlist Series Legal 500
  • Fumika Ito, senior counsel, Broadcom
  • Wise Wang, legal lead for Japan & Korea, X
  • Satomi Tanaka, counsel, IBM
  • Nobumasa Hiroi, global chief legal officer, Mujin

12.50pm – 1.50pm Lunch Break

1.50pm – 2.50pm Talent Strategy for Legal Departments

Speakers will share first-hand experiences of inheriting departments, reshaping them to meet new business demands, and overcoming challenges in recruitment and retention. The discussion will highlight lessons learned, key accomplishments, and evolving approaches to securing and nurturing top legal talent in Japan’s competitive market. Attendees will gain practical insights into building resilient, high-performing teams and developing long-term talent strategies for a changing corporate environment.

• • Hiroshi Kurosaka, managing director, Just Legal
  • Hiroaki Inuyama, chief legal officer, Proterial
  • Nat Ishida, managing director legal and IP division & group privacy officer,  Sega Sammy Holdings
  • Hideyuki Sakamoto, chief legal officer, executive officer, Prudential Life Insurance
  • Yutaka Nakamura, vice president, chief legal officer, Asurion Japan Holdings