What are the most significant cases, projects or transactions that you and your legal team have recently been involved in?

In a major alliance case, when a dispute arose over the interpretation of the partnership agreement, the legal team appropriately led the resolution by coordinating internal interests and negotiating with the counterpart, with support from external lawyers. During this process, I realised the importance of selecting the right external counsel and building a strong relationship with them. Furthermore, my team played a key role in consolidating the opinions of internal stakeholders and guiding the decision-making process of top management. The crucial factor was whether legal team had successfully built trust within the organization.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience? 

I believe that the legal department should not function merely as an internal law firm. It is essential to lower the barriers and be a presence that stays close to the business front lines, consistently earning the trust of internal stakeholders. That, I believe, is the true value of in-house counsel within a company.　I believe that this approach remains effective even when the organization faces periods of instability or crisis.

Given the current geopolitical shifts and growing uncertainties around international free trade, has your company’s risk profile evolved, and are you taking measures to address these challenges? 

As a company engaged in the pharmaceutical business, we believe it is our mission to deliver quality drug products to people in every country around the world. While each country has its own pharmaceutical regulations, there is a growing trend toward harmonization, such as simultaneous new drug applications in major markets. However, the cross-border movement of NDA filing data, which often includes personal information, presents unavoidable challenges. This has prompted a reassessment of global strategies from a legal perspective. The legal department is now actively involved in discussions related to product development and supply chain to address these issues.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about? Why is this?  

Animal rescue work focused on cats.  I believe there is no need for explanation.