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

We have been involved in planning and promoting initiatives toward privacy governance for our Group, and planning and promoting initiatives related to business and human rights for our Group.

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

We establish reporting processes in advance, but during periods of instability or crisis, we adapt our communication and responses flexibly to the situation.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

I was seconded to the department responsible for FA (Financial Advisory) operations related to M&A transactions at a securities company. This allowed me to be involved in evaluating M&A cases from a Financial Advisor’s perspective and gain valuable insights into their approach and thinking.

Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on that you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful of?

I have been focusing on the rapid advancement in the use of AI. Our group operates human resources business that handles a large amount of personal data and provides services related to employment and working to the users of our services. Therefore, I am paying close attention to trends in AI adoption by businesses across various sectors and associated legal regulations concerning topics like “AI and Privacy” and “AI and Human Rights.”