Team size: Approximately 210 worldwide

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

Contributing to the management and business development of the company, as well as enhancing corporate value and protecting our business from risks, are always at the forefront of our priorities in the Mitsui Legal Unit. We also actively address management issues such as executing portfolio transformations, responding to economic security challenges, and strengthening corporate governance.

In the business sphere, under the global group legal system, we work closely with our business units and other corporate divisions to promote a wide variety of investments, financing projects, and product sales. In recent years, the projects we have undertaken—including large-scale overseas projects, M&A deals, acquisitions of listed companies, and tender offer bids—have become increasingly complex, requiring more nuanced analysis without sacrificing speed or efficiency in our response. Furthermore, the Legal Unit is expected to expand its role in dealing with emerging and cutting-edge areas of the global market, such as ESG and AI-based businesses. In addition, there are growing expectations from the company for the Legal Unit to take a leadership role in handling complex disputes, while also managing relationships with various stakeholders.

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

In the current business environment, the intensification of geopolitical risks due to multiple major international conflicts and confrontations between nations, as well as political developments such as elections in key countries, have increased global instability. Additionally, rapid technological advancements such as AI, and responses to climate change and geopolitical risks have also contributed to the acceleration of innovation across various fields. Accurately grasping these waves of change and proactively responding to them has become increasingly important in today’s world. Another critical perspective is identifying where to seek competitive advantage amid such changes. It is essential to constantly cultivate imagination—how to strengthen that advantage and what plans to follow if circumstances deviate from expectations—and that is precisely what we are doing.

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?

The rapidly changing business environment presents both risks and opportunities. It is important to recognise dynamic shifts before they grow into major waves and turn them into opportunities. Moreover, since unexpected changes in circumstances now occur more frequently than before, it is essential to respond to such changes swiftly and effectively by incorporating multiple options, risk mitigation measures, and even exit strategies. In particular, the ability to assess risks in new business models is where professionals are truly tested. Our company has accumulated know-how and experience through various businesses and transactions. How we apply these assets to new fields is part of what is often referred to as the utilisation of intangible assets. From the perspective of leveraging the innovations emerging from various environmental changes into competitive advantages, we are becoming increasingly conscious of initiatives such as the strategic use of intellectual property.

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?

We must closely monitor regulatory tightening and operational changes across countries and regions triggered by geopolitical risks and economic security concerns. Countries and regions may strengthen their regulations and operations through various means in order to enhance the protection of their own industries. Examples include investment restrictions, export controls, tariffs, foreign subsidy regulations, and enhanced due diligence requirements. These moves encourage careful preparation and consideration of investments, as well as a review and transparency into the state of the supply chain. Additionally, countries are accelerating protectionist policies for domestic industries and promoting independent technology development and innovation that minimises reliance on foreign entities, thereby transforming the conventional business environment. While viewing these changes as opportunities, we believe it is essential to professionally manage the associated risks and turn them into a source of strength for our entire corporate group.