Japan 2026
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Legal director and head of legal, Japan | Abbott Japan LLC
Director, member of the board, executive officer, group general counsel and chief risk management officer | Panasonic Holdings Corporation
Regional general counsel and chief compliance officer | AIG Japan Holdings KK
Managing executive officer, chiel legal and risk officer, managing director of compliance and information security division | Benesse Corporation
Managing director and head of Japan legal | Barclays Securities Japan Limited/Barclays Bank PLC
Chief legal officer, executive officer | Prudential Life Insurance Company
Country head of legal and compliance, Japan | Adecco Ltd.
General manager and head of legal and compliance | Sony Financial Group Inc.
General counsel, East Asia and managing director | Neuberger Berman East Asia Limited
Head of legal department, associate officer and deputy head of corporate administration division | The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
General manager, legal department (general manager, legal department, ENEOS Holdings, Inc. until 31 March 2026) | ENEOS Xplora Inc.
General counsel | MUFG Innovation Partners Co., Ltd.
Corporate executive officer, EVP and general counsel | Fujitsu Limited
Corporate officer, senior general manager of legal and compliance division | Park 24 Co., Ltd.
Chief compliance officer, general manager of legal division | AGC Inc.
General manager of the legal department | PERSOL HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
Senior VP, head of legal department and general counsel | NTT, Inc.
General counsel, Japan | The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
Corporate officer and country legal head Japan | Novartis Pharma K.K.
VP, executive officer and managing director of legal and intellectual property division | SEGA SAMMY Holdings Inc.
Executive officer, chief legal officer and general manager of legal department | Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.
VP, general counsel, Japan and corporate governance, global | Olympus Corporation
General manager of the legal department | Daito Entertainment, Inc.
Representative executive officer and general counsel | Unilever Japan Holdings G.K.
EVP, legal, intellectual property, risk management and compliance | Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Head of Japan legal, senior counsel | Uber Japan Co., Ltd.
Head of legal (formerly CLO at Mercari, Inc.) | MinebeaMitsumi Inc.
Deputy general manager, legal and compliance department | MARUBENI CORPORATION
General manager of general risk management department | Sojitz Corporation
Executive managing officer, general counsel and executive committee member | MITSUI & Co
Chief director of the legal division | Dentsu Corporate One Inc.
Director, executive officer and head of legal Japan | Societe Generale Securities Japan Limited
Corporate VP, general manager of legal division | FUJIFILM Holdings
Senior legal director - head of legal, MedTech (Japan & Southeast Asia) | Johnson & Johnson
Executive officer, general manager of the legal and risk management division | SoftBank Corporation
Director, portfolio management and legal | Eight Roads
SVP, legal, compliance, privacy, IP and external relations | Sony Group Corporation
Group legal and compliance director, Japan | LVMH Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton Japan G.K.
Legal director and AGC, Japan - litigation and regulatory | Amazon Japan
General counsel and chief compliance officer | Tokyo Electron Limited
Executive officer, general manager of corporate administration and legal division | Mitsui Chemicals Group
Executive officer, general manager, legal division | ITOCHU Corporation
Senior director, head of legal and facility management, Japan and Korea | Tapestry Japan
Legal group manager, legal and general affairs department | Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., Ltd.
Director, legal and compliance division | Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
Senior manager, legal general administration headquarters | Murata Machinery
I am honoured to announce the launch of Legal 500’s GC Powerlist: Japan 2026. The Powerlist recognises a stellar cohort of senior in-house counsel, leading innovation across the legal sector and beyond.
As the in-house role evolves to encompass more than the purely legal, GCs are increasingly called upon to act as more than advisors. Today’s modern in-house counsel must balance legal advice with commercial goals, risk with business priorities. As Yuko Kaneko, chief legal officer at Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd., notes: ‘legal expertise remains the foundation of the role, but it is no longer sufficient on its own’.
GCs must be able to present their advice in a way that aligns with the organisation’s objectives. In the current geopolitical, economic and technological environment, it is almost impossible to avoid risk entirely. The role of the GC is, therefore, not to minimise risk but to frame it in a way that delivers value to the company. ‘In-house counsel should be optimising legal risk by balancing the business circumstances and needs against the relevant legal risks’, explains Arshad Karim, head of legal, Japan at Abbott Japan LLC.
In-house counsel must be able to translate legal and risk-aware advice into tangible steps or outcomes for the organisation. ‘Rather than leading with legal complexity’, says Emi Takeda, general counsel, Japan at Accenture, ‘I explain the risks, options and implications in a way that supports informed decision‑making.’
‘At its core, in house counsel is about “knowing your audience”’, adds Matthew Crosby, head of legal for Japan at State Street.
Equally important in the delivery of legal services is artificial intelligence (AI). The world has moved well beyond the implementation stage; companies that are not leveraging AI now risk falling behind. ‘In-house legal teams should consider how such technologies can support routine processes and enhance internal workflows’, advises Hideo Suzuki, head, R&D legal Japan at Novartis Pharma K.K..
Encouragingly, AI is being used to enhance, rather than replace, human capabilities. As Hiroaki Tabata, VP, group legal and insurance at ANA Holdings Inc., notes, organisations must ‘intentionally redirect the time saved through efficiency to high-value tasks that only humans can perform.’
As always, ‘final judgment and accountability must remain with humans’, Yuichi Takano, general counsel at MITSUI ＆Co., LTD.’, reminds us. As AI continues to take over more routine tasks, in-house lawyers remain integral to progress and innovation within their organisation; GCs are freed up to lead their companies through periods of uncertainty and drive business growth.
Isabel Caine
Editor – corporate counsel
The official launch celebration for The GC Powerlist: Austria 2026 took place on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, at the prestigious BelEtage premises of corporate law firm CERHA HEMPEL, in Vienna. Representing the fifth consecutive year that the firm has supported the event as the exclusive Austrian partner to The Legal 500. The gathering welcomed the elite of the corporate legal sector to celebrate the country’s most influential and innovative in-house legal counsel in an elegant, celebratory atmosphere.
The ceremony commenced with an opening address by Margherita Birri, Research Editor at The Legal 500, followed by a warm welcome from CERHA HEMPEL Managing Partner Clemens Hasenauer. The official keynote address was then delivered by Martina Wachernig, Head of Legal at VERBUND, who focused on the evolving demands placed on modern corporate legal teams and emphasized that today’s general counsel must blend strict risk mitigation with proactive commercial agility.
Throughout the evening, narrative and debate centred on the strategic hurdles facing Austrian businesses, specifically regarding the adoption and ethical implementation of artificial intelligence inside corporate legal workflows. Corporate leaders also addressed the challenges of navigating strict EU competition law, data protection, and modern cybersecurity protocols, whilst simultaneously driving compliance forward within expanding environmental, social, and governance frameworks. Attendees gathered for a lively evening reception featuring drinks and canapés, allowing the newly recognised honourees from the energy, financial services, tech, and manufacturing sectors to connect, benchmark, and celebrate their collective achievements.
Ultimately, the 2026 edition successfully cemented the vital importance of the in-house community to the Austrian economy, proving that after five years of continuous collaboration between The Legal 500 and CERHA HEMPEL, the event remains the premier national benchmark for legal excellence.
