Team size: approx. 450

What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past twelve months?

Over the past twelve months, I have been involved, as general counsel, in several strategically important projects supporting Fujitsu’s transformation into an AI-driven enterprise. Two initiatives were particularly significant: the expansion of Fujitsu’s strategic partnership with NVIDIA and the acquisition of BrainPad Inc.

The expansion of our collaboration with NVIDIA, announced in October 2025, aims to jointly develop AI agent platforms for industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and robotics, together with an advanced AI computing infrastructure integrating Fujitsu CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs. The broader business impact of this initiative is the creation of a full-stack AI platform capable of autonomous and continuous evolution, strengthening Fujitsu’s ability to address complex societal and industrial challenges through AI.

My role in this project was to translate the strategic vision of both companies’ leadership into practical and balanced contractual arrangements that could be executed effectively by business and engineering teams. While the collaboration remains at an early stage, a solid legal and governance foundation has been established, and I continue to support the social implementation of its outcomes.

The second major project was the acquisition of BrainPad Inc., announced in October and completed in March, resulting in BrainPad becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu. This acquisition reinforces the core of Fujitsu’s Data & AI business by combining BrainPad’s advanced data science expertise with Fujitsu’s scale and offerings, including “Uvance.” My involvement covered the full transaction lifecycle, from structuring and regulatory compliance to post-acquisition integration, ensuring that the transaction supported long-term value creation.

Please describe a situation where your advice had a significant impact on business outcomes or objectives.

The BrainPad acquisition is a clear example where my advice had a material impact on business outcomes. Beyond ensuring a successful tender offer, my primary focus was on designing a post-acquisition framework that would allow Fujitsu to fully leverage BrainPad’s long-term value.

This required balancing speed and certainty of execution with flexibility for integration, talent retention and effective governance. My advice shaped the business integration agreement, post-acquisition governance design and procedures and disclosures specific to acquiring a listed company. I also advised on stakeholder communications and internal controls to ensure transparency and regulatory compliance.

As a result, Fujitsu not only completed the acquisition as planned, but also established a foundation that enabled business teams to move quickly toward collaboration and value creation, while maintaining trust with stakeholders.

What are the key trends that in-house counsel should be monitoring over the coming months?

A key challenge is geopolitical volatility and the resulting complexity of the global risk environment. For in-house lawyers, this requires a more integrated view of legal, commercial and operational risk where fragmentation and regulatory divergence are reshaping how businesses operate.

Shifts in international trade and technology governance are a central focus, as jurisdictions take increasingly distinct approaches to data, digital services and emerging technologies. This creates a more fragmented landscape, requiring legal teams to balance compliance with commercial agility.

At the same time, AI is transforming the risk environment, creating opportunity, but also accelerating cyber threats and introducing new regulatory and ethical considerations. In-house lawyers therefore play a key role in guiding responsible adoption while managing emerging risks.

Taken together, these trends position in-house lawyers as strategic partners. Success increasingly depends on the ability to share insight rapidly across global legal teams, enabling early identification of trends and coordinated responses to fast-moving issues across time zones.

What are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

The role of in-house lawyers is evolving rapidly. As AI and legal technology increasingly undertake routine tasks, lawyers have a greater opportunity to focus on strategic advice, complex judgment and supporting the business through change.

In this environment, technical expertise remains essential, but it is no longer sufficient on its own. Modern in-house lawyers must demonstrate curiosity to engage with new technologies and business areas, adaptability to respond to constant change and proactivity to anticipate risks and opportunities. Empathy and resilience are equally important, enabling strong stakeholder relationships and consistent performance in high-pressure situations.

At Fujitsu, these attributes are embedded through a global competency framework that integrates both technical and behavioural capabilities, supporting the development of lawyers who can operate effectively in a digitally enabled, globally connected environment.

AI remains at the forefront of conversations about the future. How can in-house counsel ensure the successful integration of legal tech, while maintaining the human element?

At Fujitsu Legal, we focus on AI augmentation, not automation. AI should enhance the capabilities of legal teams — freeing capacity from routine tasks — while enabling lawyers to focus on strategic judgment, complex risk assessment and their close relationships with business stakeholders.

Maintaining the human element depends on recognising these unique strengths. In-house lawyers bring a deep understanding of the business and its risk appetite, combined with the ability to influence and guide decision-making in nuanced situations. These are capabilities that technology can support but not replace.

Equally important is how AI is introduced. Transparency and inclusivity are essential to build trust, ensuring that teams understand both the opportunities and the limitations of the technology. This must be supported by a strong focus on training and awareness, equipping individuals with the confidence and skills to use AI effectively.

When approached in this way, AI becomes a positive and exciting accelerant, strengthening both the capability of the legal function and the value it delivers to the business.