Career Biography

Lisa Ono-Shows is an accomplished in-house counsel at MetLife with over 20 years of experience advising global financial services organisations. She is a New York-qualified attorney who brings a truly international perspective, having spent a significant number of years both in the United States and Japan, supporting complex, cross-border legal and business initiatives.

Lisa currently serves as assistant general counsel at MetLife Insurance K.K. in Tokyo, where she heads the information and technology legal function, leading a team focused on cutting-edge areas including IT, AI, information security and privacy. Until recently, she also served as interim lead counsel for investment and finance matters, advising on sophisticated financial transactions such as reinsurance and other strategic initiatives. Her role reflects a rare breadth of expertise, spanning both emerging technology and complex financial structures.

Prior to her current position, Lisa served as corporate secretary of MetLife Japan, where she led legal support for corporate governance and was responsible for advising the board of directors and key committees, including the executive management committee and risk and control committee and board of directors training programs.

Lisa began her career at MetLife, Inc. in New York, where she held a series of progressively senior roles. As assistant general counsel, she led legal support for the global employee benefits business and served as global privacy counsel. She provided strategic advice on enterprise-wide initiatives, including regulatory readiness for SIFI designation, major corporate transactions such as the separation of Brighthouse Financial, and global data privacy compliance, particularly in relation to cross-border data transfers.

Her earlier experience includes secondments to Japan during critical integration phases following MetLife’s acquisition of ALICO, where she contributed to large-scale operational and contractual transitions and supported key business transformation projects.

Before joining MetLife, Lisa practiced at leading international law firms including Davis Polk & Wardwell and Debevoise & Plimpton, where she advised clients on a wide range of complex corporate and financial transactions, including capital markets offerings, aircraft financing, and cross-border joint ventures.

Throughout her career, Lisa has been recognised as a trusted advisor to business leaders, valued for her ability to navigate complex legal and regulatory environments while delivering practical, business-oriented solutions. Her fluency in both English and Japanese, combined with her deep understanding of both U.S. and Japanese legal systems, enables her to operate effectively at the intersection of global and local considerations.

Lisa holds a JSM from Stanford Law School as a Fulbright Scholar, as well as master and undergraduate law degrees from Waseda University. She is widely regarded for her leadership, international outlook, and ability to bridge legal, regulatory and business priorities in a rapidly evolving environment.