Team size: 4

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

One notable transaction is the transfer of Mizuho’s global custody business outside of Japan to State Street, which closed in October 2025. Completion of the transaction required close coordination among the legal teams in Japan, the United States and Europe to ensure regulatory alignment and contractual continuity while delivering uninterrupted high-quality service to State Street and Mizuho clients. Navigating the complex sequencing of contractual notifications and approvals was one of the key challenges we successfully addressed.

Another example is the introduction of to Japan of a centrally cleared sponsored repo structure through the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation (FICC) in the United States.

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

We worked closely with our counterparties to develop a novel trust structure that supports safeguarding of client assets in a manner that meets both regulatory expectations and commercial objectives.

Importantly, the approach developed has broader applicability and has helped position the business to engage more effectively in similar mandates going forward.

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

We are increasingly seeing a balance emerge between global standardisation and the continued importance of local regulatory environments and market practices — driven in part by developments such as the tokenisation of financial instruments and currencies and the introduction of products across borders.

For in-house counsel, this means that a purely global approach is rarely sufficient. Instead, there is a growing need to bridge global strategy with local execution. The challenge is to effectively manage this interplay to best support the business in expanding across markets while maintaining compliance and operational, and risk resilience.

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

What stands out to me is how often lawyers are put in situations where we are required to get up to speed on something entirely new. The constant exposure to new ideas and developments is one of the most interesting parts of the job.

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

In-house counsel need to be able to apply the law in a way that reflects real-world business considerations, providing clear and actionable advice. It is not simply a question of identifying the correct legal position: sound practical judgment is also important.

In-house counsel increasingly play the role of ‘translator’. How do you communicate complex legal advice to the board, key stakeholders and internally?

I am pleased that this question has been asked, as I think it goes to one of the most important skills in-house counsel can develop. At its core, in house counsel is about “knowing your audience.” There are times when a more detailed legal explanation is necessary, and others when focusing on the underlying principles is more effective. Real world examples can also help make complex issues more difficult to understand.