50 Leaders in Law - Volume 3

Lawyers who can genuinely drive transformation are often said to be rare in Japan.

Yet in reality, such leaders do exist.

At Just Legal, we are continuing our project to meet 50 legal leaders shaping Japan’s legal market. Today, I would like to introduce Kengo Ozaki, Executive Officer, Head of Legal & Compliance Division at BuySell Technologies.

Our conversation covered career inflection points, what it really means to build a legal function, and the challenge - and rewards - of practicing law close to the business.

Ozaki-san began his career at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto. With a textbook background - University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law and Law School - he joined the Capital Markets team, where he was confronted early on with a fundamental question: How should I compete in this environment?

Surrounded by lawyers with exceptional analytical and theoretical strength, he realized that competing head-to-head on the same axis was not necessarily the optimal strategy. Instead, he chose to differentiate himself not through speed of processing, but through speed of response.

• Reply faster than anyone else.
• Never discard a matter.
• Step forward consistently.

There was nothing flashy about this approach, but by committing to behaviors that quietly build trust, he established his position within the firm.

This approach was ultimately recognized, and he was offered a partnership position. Even so, he chose not to take it. The reason was simple: he wanted to see a bigger world beyond private practice.

His next move was in-house, at SmartNews. There, while continuing to sharpen his legal judgment, he deliberately stepped into management and organizational roles, expanding capabilities beyond the law itself.

Medley followed as a natural extension of that journey. At Medley, his role went beyond legal decision-making to supporting and structuring the organization as a whole. He spoke about gaining practical insight into how legal teams should be built - and how to develop people with different levels of ability and background.

Today, at BuySell Technologies, Ozaki-san is leading the build-out of the company’s legal, compliance, and risk management functions. BuySell, a rapidly growing home-visit purchasing business, is still developing its legal infrastructure. With a goal to double revenue by 2028, the company is in the midst of transformation under new leadership.

Ozaki-san does not position himself as a “top-tier technical lawyer.” Instead, he has consistently assessed the competitive landscape, adjusted his approach early, and taken calculated risks in designing his own career.

As a result, he has evolved into a professional who functions both as a lawyer and as a business leader.

A career shaped not by talent alone, but by awareness and choice. This is exactly what Legal Leaders 50 aims to capture - a leadership journey grounded in realism and intent.

Ozaki-san, thank you for the insightful conversation.