An in depth conversation with Kengo Ozaki, Executive Officer and Head of Legal and Compliance at BuySell Technologies, on career inflection points, in house leadership, and building legal functions close to the business in Japan.

It is often said that lawyers who can also contribute to an organization’s forward progress are rare in Japan. And yet, such leaders certainly exist. At Just Legal, we are continuing our project to meet 50 legal leaders active in Japan’s legal community. Today, I’d like to introduce Ms. Kaoru Kodama , who plays a key legal role at a global company closely connected to the semiconductor industry. Kodama-san is a UK-qualified lawyer with Big Law training. Rather than positioning herself as a traditional “sensei,” she approaches her role as a service and solution provider, working closely alongside the business. That mindset, shaped through years of in-house experience, was particularly striking. “Legal should stay close to the business and help it move forward.” Over the course of her career, she has held several in-house legal roles, and most recently led the legal function at a start-up. Working across organizations at very different stages has given her a balanced perspective on both execution and decision-making. “You can’t improve a system unless you first understand why it exists.” True to this view, her approach is not about rapid or disruptive change, but about building understanding, trust, and dialogue — and from there, enabling steady forward movement within the organization. Combining global standards with a strong sensitivity to local context, she values harmony while continuing to raise the bar in a thoughtful and measured way. In her current role, it is clear that she is contributing as a leader who brings forward momentum to the organization, in a manner well suited to today’s environment. Kodama-san, thank you very much for taking the time to share your perspectives. Your insights offer meaningful guidance for the next generation of legal leaders in Japan.

Finding lawyers who also possess the qualities of a true leader is often said to be difficult in Japan. But the reality is — such leaders do exist. At Just Legal, we’re launching a project to meet and highlight 50 leaders in Japan’s legal community. Today, I’m pleased to introduce Robyn Nadler, the Representative Director of Payoneer Japan . Robyn is a qualified Australian lawyer who began her career in Big Law at global firms — and what stands out is not the titles she has held, but her ability to move seamlessly between legal, compliance, regulatory, and leadership roles. Being a representative director is simply one chapter in a broader career built on capability, judgment, and adaptability. “Leadership isn’t a title. It’s the ability to bring clarity in complex situations and help people move in the same direction,” says Robyn. Having spent many years in Japan and fully fluent in Japanese, Robyn has earned a strong market reputation for her understanding of the Japanese regulatory landscape — especially the mindset and behaviors of financial regulators. This is a rare set of skills. “Japan’s regulatory environment isn’t just about rules — it’s about understanding how regulators think. Once you understand that mindset, the whole landscape becomes far more navigable.” Her progression from transactional lawyer to compliance lead, to guiding a regulated financial entity reflects a professional who grows with every environment. Ruth Porat of Google noted once that lawyers are often the strongest cross-functional communicators — able to translate between risk, business, operations, and regulation. Robyn is a textbook example of that in practice. “Lawyers can translate between departments in a way few others can — risk, operations, product, compliance. The value comes from connecting dots that usually stay separate.” Robyn, thank you for taking the time in your busy schedule — your insights are much appreciated, and will continue to inspire the next generation of legal leaders.

Something I think we’ve all struggled with is the generational gap; especially between our generation and the one before us. We tend to see things very differently from how our parents or grandparents do. I’d like to blame it on tech and how fast the world’s changed, but maybe that's’ just me realizing I’m now part of the “older” generation, and not the younger one anymore. And I know I’m not the only person feeling that shift.

Just Search Group has officially launched, bringing together specialist executive search expertise under a single, scalable brand serving the Japan market. The newly formed parent company encompasses Just Legal, a market-leading legal recruitment firm established in 2014, and introduces Just HR, its latest division dedicated to HR executive search.