Go around the rocks: Be fluid like water for a successful legal career in Japan with Mina Hoshizawa

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Lawyer on Air

Catherine O'Connell

107 episodes

4 days ago

I’m Catherine, the host of Lawyer on Air, the #1 podcast for legal careers in Japan. In each episode, I bring you award-winning insights and inspirational inside stories about working in law as a woman in Japan. Whether you’re dreaming of a career here or already practicing, this is your go-to guide for finding your place in Japan’s legal landscape. We’ll dive into what hiring managers look for, emerging trends in the legal market, what it takes to earn a seat on a Japanese corporate board, and how to thrive personally and professionally.

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Go around the rocks: Be fluid like water for a successful legal career in Japan with Mina Hoshizawa

Lawyer on Air

56 minutes 18 seconds

2 months ago

Go around the rocks: Be fluid like water for a successful legal career in Japan with Mina Hoshizawa

Meet Mina Hoshizawa, a dynamic in-house legal counsel who has built her career on adaptability and genuine connection. Now leading legal and compliance functions at Nihon Servier, she shares candid insights about unlearning perfectionism, embracing vulnerability as a leadership strength, and why being fluid like water has been her career superpower. If you are considering the transition to an in-house position or thinking you might skip the law firm experience and focus on in-house, this is the episode for you.

If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would leave us a message here!

In this episode you’ll hear:

Why even practical motivations can lead to passionate careers
The art of "unlearning" from private practice what lawyers must focus on to win at in-house roles
Her vulnerable leadership approach and what she often says to her team
Practical strategies for establishing legal functions from zero
Where to look for opportunities if you intend to skip the law firm experience

About Mina

Mina Hoshizawa is Head of Legal and Compliance at Servier in Japan, sitting on the Leadership Team. Before joining Servier, she belonged to Bayer in Japan and served as Compliance Manager for the entire company and as Legal Manager for its Consumer Health Business and Crop Science Business. Mina is a qualified Japanese bengoshi (attorney), and before joining Bayer, she worked at Freshfields’ Tokyo office. She is the leader of a working group of the Governance and Legal Committee of The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). She was selected as LexisNexis® UNDER 40 2024, Japan Rising Star 2024 by GC Powerlist Legal 500, and became the first JILA In-house award winner in the Compliance category in Individual Awards 2023.

In her free time Mina likes to play badminton with her daughter.

Connect with Mina

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mina-hoshizawa-76ab01262/

Connect with Catherine

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyeronair