Woman-in-Law Success Story

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Making waves in a male-dominated business environment is something kiwi lawyer Catherine O’Connell has done, having now set up her own law firm in the country.

O’Connell’s journey began with her studies in Japanese, which laid the foundation for her corporate, legal career path.

She had worked at large New Zealand firm Anderson Lloyd for seven years until 2002, before joining Olympus Corporation as in-house counsel and moving from there up the corporate ranks.

She’s since become the first foreign woman to establish a law practice in Tokyo and secured positions on the audit and supervisory boards of automotive giant Toyota and tech behemoth Fujitsu – another first for a foreign woman.

In a country where fewer than 1 percent of corporate leaders are women, O’Connell’s approach to success is refreshingly straightforward.

“I think the key is that I treat men as people,” she shares, emphasising the importance of a pragmatic, down-to-earth attitude in navigating Japan’s corporate landscape.

O’Connell’s legal career in Japan has been impressive. After cutting her teeth at major Japanese corporations like Olympus, Panasonic, and Mitsubishi Motors, she took the entrepreneurial plunge in 2018, founding Catherine O’Connell Law.

Her innovative firm offers bilingual, flexible legal services tailored to the Japanese market – a niche she identified and successfully filled.

“I found that Japan lacked flexible legal services. There was demand for it. I could fix that,” O’Connell told Japan Times in an interview about her career.

Her business model bridges the gap for companies needing legal support but finding traditional options either too expensive or impractical.

This entrepreneurial spirit earned her the Entrepreneur of the Year title at the 2020 British Business Awards in Japan.

Most notably, O’Connell has broken into the upper echelons of Japanese corporate governance. Her appointments to the supervisory boards of Fujitsu and Toyota were achieved purely on merit, without relying on pre-existing connections – a fact she’s justifiably proud of.

For those unfamiliar with Japanese corporate structure, O’Connell explains that large listed corporations in Japan operate under a two-board system. The supervisory and audit board, on which she serves, oversees the board of directors, ensuring compliance with laws and corporate regulations. It’s a crucial role, particularly as corporate governance gains increasing attention in Japan.

While progress is being made, O’Connell notes that the gender disparity in boardrooms is not unique to Japan but remains a global issue. She recounts recent experiences where she was often the only woman in the room during business meetings, even outside Japan.

Despite the challenges, O’Connell remains optimistic about the changes occurring in Japan and its legal industry.

She points to positive developments such as improved paternity leave policies and an increase in women entering the legal profession. For foreign lawyers, opportunities are expanding, with more Japanese laws being translated – a process in which O’Connell is actively involved.

Looking to the future, O’Connell is committed to driving further change. “My desire is to contribute more and build this community around me and keep empowering and enhancing both men and women. My job is not done. I’m not a quitter halfway through,” she asserts.

O’Connell’s journey demonstrates that with determination, adaptability, and a pragmatic approach, it’s possible to break new ground and effect change, even in the most traditional of business environments.