lawyer mentorship
Inspiring others to walk their own path and do law in a different way.
Having broken through the rice paper ceiling in Japan as the first foreign female on the Audit & Supervisory Board of a listed company, it is now firmly my mission to not be the last such female and to inspire, induct and incubate others to follow in my footsteps.
None of this has been achieved by perfect execution and has come with my fair share of failings and disasters. But overcoming them and keeping on moving forward is one of my strengths.
What led me to be a lawyer mentor?
I firmly believe that my unique identity and background enable me to be particularly effective in mentoring lawyers since I haven’t walked a typical linear path but at the same time, have checked the boxes of a 360-degree legal career.
✔️ went from private practice to in house
✔️ worked in multiple Japanese corporations in house
✔️ left my home country for two new countries (Japan and England)
✔️ experienced a secondment to a Japanese corporation
✔️ did a secondment to an overseas law firm office
✔️ returned to private practice from in house (not that common!),
✔️ set up and ran a legal department from scratch and
✔️ established my own law business and walked the entrepreneurial lawyer route.
✔️ became the first lawyer podcaster and first female lawyer podcaster in Japan
✔️ took on three outside board roles while running a law practice as part of a portfolio career
✔️ named the first foreign female to become an independent member of the Audit and Supervisory Board of a listed Japanese company
I’d say that “lawyer in a start-up company” may be one of the few roles left to do!
I’ve won awards for my boutique law firm, entrepreneurship, lawyership and leadership and I believe if I can do this as a pretty ordinary person from a small country at the bottom of the globe, that I can surely be the one to inspire others to walk their path and to understand that it is ok to do law in a different way.
Let me tell you a secret. Often I found myself over the years, harbouring envy of sorts for my lawyer colleagues in big-paying finance & M&A roles and wondered if my lower-paid manufacturing lawyer experience would ever be of use to help on a corporate board. I found exactly that the answer is yes as my diverse background in global companies with hands-on experience in manufacturers has proven invaluable and has quite literally led me to be a Lawyer on Boards of not one but two companies.
Outside of the office I now sit on the Board of three companies in Japan as an Independent Board Member. I am on the Audit and Supervisory Board of TOYOTA Motor Corporation, FUJITSU Limited and Statutory Auditor for CSL Behring Co., Ltd.
Career Mentorship
Career mentorship is usually the type of mentoring chosen by lawyers who are looking to find a new role or job or a new career. Career mentorship is how you can get clarity on the kind of work you want or how you can transition between industries or roles. You may also be considering launching your own firm.
Executive Mentorship
Lawyers who want Executive Mentorship, are those who are focused on where they are, already in the career or a job that they want to remain in, and that they like, AND they want to develop even more skills to help them excel in that role or job. If you’d like help navigating the transition from associate to partner, or junior legal counsel to associate or general counsel, or launching your own subject matter expert podcast, let’s talk!
Executive Coaching
My exclusive executive coaching and mentorship is for lawyers who want to find an external board director or statutory auditor position. They want to take their eldership in the community to the next level and develop their gravitas and mentorship skills in these roles assisting a board as an external advisor.
If you’re anything like me and want to do something different, stand out and you love to have fun and be creative, you may be a great fit to work with me on your next career pivot.
With my support, you will make the changes and grab those opportunities to create a life and career you love!
Interested in hearing stories of successful NZ businesses in Japan?
Listen and subscribe to the Jandals in Japan podcast, the best new show about doing business in Japan, bringing The Land of the Long White Cloud to The Land of the Rising Sun. Co-hosted by me and Jayne Nakata
“Wow just wow, I am amazed at how you can skillfully draw out so many insights from one conversation! You really do have a knack. You are spreading magic like fairy dust. Keep sprinkling your fairy dust. You just have that special soft touch and the ability to make people want to listen.”