“At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity”.

In a previous post, we explored some of the challenges faced by women in the legal industry in Japan and the role of firms like TKI in transforming this landscape and inspiring the next generation. Continuing with this, in celebration of International Women’s Day 2025, we are pleased to present a dialogue on the importance and role of female leadership in accelerating progress, followed by an in-person networking session and light meal, on 6 March 2025.

Through this hybrid event, we aim to foster a better understanding of the opportunities and issues for women in leadership positions in law (whether it be private practice, in-house, the public sector, or academia) and beyond; and how such roles are central to addressing the systemic biases that women continue to face. We have an exciting line-up of inspiring women from across the legal industry who will share insights from their personal experiences on the journey towards leadership. The panel will discuss key topics such as overcoming challenges at the workplace, strategies for success, the importance of mentorship, and how to accelerate action in promoting diversity and inclusion within the professional sphere, in alignment with this year's International Women's Day theme of “Accelerate Action”.

The event will be held both in-person at our offices in Tokyo and online through zoom. In-person seats are limited to 35, so register today to reserve your spot! Attendance will be confirmed once we accept your request to attend. The event will be conducted in English.

　Speakers / Moderator　

　Speakers:

• Satoko Sawada is an Assistant Director in the Economic Dispute Settlement Division of the International Legal Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan. In her current role, she handles WTO dispute settlements, investor-state dispute settlements and state-to-state dispute settlements under various free trade agreements. Previously, she was an Assistant Director in the International Legal Affairs Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, where she focused on public international law matters. Ms. Sawada is a graduate of Georgetown University and is admitted to practice law in New York, USA.
  

• Natsue Nagato is the Managing Director and Head of Legal, Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co., Ltd., and the D&I Council Co-Chair for Morgan Stanley, Japan. She was named in the Legal 500 GC Powerlist for Japan in 2024. Previously, she was a Special Counsel at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune. Ms. Nagato is a graduate of Keio University and is admitted to practice law in Japan.
  
  
• Sawako Ohgi is the Head of the Legal Group at JERA Co., Inc. In her current role, she handles JERA’s legal issues, compliance, governance and legal operations. Previously, she was a Legal Advisor in the International Affairs Department at Tokyo Electric Power Company. Ms. Ohgi is a graduate of Keio University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School and is admitted to practice law in New York, USA.
  

• Makiko Kawamura is a Partner and Head of Tax at Tokyo International Law Office. Her principal area of practice is international taxation, including tax structuring advice, transaction advisory work and tax disputes with the National Tax Agency, Japan. In her previous role, she was Partner of International Transaction Tax Services at a Big 4 accounting firm and prior to that, the Regional Head of Tax at a prominent global law firm. Ms. Kawamura is a graduate of Waseda University and New York University and is admitted to practice law in Japan. She currently co-leads TKI’s D&I committee.

　Moderator:

• Hojung Jun is a Partner in the Construction / Energy and Infrastructure practice at Tokyo International Law Office. Ms. Jun is a graduate of the University of Illinois (J.D.) and is admitted to practice law in New York, USA. With a multicultural background, she is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, having previously served as a member of the executive committee of Women in Law Japan and led various D&I subcommittees at her previous firm, Baker McKenzie Tokyo. She currently co-leads TKI’s D&I committee.

　Registration Details　

　Please register via the following websites:

　・For online attendees: Here
　・For in-person attendees: Here

　(1) Online attendees
　After registration, online attendees will receive a confirmatory email with the URL for the event
　in their registered email addresses. Each participant may register only once.
　If you need to update your registration details, or do not receive a confirmatory email,
　please contact us at seminar@tkilaw.com.

　(2) In-person attendees
　After registration, we will contact you once we have confirmed seat availability.
　Please note that the result will be communicated to you shortly before the event.