In this podcast, a session in our ReinventED Legal Business: The Case Studies series, Terri Mottershead, Executive Director, Centre for Legal Innovation (Australia, New Zealand and Asia-Pacific) chatted with Catherine O'Connell, the Principal and Founder of Catherine O'Connell Law (COCL) in Tokyo, Japan.

Catherine hails from New Zealand and, as a foreign lawyer in Japan, leads a boutique law practice that provides flexible legal services to law firms, legal departments and businesses, on a project and needs-specific basis, delivered by bilingual in-house experienced lawyers - a unique legal resource in Japan - areas of focus include:

• Support for Japanese and foreign law firms in Japan, as well as New Zealand-based law firms
• Determining how, when and where a full-time, in country legal counsel might best contribute
• Setting up systems and workflows
• Localising global templates
• Introducing general commercial contract governance to business

COCL combines bilingual capability and deep in-house counsel experience, to act as the lead on all the in-person and written contract negotiations for client’s BAU and project work.

COCL is a multiple award winner in entrepreneurship, excellence and being a trailblazer.

COCL also provides an Associates Academy where Japanese in-house legal staff (and law firm associates) can upskill in their English business communication skills.

Catherine also recently launched her podcast, Lawyer on Air, focusing on the life and work of women lawyers in Japan.

Catherine, thanks so much for an excellent session – love seeing how passion, creativity and pursuing opportunities can lead to thriving legal businesses all around the world!

If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this session, you’ll find the video in our CLI-Collaborate (CLIC) free resource hub here.