Mission of the JACLO
The CLO is responsible for the legal matters of the company’s activities and, importantly, is also responsible for supporting business growth. The CLO is committed to preventing fraud and misconduct associated with corporate activities and minimizing the reduction of corporate value if it occurs. If necessary, the CLO will stop such activities. The CLO is in a position to actively provide opinions and suggestions to its senior management as a leader. Such authority and responsibility are significant. The CLO must also be sensitive to the changing business environment and be able to make bold changes in the corporate legal organization to adapt to such changes. The CLO is also responsible for creating a framework within which to develop the talent and abilities of its in-house legal professionals. At the JACLO, we endeavor to provide a critical platform to foster exchange and study for the purpose of skill improvement, information sharing and networking in order to contribute to the further professional development of CLOs and in-house legal professionals.
Background of JACLO
Above all, the CLO must advocate to management to widely recognize and understand the importance of the corporate legal organization and the fostering of a robust in-house legal organization and in-house legal professionals capable of competing globally. Further, the position of the CLO should be maintained as a meaningful career path within the company. The opportunity to become a future CLO and to become an impactful member of the management team will be a great way to motivate talented professionals to follow in their footsteps — and a virtuous cycle of talent, experience and relationships will be created.
Presently, large companies and also start-ups have CLOs and qualified lawyers in their legal departments. Increasingly, these professionals are expected to play an active role in the management of the company. In order for Japanese companies to become internationally competitive in an increasingly globalized economic environment, it is essential that companies and the legal community in Japan recognize and utilize these trends to further positive change in the role of the CLO and of legal departments. It is critical to establish and develop continuity of such pursuit, an endeavor which the JACLO aims to support through its membership and activities.
Japan Association for CLOs
| Organization name | Japan Association for Chief Legal Officers |
|---|---|
| Date founded | April 2020 |
| Chairman | Ryuji Hori |
| Head Office | 2-7-1, Hirakawa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo |
| Sister organization |
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Board of Directors
| Chairman | Ryuji Hori | Adviser, TMI Associates. Professor Emeritus, Waseda University. |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Director | Hiroshi Yaguchi | President & CEO CFO Headquarters Co., Ltd. Executive Director, JACFO/JACHRO. |
| Board members （alphabetical order） |
Akiko Kikuchi | Head of Law, Patents and Compliance, General Counsel, Bayer Holding Ltd. |
| Anthony Luna | General Counsel, Law, Intellectual Property & Compliance, IBM Japan, Ltd. | |
| Katsuya Natori | Founder, Natori Law Office | |
| Kohei Kodama | Vice President and Executive Officer, CLO, General Counsel, CRMO, and Officer in charge of Audit, Hitachi, Ltd. | |
| Miwa Ozaki | Executive Officer Head of Corporate Planning Division, Tomy Company, Ltd. | |
| Takayuki Kitajima | Chief Executive Officer, General Counsel, Unilever Japan K.K. | |
| Yoshihiko Fuchibe | Founder, Venture Lab Legal Firm. | |
| Yutaka Nakamura | Vice President, CLO, Asurion Japan Holdings G.K. | |
| Auditor | Kenji Tamakoshi | Tax accountant, JACFO/JACHRO Auditor |
