Legal

Senior Contracts Counsel - Legal

110844

  • Tokyo

You will be a member of the Asia Legal team providing legal advisory services on complex client issues to consultants based in Asia including Japan.
You will provide counsel on engagement-related legal issues, support consultants on complex legal arrangements (including performance-based arrangements, technology deployments, M&A arrangements), and advise stakeholders on internal compliance and risk management issues in collaboration with (and with oversight from) Associate General Counsels and other senior Legal colleagues. You will work closely with other lawyers in Asia and in the global Legal Department and will be expected to liaise with a number of individuals and teams within the firm (e.g., Partners, Consulting teams, Risk, Compliance, Finance, Corporate Tax, Professional Development, Office and sector leadership, and local administrative leaders) for offices in Asia including Japan. You will also serve as a critical bridge between the Asia Legal team and our product and engineering teams, providing proactive legal guidance on risks associated with technology deliverables and the development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Your work will help mitigate key risks in our client service through balanced and risk-calibrated guidance and advice. You will prioritize service excellence, lead collaborations across the Legal team and beyond and foster an environment that couples top-tier legal advice with sound commercial judgement. Additionally, you will drive operational efficiencies in both our teamwork and service delivery.
You will be required to demonstrate the ability to work in an international environment across several jurisdictions in Asia, exceptional collaborative skills to work across various firm functions and capabilities, effectively challenging conventional wisdom, and exceptional time management to meet your responsibilities in a complex and largely autonomous work environment.
You will be required to work in-person and travel as needed (team schedules and office locations may vary).
You will be based in Tokyo, Japan, and will report to a senior lawyer in our Asia Legal Team.

You are someone who thrives in a high-performance environment, bringing a growth mindset and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle meaningful challenges that have a real impact.
In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we’ll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to help you quickly broaden your expertise, grow into a well-rounded professional, and contribute to work that truly makes a difference.
When you join us, you will have:
  • Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast-paced learning experience, owning your journey.
  • A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You’ll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes.
  • Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm’s diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
  • Exceptional benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well-being for you and your family.

  • Must be qualified to practice law in Japan, the US, the UK, or Australia
  • 8+ years of post-qualification private practice and/or in-house legal counsel experience focusing on commercial transactions, technology law, and intellectual property
  • Knowledge of current technologies, cloud architecture, and artificial intelligence (e.g., LLMs, AI agents, machine learning models) would be an asset. You will be expected to grasp and accurately document complex technological principles
  • Ability to operate increasingly independently in areas of legal uncertainty and help the business navigate the emerging risks and opportunities associated with generative AI and data usage
  • Demonstrated ability to draft, revise, and negotiate a broad range of agreements, including commercial contracts such as service agreements, confidentiality agreements, master consulting agreements, SoW’s, independent consulting agreements (including those with complex fee structures), and indemnity agreements, and M&A documents
  • Ability to leverage expertise and pattern recognition to develop more efficient ways to process commercial contracts or address new issues. Must maintain and update contracts and related documents in accordance with departmental policies and procedures, with a focus on continual improvement
  • Ability to help monitor and track contract flow volume as well as compliance of projects, including reporting on trends
  • Ability to coach and support paralegals on contract-related and other responsibilities
  • Must pursue ongoing learning to build spikes in key expertise areas and lead learning sessions and help onboard and coach new colleagues at all levels
  • Ability to drive projects in support of department and firm initiatives (e.g., new process definition, codifying knowledge, learning sessions, etc.)
  • Experience with RFP review and response and excellent organizational skills and judgement
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, in English and Japanese, with the ability to adjust your style to suit different perspectives and seniority levels. Additional Asian (Mandarin, Korean and Bahasa) written and spoken skills would be advantageous but not necessary