Meet Mina Hoshizawa, a dynamic in-house legal counsel who has built her career on adaptability and genuine connection. Now leading legal and compliance functions at Nihon Servier, she shares candid insights about unlearning perfectionism, embracing vulnerability as a leadership strength, and why being fluid like water has been her career superpower. If you are considering the transition to an in-house position or thinking you might skip the law firm experience and focus on in-house, this is the episode for you.

If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would leave us a message here!

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Why even practical motivations can lead to passionate careers

• The art of "unlearning" from private practice what lawyers must focus on to win at in-house roles

• Her vulnerable leadership approach and what she often says to her team

• Practical strategies for establishing legal functions from zero

• Where to look for opportunities if you intend to skip the law firm experience

About Mina

Mina Hoshizawa is Head of Legal and Compliance at Servier in Japan, sitting on the Leadership Team. Before joining Servier, she belonged to Bayer in Japan and served as Compliance Manager for the entire company and as Legal Manager for its Consumer Health Business and Crop Science Business. Mina is a qualified Japanese bengoshi (attorney), and before joining Bayer, she worked at Freshfields’ Tokyo office. She is the leader of a working group of the Governance and Legal Committee of The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). She was selected as LexisNexis® UNDER 40 2024, Japan Rising Star 2024 by GC Powerlist Legal 500, and became the first JILA In-house award winner in the Compliance category in Individual Awards 2023.

In her free time Mina likes to play badminton with her daughter.

Connect with Mina

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mina-hoshizawa-76ab01262/

Connect with Catherine

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyeronair

Ambassador Mylene J. Garcia-Albano is the first female Philippine Ambassador to Japan and has carved a path from corporate law through politics to international diplomacy. Ambassador Garcia-Albano shares how her family's legal legacy, a pivotal pro bono case that led to a murder exoneration, and her philosophy of "doing your best in everything" propelled her through nine years in Congress in the Philippines, to representing 340,000 Filipino citizens living and working in Japan. Ambassador Garcia-Albano explains how legal training provides the perfect foundation for diplomatic success. Listen in to hear the differences between being a corporate lawyer and diplomatic work. ** A special thanks to our Season 2 Ep 9 guest Lani Vinas for introducing us to Ambassador Garcia-Albano.

If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would leave us a message here!

In this episode you will hear:

• The power of pro bono legal work - How a murder exoneration case as a young lawyer validated Garcia-Albano's career path

• Strategic career transitions - Why she views her journey from law to politics to diplomacy as "natural progression" rather than reinvention

• Breaking diplomatic barriers - Her experience as the first female Philippine Ambassador to Japan and debunking myths about women needing to "lead like men"

• Innovative embassy operations - Inside the world's largest Philippine Embassy, from mobile consular vans to online voting pilots across Japan and three Pacific nations

About Ambassador Garcia-Albano

Ambassador Mylene J. Garcia-Albano is a seasoned public servant and lawyer with a distinguished career in government.

Appointed in 2022 as the Philippine Ambassador to Japan, she brings with her decades of experience in public service, law, and legislative leadership.

A trailblazer from the start, she ranked 3rd in the 1990 Philippine Bar Examinations and was the first female president of the Ateneo Law School Student Government. She served three consecutive terms as Congresswoman for Davao City's 2nd District, where she held key leadership positions, including Deputy Speaker and Chairperson of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments. Her earlier roles span the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Office of Senator Mar Roxas, and various legal and administrative posts.

Ambassador Garcia-Albano holds degrees from The George Washington University and Marymount College in the U.S., and is married to the Governor of Isabela, Rodolfo T. Albano III. They have one son.

Ambassador Garcia-Albano enjoys exploring new places, cuisines, and cultures through travel. She loves to read, particularly mystery novels. In her free time, she cherishes moments spent with her family.

Links

Philippines Embassy Japan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PHLinJapan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PHLinJapan/

Connect with Catherine

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyeronair

Meet Olga Belosludova, a trailblazing attorney who made history as the first Russian woman to pass the notoriously difficult Japanese bar exam. Born in Siberia, she came to Japan with her family at age two. Olga's journey from a competitive childhood dream to becoming a qualified lawyer in three jurisdictions is nothing short of extraordinary. Her story offers invaluable insights into navigating Japan's legal landscape as a foreign professional, the importance of visibility in service, and practical strategies for building a successful international legal career.

If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would leave us a message here!

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How Olga conquered the Japanese “Yobi” exam which only 4% of examinees pass

• Her strategies for overcoming assumptions about foreign lawyers with Japanese credentials

• Her secret dual-goal system for avoiding burnout

• Her view that speaking Japanese is crucial and why internal translators outperform external ones

About Olga

Olga Belosludova is an accomplished international attorney admitted to practice law in Japan, California, and New York. Currently, she is based in Japan, where she has lived since age two. Olga brings a unique bicultural perspective to complex cross-border legal matters. As an attorney at a prestigious international law firm constantly ranking in AM Law 20, she has built an impressive practice serving Fortune 100 companies across a wide range of high-stakes transactions and disputes.

Fluent in both Japanese and English, Olga has become a trusted advisor to foreign companies navigating Japan's business landscape. Her expertise spans cross-border mergers and acquisitions, complex internal investigations, international arbitrations, and privacy and data security compliance for multinational corporations. She also counsels international banks and investment funds on investment and loan transactions involving Japanese entities, leveraging her deep understanding of both legal systems and cultural nuances.

Olga’s risk management expertise is particularly noteworthy—she has led over 20 internal investigations across various industries, handling everything from routine compliance matters to high-profile misconduct cases. Her approach focuses not just on resolving immediate issues, but also on strengthening organizational health and resilience for the long term. During her time at the firm’s New York office from August 2023 to June 2024, she further expanded her expertise in JAMS arbitration and US litigation.

The Legal 500 recognised Olga as a “Rising Star” in its Fintech division in 2023, highlighting her emerging leadership in the intersection of law and financial technology.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Olga had been dancing as a ballroom dancer for more than 15 years, ultimately competing as a professional standard ballroom dancer between 2018 and 2020. After the COVID pandemic, in her free time, Olga enjoys spending her time with her family, especially playing with her three-year-old daughter. Whether she is reading books, drawing, or just playing outside, those moments mean the most to Olga. As a new challenge, Olga also began golfing last year.

Connect with Olga

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-belosludova-744758287/

Connect with Catherine

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyeronair