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Lawyer on AirAuthor: Catherine O'Connell
Im Catherine, the host of Lawyer on Air, the #1 podcast for legal careers in Japan. In each episode, I bring you award-winning insights and inspirational inside stories about working in law as a woman in Japan. Whether youre dreaming of a career here or already practicing, this is your go-to guide for finding your place in Japans legal landscape. Well dive into what hiring managers look for, emerging trends in the legal market, what it takes to earn a seat on a Japanese corporate board, and how to thrive personally and professionally. Language: en Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Unexpected Path to General Counsel: Sayaka Matsui on Curiosity, Mentorship and Unlearning Self Criticism
Episode 2
Sunday, 16 November, 2025
Sayaka Matsui is General Counsel and Representative Executive Officer at Unilever Japan. Sayaka shares how she unlearned something that she thought was helping her to do better. When she did that amazing things happened and she reached new career heights as well as achieving personal goals too. If you are wondering if your career path is “on track” or you are struggling with self criticism, this episode is 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:How reading a children's story-book version of Merchant of Venice at age 10 sparked Sayaka's interest in lawSayaka’s transition from private practice to corporate planning and eventually to General CounselThe transformative impact of spending two years in the United States How Sayaka unlearned her habit of nightly self-criticism and embraced vulnerability About SayakaSayaka Matsui is the Representative Executive Officer and General Counsel of Unilever Japan Holdings G.K., where she leads legal, compliance, and risk management for one of the world’s most recognised global brands.Before joining Unilever in 2019, she held legal roles at Credit Saison, Waseda Legal Commons Law Office, Daizawa Law Office, and Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu. Sayaka also spent a year as a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, broadening her global perspective on law and social impact.She is deeply committed to the next generation of legal talent, providing programs to law schools and judicial apprentices to promote understanding of in-house legal work, and in 2025, she was appointed as a member of MEXT’s advisory committee on law schools.Sayaka holds a J.D. (Professional) and LL.B. from Waseda University.In her spare time, she loves watching international TV dramas and learning foreign languages.Connect with SayakaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sayaka-matsui-881a61188/ Connect with Catherine LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyeronair
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