Natsuko Ogawa, resident partner at Blake Dawson’s Tokyo office, describes her posting as a “Fantastic opportunity from both a professional and personal perspective .” After working as a junior lawyer at a Japanese firm, her latest post - which commenced in January 2010 - is providing new challenges. Everything from obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals to managing a large, expanding client base with a small local office becomes the managing partner’s responsibility. “Being the firm’s representative on the ground in a much bigger market and running the office has taken some getting used to,” concedes Ogawa. “You think about things you would not normally consider When you are just working as a lawyer and operating in a familiar environment. I have a greater appreciation for the challenges faced by Japanese clients who are setting up businesses in Australia for the first time ,” she said.

Establishing the Tokyo office was the first major challenge; Ogawa says regulatory compliance in Japan can be a lengthy process – it took three months to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals and registrations through the Ministry of Justice and the Japan Bar Association before Blake Dawson could officially open its Tokyo branch in April 2010. 

In terms of building up the business, In Australia, Ogawa’s clients were typically Japanese corporations, which she said made them easy to identify and network with. The bigger market in Tokyo has, however, made networking more complex due to “the huge number of potential clients who could be interested in Australia.” Due to the small size of the firm’s Tokyo office, it was important to focus on particular sectors and client types, she added.

Aside from ensuring the office is running smoothly, Ogawa’s current workload primarily involves M&A matters and Japanese investment into Australia, with a focus on energy and resources, financial services, the food and beverage sector and the growing infrastructure sector. While this is similar to her work back in Australia, she notes that her clients in Tokyo are often not familiar with working in Australia.  “You spend more time on explaining things like terms of engagement and the way you bill. It takes patience but is all worthwhile  as it is part of establishing a good relationship from the start ,”Ogawa said.

When asked about the impacts of the earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku Kanto regions, and the concerns about the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Ogawa said that in her experience, clients were taking a business as usual approach: “this has not stopped business and we have found our clients as determined as ever to pursue their projects in Australia.”

Ogawa also said that although life in Tokyo has been different since the earthquake she remains positive about her Japanese experience. “The effect has been felt in the form of efforts to reduce electricity consumption and therefore frequency of rail transport services. Communities have pulled together to encourage and support each other. I have been reminded of the strong and generous spirit of the Japanese people and their ability to work together to overcome adversity. I am so glad to be here and be a part of this wonderful society."