Paul

Kiwi in Tokyo. Run a search business here. Opinions on hiring, careers, and law firms. Mountains when I can.

[Paul @pauldcjp]

@NikMilanovic @ThriveCapital I like it. There’s a lot of inefficiency in these businesses.

I’m in professional services. AI has already greatly improved certain formerly labour-intensive processes that were holding back parts of our delivery process. And still much more to do!

[Paul @pauldcjp]

@CacheThatCheque 🤣 Keep these coming!

[Paul @pauldcjp]

@PrivatEquityGuy That’s me in a nutshell. What I do now…I didn’t even know this work existed when I entered the workforce. And I’ve been niching down since.

[Paul @pauldcjp]

20 years recruiting lawyers in Tokyo.

The one thing that hasn't changed: the best candidates don't apply for anything.

They get found. Through relationships, referrals, and conversations that started years ago.

If you're only talking to people who are actively looking, you're fishing in the wrong pond.

[Paul @pauldcjp]

In-house legal teams in Japan used to be where lawyers went to slow down.

Not anymore.

The best mid-levels are leaving firms for corporate roles that pay well, demand less hours, and offer something firms rarely can: predictability.

This is the real retention crisis in Tokyo. And it's hitting international firms harder than domestic ones.

[Paul @pauldcjp]

@vitaliidodonov MRR

[Paul @pauldcjp]

@JamieHalse Great commentary. Plenty of undervalued companies here in Japan still.

[Paul @pauldcjp]

Japan produces around 1,500 new bengoshi a year.

That sounds like a lot until you realize how many firms, in-house teams, government agencies, and international practices are competing for them.

The structural supply problem in Tokyo's legal market isn't going away. It's getting worse.

Firms that plan their hiring 2-3 years ahead win. Firms that react lose candidates to the ones that planned.

[Paul @pauldcjp]

And in your Monday Tokyo news…this will shake things up.

Kirkland & Ellis Opens Tokyo Office https://t.co/vyflGdOcmV

[Paul @pauldcjp]

One whopping wager by Masa. Will this pay off? https://t.co/KSKpfZjp7B

[Paul @pauldcjp]

Japanese firms produce the best generalists in the world.

Broad, capable, trusted. They handle everything from M&A to employment disputes without blinking.

But the global market doesn't reward breadth anymore. PE funds, cross-border clients, foreign GCs - they all ask the same question: what are you known for?

I met a senior bengoshi recently who said it plainly: "I need one thing that makes me stand out."

He's right. And he's not the only one thinking it.

[Paul @pauldcjp]

@T_in_Japan Oh wow...!

[Paul @pauldcjp]

@SahilBloom I placed a guy in Tokyo 11 years ago. Really junior, but he was willing to bet on a market that others were overlooking. He made partner recently.

Easy to say it was the right call in hindsight.

[Paul @pauldcjp]

Aircon on in May here in Tokyo. Gotta be a record.

Gonna be a long, hot summer…

[Paul @pauldcjp]

@TBeanpod Stunning shots

[Paul @pauldcjp]

BD in Japan is a long game that most foreign lawyers aren't prepared for.

In London or New York, you can cold-approach a GC, take them to dinner, and have a pitch meeting within weeks.

In Tokyo, that same relationship takes 18 months before anyone even discusses work. Maybe longer.

I've watched confident partners arrive here expecting quick wins. The ones who figure it out learn to show up consistently, listen more than they talk, and let the relationship develop on the client's timeline.

[Paul @pauldcjp]

Energy law in Tokyo is about to have its moment.

¥150 trillion in green transformation spending over the next decade. Data centres tripling their power demand. Battery storage targets revised upward.

But the lawyers who can handle project finance, development risk, and regulatory complexity in Japan? A handful.

Most are locked into long-term relationships and won't move for a standard offer. The demand is obvious. The supply isn't coming.

[Paul @pauldcjp]

@jake_j_jung Well done! That’s not easy.

[Paul @pauldcjp]

@WorkElizab Swan? 🦢

[Paul @pauldcjp]

Summer has started. In May. 🏝️