A place to hone your expertise and build a career that suits you
—Challenges at Mimura and Komatsu Law Offices (Part 1)

[Recruit Interview Part 1]

From corporate law and startup support to international cases and the arts and culture fields, Mimura Komatsu Law Office offers an environment where each lawyer can grow by leveraging their strengths while balancing high levels of expertise and a broad range of practice.
This time we spoke with Mr.Attorney Kotaro Tanabe, a rising star in his second year since transferring.Attorney at Law Yuka Saito, and the CEO who has shaped the firm's philosophy.Attorney Junya KomatsuThree people:
This three-way discussion will be divided into two parts: Part 1 and Part 2, and will reveal the firm's culture and sense of growth, along with real voices from each of their positions.

—First of all, please tell us when you both joined Mimura Komatsu Law Office.

Tanabe Kotaro (hereinafter Tanabe): I joined this firm in 2020, shortly after it was established. This marks my 11th year as a lawyer, and Mimura Komatsu is my third firm.

Yuka Saito (hereinafter Saito): I joined the firm last year in 2024 and am now in my second year. I joined another law firm after graduating, but transferred to Mimura Komatsu.

-Is transferring common when building a career as a lawyer?

Tanabe: Yes, there are many cases of people transferring, especially in the process of finding or developing their area of ​​expertise.
I personally love anime and manga, and I originally wanted to work in the field of character content. However, I initially wanted to gain a wide range of experience without being tied to a single field, so I joined an office that mainly handled general civil law. After gaining experience in cases such as divorce, inheritance, and traffic accidents, I transferred to an office that handled a wide range of corporate law and general civil law, and also worked in the field of intellectual property.
From this time onwards, I had been gradually working on character content, but I wanted to focus more fully on the intellectual property field, especially character content, so I decided to move to Mimura Komatsu.

Saito: In my case, I was interested in fashion law since my student days and attended seminars while in law school. However, there were still few law firms that specialized in fashion, so I joined another firm that handled corporate law after graduating.
After that, I met Miyuki Ebisawa, a lawyer who specializes in fashion law at Mimura Komatsu, and after talking with her, I felt that the environment suited my aspirations, so I decided to join the firm.

-You both have pursued your careers with a strong focus on your fields of expertise.
　Are there many lawyers at Mimura Komatsu Law Office who have a clear idea of ​​the field they want to work in?

Komatsu Shunya (hereinafter Komatsu): Some lawyers have a clear idea of ​​the field they want to work in, but that's not the case for all lawyers. Rather, most lawyers handle a variety of cases over the course of their careers, and in the process, they gradually discover their specialty and the field they want to work in.

Tanabe: That's right. Even if you have a clear interest from the beginning, like me, it's often difficult to move into your desired field right away in the early stages of your career.
I think it's common for new graduates and young employees to determine their suitability by working on a variety of projects.

Komatsu: One of the features of Mimura Komatsu Law Office is the extensive on-the-job training (OJT). At the beginning, you will always be paired with a senior lawyer, and you will share all meetings and document preparation. The senior lawyer will always look over your work and provide detailed feedback.

-Do you always pair up with Komatsu, Saito-san?

Saito: I often work with Mr. Komatsu, but there are also projects where I work with other seniors.

Komatsu: Recently, there has been an increase in the number of projects that Mr. Saito is taking the lead on as chief.

- I imagine that fields such as fashion law require specialized knowledge of that industry, but did you have any knowledge or experience of the fashion industry before transferring to Mimura Komatsu?

Saito: I've been interested in fashion since I was a child, but I didn't have any particular knowledge or experience in the fashion industry. Mimura Komatsu has many seniors who are well versed in the fashion industry, so I'm learning about the industry's knowledge and customs through projects. I also have the opportunity to be invited to fashion shows and exhibitions, and I feel that I'm in a very grateful environment where I can speak directly with people in the fashion industry.

- Learning from seniors with different styles is very meaningful in terms of cultivating a flexible and multifaceted perspective. Mr. Tanabe, you have also had experience working at other agencies, but what were the differences between them?

Tanabe: At the firm I joined as a new graduate, I received relatively good support and was mentored by senior colleagues. At my next firm, I often appeared in court alone, and looking back, those were several years in which I was able to thoroughly hone the skills necessary to be a lawyer.
Currently, I work in a variety of ways depending on the project, such as teaming up with junior colleagues, senior colleagues, or handling projects alone. Naturally, different people have different ways of thinking and approaches, so I learn something no matter who I work with.

-As the lead attorney, what kind of firm did you envision for Mimura Komatsu Law Office?

Komatsu: Our firm has several lawyers who are former judges, and we are highly trusted for the stability of our legal opinions. At the same time, we aim to be a flexible organization where our lawyers, mostly in their 30s and 40s, can develop their own interests and expertise.
When I was job hunting around 2007-08, there was still little perspective on linking legal practice with fields like fashion, art, anime, and games, so I forged my own path by studying abroad in New York. At the time, all I could do was work in line with the firm's policies, but now at Mimura Komatsu, we want to create a system where the firm as a whole can support each lawyer so that they can deepen their interests and take on the challenges of the fields they want to pursue.

<Second part＞Continued.

Mimura Komatsu Law Office is looking for motivated lawyers who share our philosophy and goals, have a spirit of challenge, and want to grow by leveraging their interest in various industries and past experience.

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【2025.8.21】