The potential of legal services that support business creation
The philosophy of non-confrontation learned from the entertainment industry

[Interview with Attorney Naoki Sugimoto, Part 1]

Attorney Naoki Sugimoto transferred to Mimura Komatsu Law Office this fall. He previously worked at a well-known entertainment production company, where he was assigned to the business coordination department under the direct control of the executives, and used his legal knowledge to act as a liaison between the company and the on-site staff.
Furthermore, his experience in the entertainment industry, including working as a film and television producer, makes him an unusual lawyer.
He doesn't just focus on litigation, but also seeks optimal solutions together with his clients and values ​​the attitude of creating positive business. We spoke to him about his thoughts and philosophy on the job of a lawyer, as well as his practical work.

Beyond legal matters
Accompanying you as a business creation partner

-First of all, could you tell us why you wanted to become a lawyer?

Ever since I was a child, I had a stronger desire than most to be a hero of justice, and I was a TV fanatic, obsessed with the Super Sentai series and detective dramas. I also loved the TV drama "HERO" starring Kimura Takuya, and until I graduated from university, I wanted to become a prosecutor. However, as I learned more about the actual work involved, I realized that a lawyer was the career I wanted to pursue, so I changed direction. At the same time, I also had aspirations of creating content that would make people smile through entertainment, such as television.
I wanted to pursue exciting and fresh work for the rest of my life while cherishing my curiosity, but rather than going directly into the television industry and building a career, I thought it would be more interesting to be involved in it with a certain level of expertise, and I would be able to create new value and contribute to the development of the industry. That's why I became a lawyer.

-Generally, lawyers are thought of as a serious profession, the complete opposite of creative.

While that image is certainly strong, I believe the role of lawyers could be more diverse. While lawyers are a private sector profession, they also serve the public interest, and their sense of responsibility and trustworthiness are highly valued by society. If companies could view this as an "intangible asset" and utilize it, I believe they could accompany clients not only in dealing with problems but also as partners in creating new businesses. I believe the strength of lawyers is that they can provide support that is backed by solid legal expertise, while also having a consulting aspect.

Generally, when lawyers work in the entertainment industry, they are often in charge of contracts and legal matters, but my role is a bit unusual, and I often act as a bridge between the company and the field, separate from the legal counsel and accountants. For example, I attend meetings, ask questions to experts on behalf of the field staff, and sort out issues and work together to find solutions. That's the role I've played.

-It seems that you have gone beyond the role of a lawyer and have also taken on the role of a film producer.

Of course, I didn't take on everything like professional producers, but I worked alongside them, raising issues that hadn't been discussed much in the industry until now and exchanging opinions. The optimal solution differs for each production, but based on the realism and reality I saw and heard on numerous sets, I was able to see points where "this is where we might be able to make a change." It was the process of exploring and moving forward with colleagues who shared that perspective that was an important experience for me.

-Are most of the cases related to the Labor Standards Act?

That's right. In the entertainment industry, there are cases where it is difficult to fully comply with the Labor Standards Act. However, rather than just thinking, "We must comply because it would be a violation," we need to ask ourselves why it is necessary to comply, and what value does complying with it bring? Ideally, this goal would be shared by the entire workplace, allowing everyone to work on creating works with a positive attitude. Also, various harassment issues arising from employment relationships and hierarchical relationships are major challenges in creative workplaces. I am always thinking about how it would be great to create an environment where people can speak their minds frankly, regardless of their position, in other words, a work environment that fosters mental stability.
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of film productions where intimacy coordinators are involved in the filming of sexual scenes. I think this could be expanded further to include a coordinator (PS coordinator) who ensures psychological safety for the entire crew, not just the actors.

-Are there currently people on-site with that role?

There isn't one. That's why I think that if there was an environment where people could openly discuss issues that may arise on-site through a PS coordinator, the risk of dominant relationships becoming entrenched could be reduced and it would be a better environment for creating works. For example, if producers who select a PS coordinator were to receive subsidies from the government or film-related organizations, creating a system like that would create an environment where everyone involved in production could work comfortably and concentrate on creativity, resulting in the creation of higher quality works. It would be great if such a positive trend could be created.

-This trend seems to be applicable not only to the entertainment industry, such as film, but to any industry and workplace.

I think so. If we can create a real example in the entertainment industry, where it is said to be the most difficult to improve the working environment, it will raise the issue that "it's strange that we can't do this in other industries as well." I hope that we can start by bringing about change, even if it's just a little at a time, starting with the entertainment industry.

To eliminate pointless conflict
Looking ahead to the essence of the lawsuit

--Recently, harassment issues have been coming into the spotlight in the entertainment and television industries. There have been moves to set up compliance offices within companies and to set up third-party committees as part of investigations. What are your thoughts on this series of events?

Compliance committees and third-party committees basically identify problems and make improvement proposals, and then leave the rest to the people on the ground. When lawyers and other experts are involved, that's the limit of their professional reach. However, even with their background as experts, I think there's room for them to present proposals merely as ideas, rather than providing a final answer, and to think about them together with people on the ground, and create something by multiplying them.
Rather than lawyers being in a position to give their stamp of approval when it comes to solving problems, lawyers should approach problems as individuals with a background of legal expertise and propose their own ideas. If we could then create a flow in which lawyers consider how people on the ground can effectively utilize those ideas, I believe lawyers will be able to be involved in problem-solving in a more positive and constructive way.

-As a lawyer, isn't it unusual to interact with clients with that kind of stance?

To tell you the truth, I myself am not good at fighting, so I am always thinking about how to eliminate pointless disputes. It is true that a lawyer's job is to get involved in litigation, so eliminating disputes is a contradiction in terms of the profession. However, for me, the pursuit of "non-conflict" has always been something of a never-ending theme in life. I always hope that before arguing, people should face the trouble in front of them, including what lies ahead.
The role of a lawyer is to resolve disputes—this is an undeniable fact and I will not deny it. However, I believe that a "dispute" and a "fight" are fundamentally different. A dispute is "an act of profit-seeking between takers with the aim of maximizing their own interests," while a fight is "an act of realizing the rights that parties should be protected and the interests assumed by law." I believe that trials and litigation should be utilized as much as possible to win "fights," but the true nature of the "disputes" that many people face on a daily basis is often difficult to see. I feel that in actual litigation situations, due to miscommunication between the parties involved, "disputes" often aim to maximize one's own interests.
For example, even if you win a lawsuit and receive compensation, will you be satisfied with the result? A monetary settlement does not necessarily resolve everything neatly. While a settlement may appear to be a happy settlement on the surface, it often does not completely resolve the emotions and relationships of the parties involved.

-It certainly isn't a satisfying situation if you're on the side that has to pay the money or loses the lawsuit.

That's right. To begin with, the time spent arguing is a waste in itself. Life is limited, so I think there are many possibilities to expand it through various fun things, things you want to do, and encounters with people. The ultimate ideal would be for everyone to be filled with creative time, where they can be involved in positive things for as long as possible, even for every minute and second. At the very least, I would like the people I meet to live rich lives with this approach, so I would like to continue working to create such an environment through my work as a lawyer.

<Second part>He will now talk about why he moved to Mimura Komatsu Agency and the specific troubles he has had in the entertainment industry.

【2025.10.1】

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