In this final installment of our interview series with Nomura team leaders, we speak with Sawako Miyauchi who heads the Group Legal Department. She shares how she helps everyone work to their full potential in a team mixed with legal experts and finance professionals.
Q. Could you briefly introduce the work of the Group Legal Department?
We handle necessary legal work for a listed holding company, such as governance related to shareholder and board meetings, as well as legal disclosures. We also manage projects that Nomura Group invests in, bond issuance, and the firm’s intellectual property. Since we are in a heavily regulated industry, the uniqueness of being in the legal department of a financial institution is that we need to have deep understanding of the regulations surrounding us in addition to general laws that apply to all types of corporations. That said, it’s not necessary to have high-level legal knowledge from the start; what is essential is having a sense of balance and fairness to determine the right course of action.
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- Sawako Miyauchi, Head of Group Legal Department, Nomura Holdings
Q. And what is the composition of the team?
The Group Legal Department has around 50 members. Of these, 26 people have their primary responsibility within Group Legal. The team includes both new graduates and mid-career hires, as well as people transferred from other departments within Nomura. There are around 20 qualified lawyers, licensed in Japan and the US. They come from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from those who have worked at law firms to those who joined our team immediately after completing their legal training. Having diverse members enables us to make judgments based on a multifaceted perspective and this contributes directly to the strength of the team.
Q. How do you determine the right fit for team members?
Our team members have different strengths—from being meticulous and being logical thinkers to having strong presentation and explanation skills and exceptional writing abilities. I look at each individual’s work and actions on a daily basis, and I also ask other managers’ opinions to determine what role or career path best suits each member of the team. I also have discussions with members about their careers and ask them about their interests and aspirations. People’s interests change over time so I make sure to talk with my team from time to time.
Q. How is the collaboration between the legal experts and other members of the team?
There is great synergy within the team. The practical regulatory issues we face on a daily basis are often very detailed and are frequently not addressed in books and articles. There are not many lawyers in Japan with experience in the day to day issues we encounter in financial instrument law, and those who have a background in general corporate law may not possess practical industry knowledge when they initially join the team. We gain valuable insights from team members who have experience working on the ground at Nomura Securities. On the other hand, these team members have opportunities to learn from the lawyers’ meticulous approach to reviewing documents.
Q. What do you pay attention to in order to foster a good team?
There is no point in having a diverse team if people cannot voice their opinions. As manager, it is my responsibility to create an environment that encourages open communication. It is important for me to not only actively listen, but to also understand what needs, concerns or ideas my team members are trying to convey and provide support and advice.
People express their opinion or engage in discussion differently based on their personality and background and how comfortable they feel in the situation. I make a conscious effort to adapt my communication style depending on who I am talking to. This may involve taking a gentler approach or offering alternative viewpoints to stimulate discussion. I want to build a diverse team where members challenge and motivate one another.
Sawako Miyauchi
Head of Group Legal Department, Nomura Holdings
Attorney-at-Law, Admitted in Japan and New York
Sawako is an attorney-at-law who assumed her current role in 2022. She originally joined Nomura’s legal department in 2015. Previously, she worked at Nissan Motors from 2012 to 2015, and Mori Hamada & Matsumoto from 2003 to 2012.
