# Career Reinvention, Japanese Business Culture, and the Fractional GC Model with Catherine O'Connell
Episode of Studying Law Around the World, hosted by Claudio Klaus.
Published: Fri, 22 May 2026 10:05:00 GMT
Duration: 00:20:31
## Summary
This week on Studying Law Around the World, I have the absolute pleasure of hosting Catherine O'Connell. Catherine is a registered foreign lawyer in Japan, licensed in New Zealand and England and Wales. Originally arriving in Tokyo for a one-year contract, she has built an incredible 23-year career spanning private practice, in-house counsel roles for multinational giants like Panasonic, and the launch of her very own boutique law firm.In this highly inspiring episode, we discuss the evolution of a global legal career, the nuances of Japanese business culture, and why your unique background is your greatest professional asset.Guest: Catherine O'Connell, Principal and Founder of Catherine O'Connell Law. Catherine is a trailblazing foreign lawyer in Japan, an experienced corporate board member, and the host of the Lawyer on Air podcast.During our conversation, Catherine shared insights about board work and career reinvention that she expands on heavily in her own work. I highly recommend checking out her award-winning show:Lawyer on Air PodcastA Pathway to Board Success: Catherine's insights on leadership with guest host Akiyo Inoko Hewett (Part 1 of 3)Advice for aspiring board members at every level of their legal career with Catherine and guest host Akiyo Inoko Hewett (Part 2 of 3)
## Listen
- Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/studyinglawaroundtheworld/episodes/Career-Reinvention--Japanese-Business-Culture--and-the-Fractional-GC-Model-with-Catherine-OConnell-e3jn06d
- Audio: https://anchor.fm/s/38a26d44/podcast/play/120340109/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-4-21%2F424622141-44100-2-51ce7ed22c552.m4a
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/34QvO0swkWx4XtNxlItXWe
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/studying-law-around-the-world/id1547616885
Show page: https://claudioklaus.com/podcast
Canonical: https://claudioklaus.com/podcast/episodes/career-reinvention-japanese-business-culture-and-the-fractional-gc-model-with-ca.md