ABOUT THE JAPAN IN-HOUSE COUNSEL NETWORK (JICN)
The Japan In-house Counsel Network (JICN) was first launched in 2005 and is an unincorporated professional association for in-house counsels working in, or having other affiliations with, Japan.
The goal of JICN is to expand expertise, broaden the knowledge, and strengthen the skills of legal professionals in Japan. JICN offers:
- Educational seminars aimed at updating and broadening the legal competency of its members regarding both domestic and cross-border issues;
- Skills training that provides troubleshooting, brainstorming and team building activities that can be applied in any business organization;
- Career events that enable members to benefit from insights and experience of other legal professionals and external experts, and to otherwise enhance their career development; and
- Social events that not only provide a fun way to network but also build a sense of community among JICN members.
JICN Executive Board
The JICN Executive Board shares roles to support JICN activities.
Angela Yuen
Co-President
Angela Yuen is the Deputy General Counsel (Global Legal, Tech & Innovation) for JERA Inc., Co. (the largest power producer in Japan and a global energy company) based in Tokyo. She oversees the global Legal functions for the JERA Group and is also responsible for driving digital transformation and innovation in Legal. Angela is qualified in Australia and has over 20 years of combined in-house experience and private practice experience at some of Japan’s top trading houses as well as premier Australian and international law firms. She specialized in major projects in the mining, power, energy, resources and infrastructure sectors. Angela is an advocate for digitalization of in-house legal functions and also passionate about sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and supporting young professional females to maximize their leadership potential. She is recognized on the Legal 500 GC Power List for Japan and named Inhouse Lawyer of the Year at the ALB Japan Law Awards 2024. Angela is Co-President of Women in Law Japan (WILJ) and also serves as non-executive director on several Boards in Europe and Australia.
Anthony Luna
Co-President
Anthony Luna is the General Counsel of IBM Japan and a California licensed lawyer. He holds a BA in Political Science from the University of California at Los Angeles and a JD from the University of Southern California. Prior to joining IBM in 2013, he worked as a Partner at Jones Day Tokyo, focusing on M&A and cross-border transactions. Anthony is also an Adjunct Professor teaching Startup and Venture Capital Law at Keio University Law School in Tokyo, and holds executive positions in the Japan In-House Counsel Network and the Japan Association of Chief Legal Officers.
Akiko Kikuchi
Senior Advisor
Akiko is an experienced General Counsel with more than 25 years of experience in the legal industry. She most recently served as the General Counsel for Bayer Japan and a member of their Country Leadership Team after first working as General Counsel for GE Plastics Japan and then General Counsel for PwC Japan. Akiko is a law graduate from Keio University and Oxford University where she was awarded a Jardine Matheson scholarship. She is named on the Legal 500 GC Power List for Japan and was selected as the Women Lawyer of the Year (In-House) in the ALB Japan Law Awards in 2020. Akiko served as Co-President of JICN until March 2024 and is one of the Founding Members of the Japan CLO Association serving on their Executive Board.
William Herbert
Senior Advisor
William Herbert has spent seven years in private practice and nine years providing in house advice at publicly traded Japanese pharmaceutical manufacturers. His duties have included negotiating development and license agreements for innovative compounds, managing product liability litigation in North America and Europe, providing legal advice to overseas affiliates in Asia and North America, advising on FCPA and data privacy, and establishing and leading an anti-counterfeiting department.
Since 2016, William has been Director of the Legal Department at Nippon Becton Dickinson, the Japanese subsidiary of Becton Dickinson and Company, a US medical device manufacturer. He is admitted to practice law in the states of Georgia, New York, and Washington.
Rose Angelique Dizon
Board Member
Rose Angelique Dizon is a Corporate Counsel at Renesas Electronics Corporation, a global leader in microcontrollers, analog, power and SoC products. She started her career in private practice as an associate in SyCip Salazar Hernandez and Gatmaitan Law Offices, the Philippines’ largest law firm, and then, as an in-house counsel for Maya Philippines, an e-money company.
She is admitted to practice law in the Philippines as well as in the State of New York.
In her spare time, Rose enjoys discovering new food and places, doing functional fitness, and watching stand up comedies.
Jun Kochi
Board Member
Jun Kochi is currently a Manager at International Legal Department at JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corporation. Jun started off his career at the intellectual property department at Hitachi, Ltd., and subsequently moved to the legal departments of Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., before briefly engaging in a project in India at Japan International Consultants for Transportation Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of JR East.
Jun originally studied law in the UK, where I was initially called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in 2008. In 2014-15, Jun took a career break to pursue an LLM at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. I am currently admitted to practice law in New York, England and Wales (as Solicitor), and New South Wales.
Outside of work, Jun enjoys kick boxing for fitness and recently visited Thailand.
Jean Lu
Board Member
Jean is Legal Counsel at a private equity firm in Tokyo, responsible for all legal matters in Japan. She previously served as an in-house counsel at a major technology company and a venture capital firm.
Jean is a Texas licensed lawyer. She received a J.D. with honors from Northwestern University School of Law, and started her career as a corporate and investment funds lawyer at a global law firm in Texas.
In her spare time, Jean enjoys learning Japanese culture, writing, and travel.
Asako Ouchi
Board Member
Asako Ouchi is the Senior Attorny in IBM Japan with over 15 years of experience in the legal industry. Holding a Japanese legal qualification, she has built a distinguished career by combining deep expertise with a forward-looking approach to the evolving legal landscape.
Asako began her journey at one of top tier law firm in Japan, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, where she specialized in antitrust law and honed her skills in legal analysis and complex investigative work. During her tenure, she gained valuable in-house experience through a secondment to the global pharmaceutical company—a role that later led to a full-time position with the organization.
In 2023, Asako joined IBM Japan, where she focuses on cutting-edge areas of law, including privacy, cybersecurity, AI, economic security, other IT-related legal matters. Her ability to navigate these dynamic and innovative fields underscores her commitment to supporting businesses in a rapidly changing world.
Asako was honored as a “Rising Star” on the Legal 500 GC Power List for Japan in 2024.
Mina Hoshizawa
Board Member
Coming Soon