27th March 2023: Global legal partner search and team move specialist, Definitive Consulting, and Just Legal, a leading legal and compliance search firm, have agreed a co-operation and equity deal that will see Definitive Consulting establish a presence in Japan for the first time.

The agreement draws on the firms’ complementary service offerings, Just Legal’s local market knowledge and Definitive Consulting’s deep expertise in scaling recruitment firms globally to power both businesses’ growth ambitions in Japan and across Asia.

Under the terms of the deal, Paul Cochrane, co-owner and director of Just Legal, will move to Definitive Consulting. He will lead the firm’s launch in Japan, establishing the only dedicated partner-led search offering in the country from 1st April 2023, building on its market-leading status in Asia.

Meanwhile, Darren James, Chairman of Definitive Consulting will take an active role in supporting Hiroshi Kurosaka, co-founder and director of Just Legal, as he seeks to strengthen the Just Legal offering and establish it as the number one legal and compliance specialist recruiter across Japan and Asia.

Commenting on the agreement, James said: “This is a landmark deal that brings together two market-leading firms with complementary service offerings. It will equip both parties to realise ambitious growth plans in the region while offering law firms access to a comprehensive, market-leading search and recruitment proposition.

“I am personally delighted to be working with Paul and Hiroshi, who have already established Just Legal as a highly-regarded, leading player in the Japanese legal market. Paul’s local knowledge and expertise will be invaluable as we establish Definitive Consulting as the only dedicated, partner-led search specialist in Japan, and I am excited to work closely with Hiroshi and the Just Legal team in helping them to achieve their goals for the business.”

The deal will see Definitive Consulting maintain its focus on partner-level search and team move resourcing from its new office in Tokyo, while Just Legal will continue to offer in-house, associate level and compliance recruitment solutions.

Commenting on the deal, Cochrane said: “We are excited to be joining forces with Definitive Consulting. Our law firm clients have increasing partner hiring needs that are not being properly served by anyone in the Tokyo market right now. A key partner hire can have an outsized positive impact on the fortune of a law firm here in Japan and we are looking forward to helping our clients enjoy those benefits.

Kurosaka added: “We are thrilled to partner with Definitive Consulting and bring our Japan legal and compliance search expertise together with their business strategy and operations capabilities. This will allow us to better serve our clients in Japan and accelerate our growth in Japan and across the Asia Pacific region.”

About Definitive Consulting

Definitive Consulting is a leading global executive search specialist and trusted partner to professional services firms worldwide. Our specialist practice groups work closely with a select group of leading firms in the Advisory, Assurance, Consulting, Legal and Taxation sectors.

Our client-led consultancy is always driven by a simple aim: To deliver competitive advantage through exclusive access to outstanding talent. Everything we do, from the people we hire and the clients we work with, to our approach to consultancy, is designed to ensure that we consistently deliver.

We work from offices in Dubai, London, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney and now Tokyo.

www.definitive-consulting.com