We, Innovation Platform for Business Legal K.K. (IPBL), are committed to driving innovation in business legal, based in Tokyo, not only for Japan but also for the broader Asia region. Our mission is to transform legal professional talent flows, strengthen the organizational capabilities of corporate legal departments and law firms, and support data-driven decision-making of legal professionals and organizations. For legal departments and corporate law firms, we offer organizational consulting, executive search, strategic planning and implementation to acquire legal professionals, and data-scientific legal market research and consulting. We also provide agent services and career consulting for legal professionals in combination with data.

This article provides the female ratio ranking in Japanese law firms as of May 2024, focusing on the top 50 law firms by headcount (i.e., 38 or more lawyers and registered foreign lawyers). The female ratio is calculated by dividing the number of female lawyers and female registered foreign lawyers by the number of lawyers and registered foreign lawyers. The female ratio can be regarded as a key indicator of the firm's culture, its management philosophy, and the diversity of work styles. The data from this article, along with comments from Akira Nomura, CEO, on the forefront of DE&I in Japanese corporate law firms, were published in the Nikkei Shimbun on October 4, 2024, in an article titled "Growing Presence of Female Lawyers in Corporate Legal Affairs: Advancing Diversity in Law Firms".

First, we describe some notable trends among the Japanese Big 5 law firms. At Nishimura & Asahi (Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo), the largest law firm in Japan, the number of female lawyers increased by 17 compared to last year, while at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, the increase was 20. In both firms, the proportion of female lawyers in relation to the overall increase in the number of lawyers exceeds 40%.

This year, the top female ratio is held by Kensei Law Office at 37.2%, followed by Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) at 32.9%, Morrison Foerster LLP at 31.1%, Tanabe & Partners at 30.0%, and Abe, Ikubo & Katayama at 29.4%. Kensei Law Office has entered the ranking for the first time this year due to an increase in the total number of lawyers. Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) is one of the few law firms that provides ID&E policy with its progress. As mentioned in our interview article with the management partner of Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise), the relationship between size and diversity is expected to become increasingly important in law firm management (https://lawplatform.co.jp/booksreports/2023/04/ide/). Morrison & Foerster LLP, Tanabe & Partners, and Abe, Ikubo & Katayama have maintained a high female ratio in recent years. Our discussion article with Abe, Ikubo & Katayama reveals the inherited managerial philosophy that successfully cultivates diversity in Japan (https://lawplatform.co.jp/booksreports/2020/11/ipbl_award2020_l-star_12/).

The female ratio among the top 50 law firms by headcount is on the rise. In order to be among the top 25% of firms in terms of female ratio growth, an increase of approximately 1.7% or more in the female ratio within a year is required.

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