[Legal] Director, Country Lawyer, Japan, Korea [Orthopaedics]

DePuy Synthes is recruiting for a Legal Director, Japan, South Korea, located in Tokyo, Japan. 

Job Overview 

This role serves as the senior legal leader for Japan and South Korea, providing strategic and practical legal counsel to support business growth, innovation, and risk management across the DePuy Synthes portfolio. The Legal Director partners closely with commercial, medical, supply chain, and corporate functions to ensure compliance with local laws and regulations while enabling sound business decisions. This is a highly visible role with direct impact on patient access, business performance, and the integrity of operations in two critical markets. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Serve as the primary legal advisor for DePuy Synthes businesses in Japan and South Korea, supporting commercial, medical, and operational activities. 

• Provide strategic legal counsel on regulatory, compliance, corporate governance, commercial contracting, and dispute matters. 

• Ensure adherence to local laws, industry codes, and company policies, including healthcare compliance requirements. 

• Support investigations, litigation, and government inquiries, partnering with in-house litigation counsel and external counsel as needed. 

• Review, draft, and negotiate complex commercial agreements, including distributor, supplier, and strategic partnership contracts. 

• Advise leadership on risk mitigation strategies, balancing legal risk with business objectives. 

• Collaborate with regional and global legal colleagues and Privacy and Healthcare Compliance teams to align on policies, processes, and best practices. 

• Support organizational changes, transactions, and strategic initiatives, including integration and separation-related activities. 

Qualifications 

Education 

• Law degree (LLB, JD, or equivalent) required. 

• Appropriate professional qualifications and certifications to practice law in Japan.

Experience and Skills 

Required: 

• 10+ years of progressive legal experience, including significant time advising businesses in regulated industries. 

• Strong knowledge of commercial, regulatory, and compliance law relevant to medical devices or healthcare. 

• Demonstrated ability to provide clear, practical legal advice to senior business leaders. 

• Experience managing external counsel and complex legal matters. 

• Proven judgment, integrity, and ability to operate effectively in a matrixed, global organization. 

Preferred: 

• Prior experience in the medical device, pharmaceutical, or life sciences industry. 

• Experience supporting multi‑country or regional legal responsibilities. 

• Direct or indirect experience advising on South Korean legal issues. 

• Familiarity with corporate transactions, restructurings, or business separations. 

• Leadership experience mentoring or informally guiding other legal professionals. 

Other: 

• Languages: Fluency in Japanese required; business‑level English required; additional fluency in South Korean preferred. 

• Travel: Up to ~20% domestic and international travel. 

Johnson & Johnson announced plans to separate our Orthopedics business to establish a standalone orthopedics company, operating as DePuy Synthes. The process of the planned separation is anticipated to be completed sometime in 2027, subject to legal requirements, including consultation with works councils and other employee representative bodies, as may be required, regulatory approvals and other customary conditions and approvals. Should you accept this position, it is anticipated that, following conclusion of the transaction, you would be an employee of DePuy Synthes and your employment would be governed by DePuy Synthes employment processes, programs, policies, and benefit plans. In that case, details of any planned changes would be provided to you by DePuy Synthes at an appropriate time and subject to any necessary consultation processes. 

Johnson & Johnson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Johnson & Johnson is committed to providing an interview process that is inclusive of our applicants’ needs. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation, external applicants please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers, internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

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