The hard work of “effortless success” in your law career in Japan with Bonnie Kong

Lawyer on Air

Bonnie Kong is a partner at Anderson, Mori & Tomotsune in Tokyo. Bonnie shares how she came to be working in law and how an interest in Japan set her on a course over 10 years of visiting, learning the language, working on deals with Japan overseas and then finally moving to live in Japan. We discuss the importance of continuous learning, cultural understanding across generations, and community engagement in achieving legal career success. We also discuss the paradox of effortlessness! Join us for another fascinating story of a woman in the law in Japan.

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In this episode you’ll hear:

• Why nothing is wasted when you learn continuously in your law career

• What it’s like to take on the leadership role of partner in a firm

• Inspiration from tennis star Roger Federer on effortlessness

• Her favourite restaurant and other fun facts

About Bonnie

Bonnie Kong is a Partner in the Tokyo office of Anderson Mori & Tomotsune. Bonnie has extensive experience in a broad range of corporate matters, including capital markets transactions, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and securities and investment projects in Greater China and Japan, as well as licensing and regulatory compliance.

Prior to joining Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Bonnie was a partner of a prestigious international law firm in Hong Kong and prior to that in other firms in Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Bonnie is fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, and is conversational in Japanese.

She undertook a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and she subsequently studied Bachelor of Chinese Laws at Tsinghua University and did a Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) at The University of Hong Kong. She also joined a Japanese Language Program at Keio University in Japan.

She is qualified as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand and New South Wales, Australia, and as a solicitor in Hong Kong and England and Wales.

Outside of the practice of Law Bonnie served as a judge at the Intercollegiate Negotiation Competition in the past two consecutive years. She was previously a part-time lecturer at the Graduate Schools of Law and Politics at the University of Tokyo.

Bonnie is passionate about diversity equity and inclusion and has been appointed as a member of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune since April last year and as a member of the Pro Bono Committee since April this year. She is involved with supporting Women in Law Japan most recently with the International Women’s Day event in 2024, hosted at her law firm’s seminar room.

In her spare time, Bonnie loves traveling and has been to different parts of Japan, and she also enjoys cycling.

Connect with Bonnie

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bwkong/

Links

Bonnie’s Secret Restaurant, Suigian: https://suigian.jp/

72 Micro Seasons App https://www.kurashikata.com/72seasons/

Connect with Catherine

Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/

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YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lawyeronair