By: Kristi Tousignant

Asked: Our weekly question to the In-House community

This week, we take a look at in-house life on the other side of the world.

An increasing number of Japanese lawyers are heading in-house, The Global Legal Post reports. There are now 770 Japanese attorneys working in-house compared to 64 ten years ago, according to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.

Some experts said the rise was a result of companies wanting to save money on outside counsel in the wake of economic troubles following the earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Others said it was simply because the number of attorneys in Japan has risen exponentially in recent years. Since 2005, 12,000 new attorneys have joined the job pool.

So here’s our question for you:

Does it make sense for a company to hire in-house counsel during trying economic times following a natural disaster like Japan’s?

Leave a comment below or email me.

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• A former FBI general counsel was renominated to the bench in U.S. District Court in New York.
• The pair running UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s legal department head in-house to Hogan Lovells.
• A report found the top six priorities for general counsels this year.

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