Just Search Group
Tokyo-headquartered specialist executive search holding launched as a single brand in February 2026, encompassing Just Legal (founded 2014), Just HR (launched 2026), and Definitive Consulting Group Japan; led by Group CEO Paul Cochrane.
Verticals & desks
CONFIRMEDJust Search Group operates as a holding for three specialist brands: Just Legal (legal recruitment for Bengoshi, attorneys, and legal professionals across corporate, private practice, and financial services); Just HR (HR executive search, launched February 2026 under co-founder & MD Jason Lewis); and Definitive Consulting Group Japan (senior-level and partner appointments in the Japanese legal market, also led by Paul Cochrane).
Business model
CONFIRMEDBoutique retained executive search across legal and HR; the firm describes itself as taking on a small number of retained or exclusive searches at any one time, prioritizing depth of engagement over volume.
Compensation & bonus
REPORTEDCompensation data for Just Search Group is not publicly available in the same anonymous-platform sample sizes as the larger contingency firms in this directory. The firm operates as a boutique retained search practice with consultant compensation structured around retained-fee economics.
Leadership
REPORTEDRecent news
CONFIRMED- 2026-02-20
Just Search Group officially launches as the parent brand for Just Legal, Just HR, and Definitive Consulting Group Japan; introduces Just HR under co-founder & MD Jason Lewis.
CONFIRMED Just Search Group press release
Public reception
REPORTEDThe Just Search Group brand is recently launched (February 2026), and the constituent brands (Just Legal, Just HR, Definitive) do not have substantial Glassdoor sample sizes individually. Public client and candidate testimonials surface on the firm's own site and on Paul Cochrane's LinkedIn, with recurring themes of straight-talk, partner-level legal market knowledge, and retention focus over volume.
Recurring positive themes
- · Boutique partner-led service model
- · Deep legal market specialization (Bengoshi, foreign attorneys)
- · Direct client access at the leadership level
- · Retained search posture; small number of mandates per consultant
Recurring concerns
- · Limited public anonymous-source data — small sample size
- · Boutique scale means narrower vertical coverage than large generalist firms
Themes are paraphrased from anonymous reviewer submissions. Quotes are not reproduced. The platform does not verify reviewer identity. Treat as sentiment, not fact.
Employee tenure pattern
CONFIRMEDSenior consultant team is long-tenured in Japan executive search (20+ years for the senior partners). The group is a recent re-brand, but the underlying Just Legal practice has operated since 2014.
Brand & training
REPORTEDJust Search Group positions itself as a partner-led boutique focused on long-term relationships and quality over volume — explicitly differentiating against high-throughput contingency models. The brand emphasises Bengoshi (qualified Japanese lawyer) and partner-level legal hires as its anchor practice.