Can Carlos Ghosn beat the rap?

With a trial looming this year on charges of aggravated breach of trust and filing false statements to regulators regarding ¥9 billion in deferred income, the former chairman of Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA needs a new strategy. He's lost two requests for bail and faces as many as 10 years in prison if convicted.

Confronting a legal system with a 99 percent conviction rate, Ghosn overhauled his legal team last week. He replaced a group led by former local prosecutor Motonari Otsuru with one overseen by Junichiro Hironaka, who is known for aggressive tactics defending high-profile clients such as a former senior bureaucrat accused of corruption. Hironaka will hold his first news conference as Ghosn's lawyer on Wednesday.