Profiles ｜ Kyowa Patent and Law Office

NAKASHIMA  Shingo

Background

In 2009, Shingo Nakashima graduated from Tohoku University’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Department of Pharmacy) and registered as a pharmacist. After completing the master's program in the Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences Major of the same university’s Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2011, he took up employment at a pharmaceutical manufacturer where he worked eight years in the research, development, and manufacture of therapeutic drugs for skin diseases, primarily helping to bring acne treatments to market. While working here, he passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2018.
He joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office the following year, where he assists various Japanese and overseas clients, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, cosmetics manufacturers, and food manufacturers, with IP operations, with a focus on rights acquisition.

KAWASAKI  Ryo

Background

Ryo Kawasaki graduated from Chuo University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering in 2012 and later completed the master’s program at the same university’s Graduate School of Science and Engineering.
He then joined a medical equipment manufacturing company, where he worked for about two years in the development and design of medical equipment such as X-ray diagnostic imaging equipment and dental equipment. Subsequently, he was transferred to the company’s intellectual property office, where he spent about four years working in a variety of areas, including invention discovery, rights acquisition, prior-art searches, clearance surveys, and intellectual property management related to X-ray diagnostic imaging equipment, OCT equipment, and dental equipment.
After passing the patent attorney’s examination in 2019, he joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2021. His work at Kyowa focuses on rights acquisition services primarily in the fields of medical equipment, optics, and sanitary goods.

NAKAMURA  Yusuke

Background

After graduating from Keio University’s Faculty of Law, Department of Law and from University of Tokyo Law School, Yusuke Nakamura engaged in legal and intellectual property-related work at a clothing manufacturer, during which he passed the patent attorney exam in 2018. He registered as a patent attorney in 2019 and was involved in domestic and foreign trademark application and rights acquisition business mainly for SMEs at a patent law office.
He joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2021, where he is involved in domestic and foreign trademark application and rights acquisition as a member of the Trademarks section.

SUZUKI  Takanori

Background

Takanori Suzuki graduated from the Tokyo Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Urban Liberal Arts (now the Faculty of Science) in 2006, skipping the fourth year to advance to the master’s program of the university’s Graduate School of Human Health Sciences. During his master's degree, he engaged in research on food ingredients.
After completing the master’s program, he took up employment with an ICT services company in 2011, where he worked as a system engineer in the development of control programs for chemical plants in parallel with which he studied for and passed the patent attorney’s examination (2014).
He then worked five years in rights acquisition, mainly of technical side of manufacturing daily necessities in Japan and overseas, at another patent firm, as a domestic and overseas patent prosecutor. During this time, in 2018, he passed the examination which qualifies him as a Patent Infringement Litigator in Japan.
He joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2021. At Kyowa, he works in acquisition of rights, in Japan and overseas, with a focus on packaging materials.

SHUMUTA  Minato

Background

After graduating from Keio University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering (Department of System Design Engineering) in 2015, Minato Shumuta joined the Japanese branch of a German automotive components manufacturer. He worked as an engineer for about four and a half years, developing gasoline engine control units for passenger cars for the European, Chinese, and Japanese markets. His development work focused primarily on model/market conformity of self-diagnosis features (deterioration/failure detection) of exhaust emission control systems, such as three-way catalysts, as well as in-vehicle testing of products delivered to customers.
During his time with said company, he traveled to its head office in Germany, where he was involved in coordination and development work with the Japanese branch office. He joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2019 and passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2020. At Kyowa, he works in applications and intermediate processing related to automotive components, optical films, looms, hydraulic systems, etc., as well as rights acquisition in Japan and overseas.

MUKAI  Tsubasa

Background

After receiving in 2014 his master’s degree in Engineering from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tsubasa Mukai worked for Hokuriku Electric Power Company for about three years where his main duties were maintaining communication networks for power systems and smart meter servers. In 2018 he joined Fukui Prefectural Office in 2018 where he did maintenance work for disaster prevention administrative radio and sewage treatment facilities for four years. He passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2018. In 2022, he joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office.

NIEDA Shoji

Background

After graduating in 2013 from the Department of Economics of the University of Tokyo, Shoji Nieda enrolled in Keio University Law School. He was admitted to the bar in 2022 and worked for an Intellectual Property law firm in Kansai region. He joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2022. As an attorney at Law with a background in technology and economics, he handles infringement lawsuits against manufacturers in Japan and overseas, lawsuits against trial decisions, warning negotiations, contract-related work, expert opinions, various legal consultations, as well as trademarks, designs, copyrights, unfair competition and other general corporate legal affairs.

FUSHIMI  Shunsuke

Background

Shunsuke Fushimi graduated from Tokyo Institute of Technology’s School of Engineering in 1996, completed the master’s program of the Department of Organic Materials Engineering of the same university’s Graduate School of Science and Engineering in 1998, then joined a flexible printed wiring boards manufacturer where he worked as an engineer in Development. He passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2006, then worked for more than 15 years at a major patent and law firm preparing specifications for domestic industrial gas and chemical manufacturers. In 2023, he joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office where his duties are mainly acquiring and maintaining of intellectual property rights in Japan and abroad, as well as consulting.

SHIMOYAMA  Jun

Background

After graduating from Tokyo University of Science (Pharmacy Department) in 2008 and obtaining his MSc degree from the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the same university in 2010, Jun Shimoyama joined a pharmaceutical company. Here he worked almost seven years in the R&D department where, apart from researching topical agents, his work included patent applications, contracts, and public relations. After passing the Japan Patent Attorney examination in 2016, he joined a patent office and a law firm where, as a patent attorney, he was involved in patent application proceedings, acquisition of rights, trials, and infringement litigation mainly in medicine and biotechnology. In 2022, he joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office.

OGAWA  Hiroyuki

Background

After graduating from the Faculty of Agricultural Chemistry, Department of Agriculture of The University of Tokyo in 1993, Hiroyuki Ogawa completed the master’s program in the Department of Biotechnology, the Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Science, the University of Tokyo in 1995. After receiving his Ph.D. in Agriculture from the same department in 1998 and conducting postdoctoral research, he worked for two private companies in microbial analysis technology development. He then worked at a patent firm and was registered as a patent attorney in 2012, and an IP Litigation Attorney in 2018. His duties were mainly acquiring and maintaining of intellectual property rights in Japan and abroad for medical device manufacturers, general chemical manufacturers, etc. He joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2024 where he provides intellectual property support with a focus on rights acquisition for a variety of domestic and international clients, including pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food manufacturers.

TAGUCHI  Katsutoshi

Background

After graduating from the Faculty of Economics of Saitama University in March 1997, Katsutoshi Taguchi worked in Sales at a trading company. In 2002, he moved to a patent firm where he handled first domestic, then foreign patent prosecution and assisted in trademark practice. He was registered as a patent attorney in 2020, acted as a trademark patent attorney at another patent firm and joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2024. Here his main duties are searching, acquiring and maintaining of trademarks in Japan and abroad for various manufacturers.

YAMAMOTO  Hiromi

Background

After graduating from the Department of Chemical System Engineering of the University of Tokyo in March 2000, Hiromi Yamamoto worked at a patent firm in acquiring and maintaining of intellectual property rights in Japan for semiconductor-related manufacturers, electronic device manufacturers, and abroad for chemical corporations, as well as in oppositions, and invalidation trials for over twenty years.
She was registered as a patent attorney in 2012, and an IP Litigation Attorney in 2018. She joined Kyowa in 2024 where she assists clients with IP-related operations, with a focus on rights acquisition in Japan and overseas (chemical manufacturers).

MURAKAMI  Hiroyuki

Background

Hiroyuki Murakami graduated from Iwate University, Faculty of Science and Engineering in 2005, after which he worked in the technical department of an electronics manufacturing company for 10 years (printed circuit board manufacturing technology: over 6 years, engine airbag ECU manufacturing technology: over 2 years, aluminum foil manufacturing technology: one year). While working here, he passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2014.
The next 10 years he worked in a patent firm and then in a corporate IP department. He joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2024. Here his main duties are acquiring and maintaining of IPRs in Japan and abroad for chemical manufacturers, although he is also involved in invalidation trials, oppositions, lawsuits to cancel trial decisions, and infringement lawsuits.

YOSHITAKE  KenjiCounsel

Background

Kenji Yoshitake worked for the Ministry of Transportation for six years after graduating from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law. He joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 1972.
While handling intellectual property rights as an attorney at law and patent attorney, he was appointed president and chairman of the firm in 2001. He was registered as a candidate for the WIPO List of Neutrals and a candidate arbitrator with the Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Center. He also served as the deputy chair of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) Committee on Intellectual Property Rights and as an instructor for training programs prior to being granted the right to represent clients in actions alleging specific infringement by the Japan Patent Attorneys Association. Through these activities, he has contributed to the development of theory and education concerning intellectual property infringement litigation and non-litigation dispute resolution procedures.
He served as a senior director and executive director of AIPPI Japan, working to achieve international harmonization of intellectual property systems. As chair of the Nakamatsu Memorial Scholarship Committee, he led a scholarship program to facilitate study of Japanese intellectual property by international students, and contributed to the development of intellectual property human resources in Asia.
In addition, he served as a member of APAA for ten years and as a member of the APAA Japan Group for nine years, energetically implementing anti-counterfeit measures in Asia.

NAGAI  HiroshiCounsel

Background

Hiroshi Nagai worked as an engineer for the Research and Development Department and later the Management Department of the Metropolitan Government after receiving his master’s degree in Science and Engineering in 1977 from Waseda University.
He joined Kyowa in 1985 and became a managing partner in 2015 after being the head of the Mechanical Department for almost two decades. For over 30 years, he has been advising, assisting and supporting small, medium and large companies in mechanical technologies, accumulating a vast experience in litigation and disputes in Japan and abroad.

ASAKURA  SatoruCounsel

Background

After receiving in 1976 his Masters Degree from the Department of Industrial Designs, Faculty of Engineering of Chiba University, Satoru Asakura worked for thirteen years as an examiner at the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and for four years at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
He joined Kyowa in 2006 and became a managing partner in 2015 after being the head of the Designs Department, while conducting lectures at universities such as Chiba University and Takushoku University He coauthored in 2001 the “JPO’s Standard Text for Industrial Property Rights (Design)” published by the Japan Institute for Promoting Invention and Innovation.

Articles

• "Green Paper on Legal Protection of Industrial Design" 1991 EC Committee Revision - Japan - Design Protection Association「DESIGN PROTECT No.110 2016」

NAKAMURA  YukitakaCounsel

Background

After graduating from Tokyo University of Science (Engineering Department) in 1977, Mr. Yukitaka Nakamura was registered as a patent attorney in 1981.
He joined Kyowa in 1986 and became a managing partner in 2015 after being the head of the Chemical Department for more than a decade.
For over 30 years, he has been advising, assisting and supporting small, medium and large chemical companies and has a vast experience in litigation and disputes in Japan and abroad.