Practical Law Global Guide 2020: IP in Business Transactions - Japan

Hitomi handles patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and other IP-related matters in multiple business sectors, including IT, life sciences and healthcare, machinery, food, fashion, environment and energy, entertainment, financial services, and e-commerce. Ms. Iwase’s expertise encompasses all forms of IP transactional work, both cross-border and domestic, including licensing, strategic alliances, joint development, and asset transfers, as well as various types of IP disputes, including patent/trademark infringement litigation. Hitomi also assists clients in anti-counterfeiting and in the development of IP portfolios and prosecution strategies. Hitomi regularly advises clients on emerging legal issues relating to the latest technology, such as IoT and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as on complex system-related transactions and disputes over such transactions. In the area of data privacy, Hitomi provides extensive advice on data protection and privacy compliance, including on establishing global compliance systems and incidents such as data breaches. Hitomi also advises on related areas such as e-commerce, advertising, and consumer protection.

Yoko’s practice focuses on representation of life sciences and technology companies that develop and market pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines, diagnostics, medical devices, and digital health products. She specializes in corporate transactions involving complex intellectual property and pharmaceutical regulatory issues, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances and asset transfers. In addition, she counsels clients on matters involving research and development collaborations, clinical trials, technology licensing, supply and distribution agreements, and co-promotion arrangements. She also advises clients in connection with privacy and personal data protection matters.

Satoshi specializes in intellectual property and advanced technology/content businesses, providing strategic advice on disputes, collaborations, and business planning. With a foundation in health sciences and prior experience as a medical technologist at a university hospital, he combines scientific insight with legal expertise, offering practical solutions in pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and healthcare.

He has handled numerous large-scale, complex domestic and cross-border patent disputes, including infringement litigation, inventorship challenges, and proceedings before the Japan Patent Office. Beyond patents, his experience spans copyright and content-related issues, design and trademark protection, and trade secrets and other unfair competition disputes. He has also been involved in multi-party tort and product liability litigation, as well as pollution mediation.

In transactional matters, Satoshi regularly advises on licensing arrangements, M&A transactions, venture support and investments, and comprehensive intellectual property strategies covering patents and brands. His familiarity with research and development environments and intricate medical and pharmaceutical regulatory frameworks enables him to deliver pragmatic, business-oriented guidance. This combination of technical fluency and legal acumen positions him as a trusted advisor for clients navigating complex challenges in innovation-driven industries.