[President]
Yoshikiyo Nishikawa
| Mr. Nishikawa obtained a degree in chemistry from Kyoto Institute of Technology. Before joining Hokuto, he was a researcher at a private company for four years.
He was registered to practice before the Japan Patent Office and joined the firm (1981), and was qualified as a Patent Infringement Litigator before the Japanese Courts (2005). He has headed the firm since 1997. |
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| Field | Mr. Nishikawa actively handles many intellectual property rights. He also has extensive experience in preparing legal opinions, trials for invalidation, and infringement litigation. He specializes in the fields of chemistry, mechanics, structures, and daily necessities, and manages all aspects of patent, design, trademark, domestic application, foreign application, prosecution, and litigation, in Japan and foreign countries as well as unfair competition and licensing contracts. |
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| Professional
Associations |
He is a former member of council (1995-1996) and patent committee of the JPAA. He is also a member of the APAA, AIPPI, and JTA. He regularly presents lectures on patent issues at various companies, organizations, and industries. |
| Award | He is awarded a commendation by the JPAA for distinguished contribution to the Association (1998). |
- *APPA, Asian Patent Attorneys Association
- *AIPPI, International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property
- *JTA, Japan Trademark Association
Takeshi Sakaguchi
| Education | Master of Engineering in Electronic Engineering, Tohoku University |
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| Career | Worked as a researcher at a private company for 6 years
Joined Hokuto in 2003 Qualified as a Patent Attorney in 2007 Qualified as a Patent Infringement Litigator in 2011 Joined the JPAA Patent Committee in 2015 |
| Field | Electricity , Electronics , Information Communication , Control Systems |
Yasutsugu Tanaka
| Education | Bachelor of Law, Kwansei Gakuin University |
|---|---|
| Career | Worked at a private company for 3 years
Joined Hokuto in 1992 Qualified as a Patent Attorney in 2004 Qualified as a Patent Infringement Litigator in 2008 Joined the JPAA Trademark Committee in 2015 |
| Field | Trademarks , Design , Unfair Competition , Licensing |
Katsuhisa Mizujiri
| Education | Master of Engineering in Applied Chemistry, Osaka City University |
|---|---|
| Career | Joined Hokuto in 1997
Qualified as a Patent Attorney in 2007 |
| Field | Inorganic Chemistry , Electrochemistry , Electronic materials |
Makoto Tanimizu
| Education | Master of Science in Mathematics and Information Science, Osaka Prefecture University | Career | Worked for a private company and another patent firm before Joining Hokuto in 2014
Qualified as a Patent Attorney in 2016 |
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| Field | Electricity , Electronics , Information Communication , Computer Software |
Yoshishige Takeo
| Education | Master of Science in Macromolecular Science, Osaka University |
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| Career | Worked as a researcher at a private company for 2 years
Joined Hokuto in 1999 Qualified as a Patent Attorney in 2005 Qualified as a Patent Infringement Litigator in 2009 |
| Field | Polymer chemistry , Organic chemistry , Biochemistry |
Hiroo Ogawa
| Education | Master of Science in Organic Chemistry, Osaka University |
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| Career | Worked as a researcher at a private company for 18 years.
From 2008, start working at Patent attorneys offices Joined Hokuto in 2020 Qualified as a Patent Attorney in 2008 |
| Field | Organic chemistry, Polymer chemistry, Catalyst chemistry |
Makoto Nakao
| Education | Master of Engineering in Materials Engineering, Tokyo University |
|---|---|
| Career | Worked at a private company and other Patent Attorneys Office before joining Hokuto in 2021
Qualified as a Patent Attorney in 2012 |
| Field | Electricity, Electronics, Information Communication , Computer Software |
Kazuki Nagahama
| Education | Bachelor of Engineering in Electronic Engineering, Kansai University |
|---|---|
| Career | After working at other Patent Attorneys office, joined Hokuto in 2019
Qualified as a Patent Attorney in 2019 |
| Field | Electricity, Electronics, Information Communication , Computer Software |
Toru Ii
| Education | Master of Arts in English Studies(Literature), Kobe City University of Foreign Studies |
|---|---|
| Career | After working at an educational institution, joined Hokuto in 2019
Qualified as a Patent Attorney in 2023 |
| Field | Design, Trademarks, Unfair Competition, Licensing |
Kaiki Hata
| Education | Master of Law in Law and Ploitics, Osaka University |
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| Career | oined Hokuto in 2021
Qualified as a Patent Attorney in 2021 |
| Field | Trademarks , Design , Unfair Competition , Licensing |
Takatoshi Nakae
| Education | Master of Science in Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics , Tokyo Institute of Technology (now, Institute of Science Tokyo) Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering |
|---|---|
| Career | Worked at a private company and other Patent Attorneys Office before joining Hokuto in 2024
Qualified as a Patent Attorney in 2020 |
| Field | Electricity, Electronics, Information Communication , Control Systems, Computer Software |
[Councel]
Kazunori Yamagami
| Mr. Yamagami graduated from Osaka University with an honors degree in Materials and Manufacturing Science and further gained a degree in Law from Chuo University. He also graduated with a Masters degree in Law from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
He has practiced law since 1968 and established his office in 1973. His office has been merged with Yodoyabashi LPC in 2003. |
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| Professional
Associations |
With a strong focus on intellectual property law, he was a chairman of IP committee of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (1992-1993). He was also an Arbitrator and a member of the Mediation Committee of WIPO (1994), a former chairman of the Licensing Executives Society of Japan (1998) and a chairman of The Japan Commercial Arbitration Association (2000).
In cooperation with realm of patent attorneys, he has successfully litigated a number of IP cases. |
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