HOTTA Yukihiro
HOTTA YukihiroPartner
| Qualification | Patent Attorney |
|---|---|
| Department | Mechanical |
| Specialization | Control engineering, metal forming, and mechanical engineering |
Background
After graduating from Osaka University (Engineering Department) in 1995, Yukihiro Hotta worked as an engineer for the Research and Development department of an aluminum processing company for four years. In 2002, he passed the Japan Patent Attorney examination for which he prepared while working for the Bureau of Transportation of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and in the Management Operations of Railway Facilities.
He joined Kyowa in 2003 and became a partner in 2015. An intellectual property attorney specialized in mechanical engineering, he is now the head of the Mechanical Department.
At Kyowa, his expertise mainly covers acquiring and maintaining of intellectual property rights in Japan and abroad, as well as preparing of expert opinion and consulting with regard to patent rights in Japan and abroad.
YANAGIMOTO Akiyuki
YANAGIMOTO Akiyuki
| Qualification | Patent Attorney |
|---|---|
| Department | Mechanical |
| Specialization | Mechanical and structural engineering overall |
Background
After graduating from Hokkaido University’s Faculty of Engineering (Department of Mechanical Engineering) in 1998, Akiyuki Yanagimoto completed the master’s program of the Division of Mechanical Science of the same university’s Graduate School of Engineering. He obtained his Ph.D. (Engineering) from the same Division in 2004, after which he joined the Japan Patent Office (JPO).
At the JPO, he worked for about ten years as a patent examiner, examining patent applications for mechanical technologies overall, including printed wiring boards, mounting technologies, vehicle seats, office chairs, beds, children's furniture, display cases, vending machines, ticket vending machines, ticket gates, cash registers, room entry and exit management devices, attendance management devices, drive recorders, and ETC-related devices. He passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2012. He joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2014, where he provides a variety of services, including preparation of patent specifications, acquisition of rights for local cases, for international applications designating Japan, and for Japanese applications designating foreign countries. His various clients include manufacturers of materials, machinery, and equipment.
MURAKOSHI Suguru
MURAKOSHI Suguru
| Qualification | Patent Attorney |
|---|---|
| Department | Mechanical |
| Specialization | Packaging machines, optical films, automobiles, hydraulic systems, inkjet printers, image processing, other mechanical and electrical engineering in general |
Background
Suguru Murakoshi joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office after graduating from Keio University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering (Department of Mechanical Engineering) in 1999 and passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2001. He currently handles applications and intermediate processing in relation to automobiles, optical films, packaging machines, and hydraulic systems, as well as rights acquisition services in Japan and overseas.
He has great English communication skills (TOEIC 910 in 2013).
OKAMURA Kazuro
OKAMURA Kazuro
| Qualification | Patent Attorney |
|---|---|
| Department | Mechanical |
| Specialization | Display components such as touch panels, fabricated metal products such as metal masks, containers such as pouches, laminated films, electronic component mounted boards, printing technology, mechanical elements, and other mechanical, electrical, and physics engineering in general |
Background
Kazuro Okamura graduated from Kyoto University’s Faculty of Engineering in 1999, completed the master’s program of the Department of Material Science and Engineering of the same university’s Graduate School of Engineering, then joined a major optical communication equipment manufacturer where he worked as an engineer in the development and design of optical communication equipment for seven years. His research concentrated on electronic circuits and electronic component mounted boards. He passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2007 then joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2008. At Kyowa, he has been assisting clients with IP-related operations, with a focus on rights acquisition services in Japan and overseas, but also expert opinion and comment services, patent invalidation trials, and oppositions to grants of patent. His clients include manufacturers of materials, pre-forms, components, and finished products.
YAMASHITA Kazuya
YAMASHITA Kazuya
| Qualification | Patent Attorney |
|---|---|
| Department | Mechanical |
| Specialization | Turbines for power generation, water turbines for power generation, nuclear power generation equipment, elevators, circuit boards, etched products, containers, printing technology, sanitary goods, oral care equipment, automotive components, mechanical elements, and other mechanical, electrical, and physics technologies in general |
Background
Kazuya Yamashita graduated from Tokyo Institute of Technology’s School of Engineering in 1993, completed the master’s program of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the same university’s Graduate School of Science and Engineering in 1995, then joined an electrical appliance manufacturer where he worked as an engineer in the development and design of electric switching devices.
After passing the patent attorney’s examination in 2006, he joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2007, where he provides various services, such as rights acquisition, preparation of written expert opinions and comments regarding rights in Japan and overseas. His clients include major general electrical equipment manufacturers, major printing companies, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufacturers.
MURATA Takahisa
MURATA Takahisa
| Qualification | Patent Attorney |
|---|---|
| Department | Mechanical |
| Specialization | Mechanical and structural engineering in general |
Background
Takahisa Murata graduated from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Engineering in 2000, after which he worked for a tire manufacturer.
In 2005, he passed the patent attorney’s examination and joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office. At Kyowa, he provides various services for clients, including patent rights acquisition in Japan and overseas, preparation of expert opinions and comments regarding rights in Japan, assistance with obtaining expert opinions and comments regarding overseas rights, and the enforcement of patent rights in Japan and overseas.
MORI Hideyuki
MORI Hideyuki
| Qualification | Patent Attorney |
|---|---|
| Department | Mechanical |
| Specialization | Automobiles, metal materials, metal processing, other mechanical engineering in general |
Background
Hideyuki Mori graduated from the University of Tokyo, the Department of Engineering in 1984, after which he joined an automobile manufacturer. There, he worked as an engineer in development of materials for automobile components for nine years.
After passing the patent attorney’s examination, he joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 1995, where he assists clients with IP services, with a focus on rights acquisition in Japan and overseas. His clients are manufacturers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, automotive components, and electrical appliances. He also has experience in invalidation trials, opposition claims, and appeals against trial decisions.
NAGAI Hiroshi
NAGAI HiroshiCounsel
| Qualification | Patent Attorney |
|---|---|
| Department | Mechanical |
| Specialization | Printing technology, environmental engineering, semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus, metallic materials, optical devices |
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.
SHUMUTA Minato
SHUMUTA Minato
| Qualification | Patent Attorney |
|---|---|
| Department | Mechanical |
| Specialization | Automotive components, optical films, production technology, circuit boards, mechanical elements, and other mechanical and structural engineering in general |
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.
WATANUKI Chikara
WATANUKI Chikara
| Qualification | Patent Attorney |
|---|---|
| Department | Mechanical |
| Specialization | Power generation equipment, storage batteries, etched products, containers, medical equipment, sanitary goods, automotive components, machine elements, and other mechanical and structural engineering in general |
Background
After graduating from Waseda University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering (Department of Physics) in 2006, Chikara Watanuki completed the master's program in the Department of Physics and Applied Physics of the same university’s Graduate School of Science and Engineering, then joined a major electronics manufacturer and worked in the R&D division for about eight years and in the intellectual property division for about four years. In the R&D division, his work focused on fluid analysis and structural analysis for inkjet printers and multifunctional devices, and simulation technology development. In the IP division, he was involved in a variety of duties, including the discovery of inventions related to inkjet printers, handling of applications in Japan and overseas, intermediate procedures in Japan and overseas, evaluation of inventions, and responses to patents of other companies. He passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2013.
He joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2018, where he is involved in handling of applications and intermediate processing in Japan and overseas. His various clients include major general electrical equipment manufacturers, major printing companies, and major chemical manufacturers.