Partner
Kiyoshi Kuzuwa
President Patent Attorney
Qualification
- Patent Attorney (registered in 1992)
- Certified IP infringement litigator (registered in 2004)
Career
After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Mr. Kuzuwa started his career at the Japan Patent Office as a Patent Examiner/Appeal Examiner in the field of polymer processing, applied chemistry, textile technology and medical science, and further served as a deputy director of Examination Standard Office and the IP legislation deliberation office for revision of Patent Acts and Examination Standards. Meanwhile, he studied Law at University of Munich (LMU) and Max Planck Institute for IP in Germany, and worked as an Exchange Examiner at USPTO. In 1992, he left the JPO and joined a Swiss chemical company (currently NOVARTIS AG) and worked at its Patent and Trademarks Division (concurrently serving as an IP manager of several Japan corporations) until joining Takao Minami Patent Office. Since 1995, he has been running Kuzuwa & Partners, while he was registered as a certified IP infringement litigator and appointed as a Professor at Chiba University in 2004 and assigned as a member of the JPO’s IP Project Study Group in 2005.
| Publications | “Data Protection of New Drugs” (co-author), Intellectual Property Management Vol.66 No.3 (2016) “Supplementary Protection Certification System for Medicines” (German/English) of “Ergänzende Schutzzertifikate”, Carl Heymanns Verlag (2015) “Construction of an IP Department linked to corporate management” (co-author), Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (2007) “Essentials of Patents” (co-translation) -Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (2005) “Guide to basic Intellectual Property case law” (co-author), Asakura Shoten (2005) “European Patents: Unity of Invention in Europe” (translation), AIPPI magazine (October, 2004) “Japanisches Fallrecht zu klinischen Versuchen mit patentierten Arzneistoffen” (Japanese case on clinical trials of patented medical substance), die pharmazeutische industrie Band 61 Nr. 1 (1999) “Detailed Explanation on Improved Multi-claimed system/Patent Term Extension system” (co-author), Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (1988) “Latest Patent Management Manual” (co-author), New Technology Development Center (1988) “Chemical invention in Europe (1), (2) Patent Management Vol.30 No. 4, No. 5” (1980) etc. |
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| Practice Areas | Material science, Medicine, Litigation |
Susumu Shiozaki
Vice President Patent Attorney
Qualification
- Patent Attorney (registered in 2007)
Career
After graduating from the Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Nagoya University, completing his studies at the graduate school of the same university, Mr. Shiozaki has served as a JPO Examiner (Measurement, Applied Physics, Applied Optics, Materials Analysis), and an Appeal Examiner (Measurement, Electronic Games, Agricultural Machinery). He also worked at the United Nations Bureau of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, WIPO (Geneva), the European Patent Office in the Hague and Munich as a JPO-EPO Exchange Examiner, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency Vietnamese Patent Office Modernization Project (Hanoi). He joined our firm in January 2007.
| Practice Areas | Physics, Measurement Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Science |
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Misa Odagiri
Partner Patent Attorney
Qualification
- Patent Attorney (registered in 2013)
Career
After graduating from the Department of Biology at University of Washington via a high school in Seattle, USA, Ms. Odagiri worked at the Oregon National Primate Research Center of Oregon Health & Science University until she joined a patent firm in Tokyo. In 2010, she joined Kuzuwa & Partners, and has been working for us since then. Meanwhile she passed the Patent Bar Examination in 2012 and worked as a Japanese Patent Attorney at our client’s office in Germany in 2013~2016 with some intervals. She is a partner patent attorney of our firm since 2022.
| Practice Areas | Neuroscience, Biochemistry, Pharmaceuticals, Regulatory Affairs, Environmental Biology |
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Tomomi Yago
Partner Patent Attorney
Qualification
- Patent Attorney (registered in 2014)
- Certified IP infringement litigator (registered in 2017)
Career
After graduating from Purdue University, the Department of Food Science via transfer from the University of Texas at Arlington, Ms. Yago joined our firm in 2006, and since then, has been working for us. Meanwhile, she worked at our client’s office in Switzerland in 2014, and became a partner patent attorney of our firm in 2023.
| Practice Areas | Biochemistry, Food Science, Pharmaceuticals |
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Attorney at Law (Kuzuwa Law Office)
Yurie Kuzuwa
J.D., Attorney at Law, Patent Attorney
Qualification
- Attorney at Law (registered in 2016)
- Patent Attorney (registered in 2022)
Career
After graduating from Waseda University, the School of Culture, Media and Society, Ms. Kuzuwa further completed the Law School of the same university and gained Juris Doctor Shortly thereafter. She passed the Bar Examination in 2015, and via official training course of lawyers she started her career in 2017 at Yahoo Japan Corporation as an in-house lawyer and experienced a lot of legal affairs, litigations, M&A, etc. in various Internet businesses. She joined our firm in 2022 and was registered as a patent attorney in the same year. Since 2023, she has been an attorney at law at Kuzuwa Law Office as well as Kuzuwa & Partners, P.C.
| Publications | “Q&A on Legal Regulations and Practical Responses to Advertisement Display” (co-author), Chuokeizaisha (2019) |
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| Practice Areas | IP-related disputes and litigations, Licensing, Corporate legal affairs in general, Trademarks and Designs |
Patent Attorneys
Kenichi Sugie
M.Sc., Patent Attorney
Qualification
- Patent Attorney (registered in 2010)
Career
After graduating from the School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, he completed his studies at the Department of Biological Mechanisms and Functions at the Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences of the same university. After working at patent firms in Osaka and in Tokyo, he joined our firm in 2016.
| Practice Areas | Biotechnology, Medicine |
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Junichiro Inoue
M.Sc., Patent Attorney
Qualification
- Patent Attorney (registered in 2010)
- Certified IP infringement litigator (registered in 2013)
Career
After graduating from the Department of Applied Chemistry, the Faculty of Engineering, Keio University, and further completing the study for Master degree of Applied Chemistry at the Graduate School of Engineering of the same university, Mr. Inoue joined Asahi Kasei Corporation. He has been engaged in new drug synthesis, cell culture, clinical research, etc. in the pharmaceutical division of said company and joined our firm in 2017.
| Practice Areas | Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology |
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Ryoko Matsuura
M.Sc., Patent Attorney
Qualification
- Patent Attorney (registered in 2015)
Career
After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at Kumamoto University, Ms. Matsuura completed her M.Sc. study of applied chemistry at the graduate school of the same university. Meanwhile, she also studied at the University of Birmingham, UK as an exchange student. After working at a chemical analysis company, she joined our firm in 2009.
| Practice Areas | Analytical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry |
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Sakura Chino
M.Sc., Patent Attorney
Qualification
- Patent Attorney (re-registered in 2017)
Career
After graduating from the Department of Life Science and Technology, the Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Ms. Chino completed M.Sc. study at the graduate school of the same university. After working for a scientific instrument manufacturer, she worked at a patent firm in Tokyo, passed the Patent Bar Examination in 2013. She joined our firm in 2016, and was re-registered as a patent attorney in 2017.
| Practice Areas | Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering |
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Yoshiko Takagahara
Ph.D., Patent Attorney
Qualification
- Patent Attorney (re-registered in 2018)
Career
Obtaining B.S., M.Sc., and ultimately Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Science in 2004 from the University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and further passing the Patent Bar Examination, Dr. Takagahara joined our firm and was registered as a patent attorney in 2004. In 2005, she received a practical training on patents in the United States. She rejoined our firm in 2017 and was re-registered as a patent attorney in 2018.
| Practice Areas | Pharmaceutical Science, Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering |
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Technical Specialists
Makoto Terakawa
M.Sc., Office Manager, Technology Specialist in Chief
Career
After studying chemistry at Tohoku University and applied biology at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Mr. Terakawa received his Master’s degree of Agricultural science from TUAT in 1998, joined Kuzuwa & Partners in 2000 after a patent firm in Osaka. He became a Technology Specialist in Chief in 2010 and Office Manager in 2022.
| Practice Areas | Microbiology, Gene Engineering, Chemistry, Trademarks and Design patents |
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Masashi Oomori
Ph.D. Technology Specialist in Chief
Career
Completing the Ph.D. program at the graduate school of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Dr. Oomori worked at a patent firm in Tokyo, and then joined Kuzuwa & Partners in 2012 and has been a Technology Specialist in Chief since 2022.
| Practice Areas | Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering, Biochemistry, Polymer Chemistry |
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Yihong Zheng
M.Sc., Chinese Patent Attorney
Qualification
- Chinese Patent Attorney
Career
After graduating from Shandong University in China, Ms. Zheng completed a M.Sc. program at Korea Institute of Science and Technology and another M.Sc. program at Graduate School of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. During a Ph.D. Program at Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, she joined Kuzuwa & Partners in 2012, and passed the Chinese Patent Bar Examination in 2013.
| Practice Areas | Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, International Environmental and Agricultural Science |
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Ramanathan SANKARAN
Ph.D., Technical Advisor
Career
After studying chemistry at the University of Kerala and the Graduate School of Chemical Technology at the University of Mumbai, Dr. Sankaran received a Ph.D. and has been working as a researcher and an IP manager at a major Indian pharmaceutical company, and as a consultant of a patent law firm in India for more than 30 years before being appointed his current position at our firm in 2014.
| Practice Areas | Chemistry, Pharmacy, Regulatory Affairs, Legal Affairs |
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S.U.
Career
After graduating from the Department of Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Doshisha University, he worked as a semiconductor circuit design engineer at a major electronics manufacturer, and also worked as an IT expert for JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) at the High Court of Bhutan. He further majored in Information Technology (Master of Engineering) at the University of Melbourne, graduate school of engineering before joining our firm in 2008.
| Practice Areas | Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Information and Communication Technology, Machinery, Business Models, Blockchain |
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S.Y.
Career
Graduating from the Faculty of Agriculture, the University of Tokyo. She worked for a food company, and joined our firm in 2016.
| Practice Areas | Biotechnology, Biochemistry |
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K.W.
Career
After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and further completing the M.Sc. program at the graduate school of Kyoto University, she worked at a patent firm in Tokyo, and joined our firm in 2017.
| Practice Areas | Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering |
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M.Y.
Career
After graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo, and further graduating from Keio University Law School, she worked at medical research institutions in Tokyo, and joined our firm in 2018.
| Practice Areas | Designs, Trademarks and Contracts |
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T.M.
Career
After graduating from Faculty of Science at the University of Tokyo and working for a foreign-affiliated pharmaceutical manufacturer, he joined our firm in 2018.
| Practice Areas | Molecular Biology, Biochemistry |
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M.K.
Career
Graduating from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, he completed the M.Sc. program at the graduate school of the same university, and further completed the Ph.D. program at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Graduate School. After working at a chemical company as a researcher, he joined our firm in 2018.
| Practice Areas | Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry |
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M.Y.
Career
She completed PhD program at University College London (UCL) and joined our firm in 2018.
| Practice Areas | Immunology, Pharmacology, Electrophysiology, Biochemistry |
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A.O.
Career
After graduating from the Department of Urban Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, the University of Tokyo, and completing a master’s degree in engineering from Tokyo Metropolitan University, she has been working as a technical staff member and a translation staff at our firm since 2003.
| Practice Areas | Sanitary Engineering, Urban Engineering |
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A.O.
Career
Graduating from the Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University, and further studying at the Graduate School of Engineering at the same university, he completed the Ph.D. program at University of Delaware Graduate School. He joined our firm in 2008, and since then has been working as a translation staff at our firm.
| Practice Areas | Mechatronics, Metal Materials Science, Information and Communication Engineering |
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S.T.
Career
After graduating from the University of Wales Bangor School of Marine Science and Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine (Master of Medicine), she has been working as a technical staff and a translation staff at our firm since 2007.
| Practice Areas | Medical Sciences, Marine Biology |
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M.N.
Career
Graduating from the Faculty of Science at the University of Tokyo and completing the PhD program from the University of London, she has been a technical staff and a translation staff member of our firm since 2005.
| Practice Areas | Catalytic Chemistry, Interface Science |
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B.D.
Career
He studied Chinese literature at the University of Paris. He has been a translation staff of our firm since 1995. He is fluent in English, German, French, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese.
| Practice Areas | Mechanics, Electrics and Licensing |
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N.N.
Career
Graduating from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, he joined our firm 2021 via a machinery industry, and since then, has been engaged in a translation works.
| Practice Areas | Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, IT |
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