Shusaku Yamamoto

SHUSAKU·YAMAMOTO is one of the largest and most esteemed one-stop solution intellectual property, technology, regulatory, commercial law and dispute resolution law firms in Japan. The Firm was established on September 20, 1979, by its founder, Mr. Shusaku Yamamoto, and now has 184 members, including patent attorneys, Japanese and foreign attorneys-at-law, technology and life-science specialists, paralegals and administrative staff. The Firm holds its main office in Osaka, with branch offices in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Fukushima, and Nanjing (China).

The Firm currently has 3 major IP Practice Areas: (1) Intellectual Property; (2) Dispute Resolution and Litigations; and (3) Corporate Transactions.
The IP team has an extensive background and experience relating to prosecution of intellectual property matters including filing and prosecution of patent, utility model, design, and trademark applications not only at the JPO but also before various IP offices globally. The intellectual property services of the firm extend beyond filing and prosecution and includes patentability or registrability and landscape analysis, freedom to operate/use searches, drafting and appealing before the JPO Board of Appeals, and drafting and negotiating contracts related to IP rights, among others.

Key Industries

The Firm also has a variety of experience in handling different intellectual property issues involving fields such as Automotive, Aviation & Aerospace, Banking & Finance, Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Communications, Network and Technology, Computer, Software Engineering and AI, Consumer Products, Defense, E-Commerce, Education, Electrical Engineering, Energy & Natural Resources, Fashion & Beauty & Luxury Goods, FinTech, Food & Beverage, Hospitality, Insurance, Life Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Devices, New Media, Music and Entertainment, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare, Physics, Retail, Robotics, Social Media, Sports and Transportation & Logistics.

Our professionals per industry is as detailed here.

Expanded Practice Areas

With the ever-evolving field, the Firm has expanded its legal expertise in three more practice areas, such as Data, Cybersecurity and Technology Law, Domestic and Cross-Border Corporate Transactions, and Litigation and Disputes. These will encompass Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency and Blockchain legal matters, Data Privacy regulatory and compliance matters, and transactional matters involving company in data infrastructure technology, among many others.

With more than 40 years of experience, the Firm has unmatched expertise and extensive knowledge, immensely trusted by our varying clients such as blue-chip Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, Nobel Prize winners, national governments, universities, research institutes, cutting-edge start-ups, and high-net-worth individuals.

The Firm has earned notable presence on the global stage. The Firm is proud to win the Japan Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year in the 2023 Asia Legal Business (ALB) Japan Law Awards. The Firm has also been ranked as Tier 2 in both Japan Domestic: Patents and Copyright/Trademarks in ALB Asia IP Rankings 2024. In addition to this, the Firm has been recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the highly regarded firms for Intellectual Property. Specifically, the Firm has been ranked as Band 4 for Intellectual Property: Domestic (Leading Firms) in 2024 Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific – Japan. Furthermore, the Firm continues to receive recognition as a preeminent independent local Japanese law firm Tier 3 for both Intellectual Property and Telecommunications, Media and Technology categories for The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, making the Firm a consistent mention in the authoritative legal practice rankings guide over the last decade. Lastly, the Firm has been ranked as “Other Notable Firms” in Trade mark – Domestic Firms in IP Stars 2024.