Shunji Sato is widely recognized as one of Japan’s leading trademark practitioners, advising Japanese and multinational companies—as well as innovative local start-ups—on the full spectrum of brand protection
strategies. His practice focuses on trademark clearance and searches, prosecution, portfolio management, and cross border trademark protection, enabling clients to build, expand, and defend their brands in key markets worldwide.
With more than 29 years of experience in intellectual property law, Mr. Sato has deep expertise in oppositions, invalidations, and cancellation actions before the Japan Patent Office. He also regularly handles trademark and design infringement matters and unfair competition litigation before the district courts and the Intellectual Property High Court. Clients value his ability to combine rigorous legal analysis with pragmatic, commercially oriented advice, particularly when navigating complex multijurisdictional disputes and enforcement strategies.
Mr. Sato is highly regarded for his strategic brand counseling, drawing on his extensive knowledge of both domestic and international trademark practice. He works closely with in house counsel and business leaders to design robust, forward looking protection schemes that align with long term business objectives, including market entry, brand extension, and portfolio optimization.
A committed leader in the global IP community, Mr. Sato is an active member of INTA. He currently serves as Editorial Board Member of INTA Bulletin and has previously served on the Board of Directors and the Asia Pacific Global Advisory Council, among other committees and task forces. He is also Secretary General of the Japan Trademark Association (JTA) and an active member of the Trademark Committee of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA). In addition, he serves on the JP Domain Name Dispute Resolution Panel of the Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Centre.
He holds a law degree from Keio University and an LLM from Santa Clara University School of Law in California. Mr. Sato is a frequent speaker and panelist at national and international trademark conferences, where he shares insights on cutting edge issues in trademark prosecution, enforcement, and brand strategy.
Year joined the firm: 1997
