Mechanical & Electrical Group
Yoshitaka SONODA, PhD
Patent Attorney
BS, Structural Engineering, Yokohama National University
MS, PhD, Structural Engineering, University of Tokyo
Dr. Sonoda, having a technical background in physics and mechanical engineering, is fluent in both English and French, skills which were acquired through his working experience as a researcher at the Saclay Nuclear Research Center of the French Atomic Energy Commision.
Dr. Sonoda spent three years there after finishing his thesis on transient vibration problems in nonlinear systems for which he was granted a Ph.D. by the University of Tokyo. After returning to Japan he worked as a researcher for three years at Hitachi, Ltd., then joined an intellectual property law firm in 1987 to train himself as a professional in intellectual property law.
Member of JPAA, JIPA, AIPLA, APAA and AIPPI.
Hiroaki TAKAHASHI
Patent Attorney
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Kyoto University
Researcher, major electronics manufacturer. Has entered the intellectual property field in 1994. Work for the intellectual property division of Sony Corporation upon becoming a Japanese Patent Attorney.Has entered firm in 2005.
Tetsuro KOMATSU
Patent Attorney
BS, MS, Electronic Engineering, University of Tokyo
Laboratory engineer at NTT(Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation) researching simulation and modeling of semiconductor circuits and devices. Has successfully passed the Japanese Patent Bar Examination in 1994. Has been active in the intellectual property field since 1994 by being dispatched to affliliated companies for intellectual property-related assignments and has also been involved in the development of IC card systems. Has entered firm in 2006.
Yoshitaka TOGASHI
Patent Attorney
BS, Electrical Engineering, Tokyo University of Science
Formerly a researcher in flexible printed circuit board design at a major Japanese non-ferrous metals manufacturer, then a technical sales representative at a major foreign semiconductor manufacturer. Has worked in the field of intellectual property since 2004, and passed the Japanese Patent Attorney's Exam in 2008.
Nobuyuki MASHIKO
Patent Attorney
BS, Electronics, Chiba Institute of Technology
Engineer, Todentsu (manufacturer of telecommunications equipment); spent two years as a volunteer in Tunisia with the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers. Has been in the intellectual property field since 2001. Patent Engineer specializing in telecommunicaitons technology and electrical engineering.
Tetsuo SHINJI
Patent Attorney
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Waseda University
Performed research and design of computer control systems at a major electronics company. Has extensive experience in international and domestic patent work. Specializes in mechanical devices, optics, semiconductors, metals and information processing.
Takeshi AKATSU, PhD
Patent Attorney
BS, MA, PhD, University of Tokyo
Dr. Akatsu, with technical expertise in materials science, especially in the field of semiconductor and opto-electronic technologies, has an international career. He studied at UC Santa Barbara (USA), was a researcher at Max-Planck-Institutes of Metal Research and Microstructure Physics (Germany) and was an R&D project responsible at SOITEC (France). Upon returning to Japan, he became engaged in the field of IP. He joined the firm and passed the Japanese Patent Attorney Examination in 2010. In addition to Japanese, he is also fluent in English, German and French.
Harumi KOKAJI
Patent Attorney
BS, MS, Physics, Ochanomizu University
After working as a researcher for Telecommunication Research Institute of Ricoh Corporation, Ms. Kokaji entered the intellectual property field in 2004. Ms. Kokaji's expertise includes prosecution and enforcement of patents for wireless and wired communication systems, digital computing, and video and sound processing systems and protocols. She is a registered patent attorney since 2006 and joined Sonoda & Kobayashi in 2010.
Koichi MISHIMA
Worked as electronic engineer for 15 years, then entered a patent law firm, where his duties included prosecution of patents in mechanics and electrical engineering, as well as other patent-related work such as appeals, oppositions and expert opinions. Entered the firm in 2007. His abundant experience is being put to use in designing the firm's database. Specialties are microcomputers and digital technologies.
Jun TAKATSUKI
BS, Materials Science, Tokyo University of Science
MS, Materials Engineering, University of Tokyo
Performed research at the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Industrial Science.
Expert in semiconductor materials. Experience in intellectual property from student days. Capable of performing a wide range of work including design, illustration, video production and production of imaging systems. Member, Physical Society of Japan.
Akira FUJII, PhD
BS, PhD, Physics, University of Tokyo
Academic research in theoretical physics and numerical computation. Post-doctoral research at laboratories in Japan and overseas. Developed system software for the manufacturing industry at a venture in information systems. Specializes in physics, mechanical engineering and information processing. Dr. Fujii joined the firm in 2010.
Ryo TAKAGI
BS, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Education, Yokohama National University
PhD, Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology
After receiving a PhD for research in astrophysics, worked as a researcher and then as a real estate agent. Entered the intellectual property field in 2008 and was in charge of domestic cases at another intellectual property law firm. Joined the firm in 2010.
Toshichika HOKAZONO
BS, Electric Engineering, Osaka University
Mr. Hokazono started his career as a patent engineer at one of the major patent law firms in Tokyo in 1977 after working as an engineer for a paper manufacturing company. Mr. Hokazono's expertise covers semiconductor technologies, software engineering, optics and microelectric devices, and he has worked in the field of intellectual property law for over 30 years. Mr.Hokazono joined Sonoda & Kobayashi in 2011.
Koichi ABE
BSc, Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Iwate University
BSc, Mathematics, Faculty of Science Division II, Tokyo University of Science
MSc, Mathematics and Informatics, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Chiba University
Mr. Abe was involved in the development and design of semiconductors at a U.S. semiconductor manufacturer for many years. He then pursued postgraduate studies and received a MSc degree in mathematics and informatics. After working as a data base investigator at the Japan Patent Office, he joined the firm in 2011.