Ranked in IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2025

Sonoda & Kobayashi IP Law is ranked among the top firms in Asia for the prosecution and enforcement of IP rights and recommended by IAM Patent 1000 2025 for offering a unique combination of professional expertise and cosmopolitan awareness.

Dr. Yoshitaka Sonoda, Managing Partner, is also ranked among the top Patent Prosecutors and recommended by IAM Patent 1000.

Read the full profile by clicking the below links.

IAM Patent 1000 : Firm

IAM Patent 1000 : Individual

Sonoda & Kobayashi featured on The Japan Times: German-Japan Special

We are pleased to announce that Sonoda & Kobayashi has been featured in a special issue of The Japan Times focusing on German-Japan business partnership.

 

Click here for the detail.

New location for Sonoda & Kobayashi IP Group in Beijing

We are pleased to announce the new location of Sonoda & Kobayashi IP Group (Beijing). Our new address follows:

Beijing Fortune Bldg., Suite 804-805
5 Dong San Huan Bei Lu Chaoyang District
Beijing 100027, China

Tel: +86-10-6592-4958

 

Click here for details.

Appointment as new Director for NIPTA

Youko Nagatomo was appointed to the Director of Nippon Intellectual Property Translation Association in July, 2024.

Ranked in IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2024

Sonoda & Kobayashi IP Law is ranked among the top firms in Asia for the prosecution and enforcement of IP rights and recommended by IAM Patent 1000 for offering a unique combination of professional expertise and cosmopolitan awareness.

Dr. Yoshitaka Sonoda, Managing Partner, is also ranked among the top Patent Prosecutors and recommended by IAM Patent 1000.

Read the full profile by clicking the below links.

IAM Patent 1000: Firm, Individual

Webinar –　Strategic Use of Divisional Applications in Japan

On Tuesday the 23rd of July at 3 pm PDT/5 pm CST/6 pm EST, Sonoda & Kobayashi will hold a webinar on “Strategic Use of Divisional Applications in Japan.” Yasuhide Nishimura, former Chief Trial Examiner at the Japan Patent Office and current Japanese patent attorney, and Sukanya Hummel, U.S. attorney in the International Affairs Department, will help you understand divisionals and the methods and cautions in obtaining patents that are secretly attracting attention in Japan today.

If you are interested in learning more, please register here.

Webinar – Chinese IP Law/ News about China’s Patent Term Extension, Open Permission System, and more!

Sonoda & Kobayashi is organizing a webinar on the “News about China’s Patent Term Extension, Open Permissions System, and more! Points to note on the revised Implementing Regulations of the Patent Law of China” on Thursday the 29th of February at 10PM JST/ 2PM CET/ 8AM EST.
If you are interested in learning more, please register here.

Translator passed Grade 1 of NIPTA exam

We are pleased to announce that the below translator has passed the NIPTA examination (Intellectual Property Translation Proficiency Examination) to be qualified in the subject fields.

Akiko HOSOYA: English to Japanese, Electrical /Electronic Engineering, Grade 1

IPBC Asia 2023

Sonoda & Kobayashi IP Group will attend IPBC Asia 2023. For more event details, please visit the website.

Ranked in The Patent Lawyer Magazine Law Firm Rankings 2023

Sonoda & Kobayashi IP Law is ranked among the Top 10 Best Patent Firms in Japan 2023 and listed in The Global IP directory of The Patent Lawyer Magazine.

Read The Patent Lawyer Magazine September/October 2023 by clicking here.