K&L Gates in Tokyo has hired an intellectual property practice team from DLA Piper, led by partner Mitsuhiro Imamura and comprising senior paralegal Aki Omura and paralegal Rachael Periman.
The new team means K&L Gates now has the ability to file Japanese patent and trademark applications for the first time. Imamura is a dual-registered Japanese patent lawyer (benrishi) who is also admitted to practice in Washington. He focuses on patent filings and disputes in national and international transactions for companies operating across diverse sectors.
Ryan Dwyer, managing partner of the Tokyo office, said the firm had been focused on expanding its IP capabilities regionally and globally. “Mitsuhiro’s extensive experience in obtaining and protecting intellectual property rights in Japan and overseas, as well as assisting clients in building patent portfolios and resolving disputes, allows us to offer new IP capabilities to clients in Japan and beyond,” he said.
