We Provide Advanced Technical Expertise and International IP Services

SONODA & KOBAYASHI, an intellectual property law firm, offers dependable legal services for intellectual property in Japan.

Our multinational team including more than 90 experts in technology, law, languages and international communication has served companies worldwide and gained a reputation for thoroughness and reliability. Our high standards, expertise and team work have defined us since the founding of the firm in 1998.

Candid discussions and open efficient communication, which are rarely found at law firms in Japan, are deeply embedded in the culture of our firm. This atmosphere is key to providing legal advice of true value.  Our clients enjoy stress-free communication, giving them an edge over competitors.

We frequently visit clients, organize seminars and attend IP events to strengthen our understanding of the business environments of our clients and to better explain intellectual property matters. Together, we build strategies to protect and enforce IP rights in Japan.

Reliable legal services in intellectual property can only be provided by having a deep understanding of technologies and legal issues. Our patent attorneys and specialists are equipped with world-class training and hands-on experience, often directly in research and development, which can be crucial in difficult cases. Approximately half of our attorneys and specialists hold doctorates in their respective technical fields.

We are always keen to know more about our clients’ business strategies and the way they view competitors and technological trends, and we help clients understand how practices in Japan may differ from those with which they are familiar.

We ensure a comfortable and rewarding work environment

 “Providing high-quality services to clients”, which has been the policy of our office since its establishment, has not changed, and every team member ,every day, endeavors to continue providing such high-quality services.

Our “Full Flex System”, which also has been the policy of our office since its establishment, demonstrates that we respect the work/life balance of our team members and encourages a highly productive work style that is not tied to time. 

Therefore, not only do we have many female team members raising children, but we also have male team members who have taken advantage of child-care leave.

We have also spared no efforts on human resource development, such as the adoption of study abroad system, free-language training and tuition assistance for training, and we have also endeavored to improve communication and satisfaction in the office by supporting club activities as well as the costs for other in-house exchanges and activities.

In the past five to six years, including our formal incorporation in January 2015, the number of requests for patent applications through our firm has doubled, and we have doubled the numbers of employees over the same period to keep pace with the increasing number of requests for patent applications. We are actively seeking new team members to further develop, grow, and expand our firm.