A market leader in the area of IP law, Baker McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise) houses a bilingual team (English and Japan) and regularly advises multinational companies on contentious and cross-border matters. With an expansive international network and prodigious expertise in trade mark law, the team is particularly well equipped to handle global trade mark and patent searches and has an established record representing some of the world’s leading brands. Kensaku Takase, a seasoned IP expert with expertise in the field of trade marks, copyrights and designs, leads the team supported by Yosuke Takenaka, whose practice focuses on IP prosecution and litigation. Rising stars in the practice include Tsugihiro Okada, who was recently promoted to counsel, and Ayako Nakano. Yuki Kondo rejoined the firm following a secondment in the US, while Kei Matsumoto left the firm in October 2022.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Our contact for 5 years has been Yosuke Takenaka, and we have always been impressed by his high work ethic, knowledge of IP, practical legal and commercial advice (consistently sound), and grasp of our specific needs. He is incredibly hardworking, a very personable man, a delight to work with.'
- 'Incredibly competent, knowledgeable, great legal and practical advice, excellent grasp of our specific needs and industry, hardworking. Impressive throughout.'
- 'The IP team and the partner I worked with (Kensaku Takase) have been ready to collaborate and bring in partners with expertise from other practice groups when necessary and this has proven to be an efficient way to get our work done with speed. The collaborative approach is very much appreciated.'
- 'Kensaku Takase. Thinks out of the box, is comprehensive, is attentive to detail and client needs. Collaborative approach.'
Lawyers
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Kensaku Takase