What Sugimura & Partners does

Sugimura & Partners is a private intellectual property law firm headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in Palo Alto, California. Founded in 1923 and operating under the leadership of Managing Partners Kenji Sugimura and Koji Sugimura, the firm specializes in patent, trademark, and design prosecution before the Japanese Patent Office (JPO), alongside related IP legal services. The firm is structured around three primary practice groups — Electrical/Mechanical/Optical Engineering, Chemicals/Materials/Pharmaceuticals, and Trademark/Design — supported by an in-house technical translation team. Its professional staff includes former IP High Court judges, former Japan Patent Office examiners and deputy director-generals, and former USPTO examiners, providing direct insight into both Japanese and US IP examination and litigation practice.

The firm's service offering spans the full IP lifecycle, including prosecution (patent, trademark, design, and utility model applications before the JPO), IP litigation and enforcement, licensing and IP transactions, IP searches, IP due diligence, and counseling and opinion work, with adjacent practice in trade secrets, information technology, privacy, and entertainment/media law. The client base consists of two primary segments: domestic Japanese corporations and international/foreign corporate clients seeking to procure and enforce IP rights in Japan. Multilingual teams and attorneys admitted in multiple US jurisdictions (New York, California) support cross-border engagements, coordinated via an overseas associates network managed by the Executive Director of Global Operations.

Sugimura & Partners generates revenue through professional services fees across six identified streams: IP Prosecution Services, IP Litigation and Enforcement, Counseling and Opinion Work, Licensing and IP Transactions, IP Due Diligence, and Technical Translation. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; engagements are conducted through direct attorney-client relationships and via its overseas associate network. The firm maintains no external investors, no parent company, and no disclosed funding rounds, and is recognized in World Trademark Review 1000 (since 2011), Chambers Asia-Pacific, Chambers Global, Managing Intellectual Property, and Legal 500 Asia Pacific for IP/trademark work in Japan.

Name

Sugimura & Partners

Legal name

SUGIMURA & Partners

Website

https://sugimura.partners

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sugimura & Partners is a Tokyo-based private intellectual property law firm founded in 1923, specializing in patent, trademark, and design prosecution before the Japanese Patent Office and serving both domestic Japanese corporations and international corporate clients across Japan, the US, the UK, and Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

IP Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAMAE), IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Patent prosecution
• Trademark services
• IP litigation
• IP due diligence

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. IP Prosecution Services: Fees for patent, trademark, and design prosecution services before the Japanese Patent Office (JPO), including domestic and international filing, drafting, office action responses, and appeals.
2. IP Litigation and Enforcement: Legal representation fees for IP litigation, enforcement actions, expert opinions, pre-litigation advice, and infringement suit representation.
3. Counseling and Opinion Work: Fees for legal advice on complex Japanese IP rules and regulations, expert opinions on prior art, patent validity, and infringement analysis.
4. Licensing and IP Transactions: Advisory and transaction fees for IP licensing, portfolio review, R&D contracts, and strategic IP advice.
5. IP Due Diligence: Fees for IP due diligence services in corporate transactions, covering ownership verification, validity assessment, and infringement evaluation.
6. Technical Translation: In-house technical translation services for patent, trademark, design, and utility model applications translated into Japanese.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sugimura & Partners is a Tokyo-based intellectual property law firm providing comprehensive IP services centered on patent, trademark, and design prosecution before the Japanese Patent Office (JPO). The firm also delivers IP litigation and enforcement, licensing and IP transactions, IP searches, IP due diligence, technical translation, and counseling and opinion work, serving both domestic Japanese corporations and international/foreign corporate clients.

Product overview

Sugimura & Partners is a comprehensive intellectual property law firm offering a unified suite of legal services centered on patent, trademark, and design prosecution before the Japanese Patent Office. The firm's core offerings include prosecution services (handling applications and examinations), legal services (encompassing enforcement, litigation, licensing, and advisory work), and specialized support services including IP searches, due diligence, and technical translation. The services are delivered through specialized practice groups covering electrical/mechanical/optical engineering, chemicals/materials/pharmaceuticals, and trademarks/designs, with offices in Tokyo and a Palo Alto, California presence for international clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Prosecution Services Comprehensive practice before the Japanese Patent Office (JPO) covering patent applications, examinations, appeals, and trials across all technical fields including chemicals, materials, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering, for domestic and international clients.
• Trademark and Design Services Trademark and design prosecution, registration, opposition, cancellation actions, litigation, arbitration, and border enforcement for domestic and international clients.
• IP Legal Services (Litigation, Enforcement, Advisory) Comprehensive IP legal services including enforcement (expert opinion, pre-litigation and litigation), licensing, R&D contracts, strategic IP portfolio review and advice, trade secrets, information technology, privacy, and entertainment law.
• IP Searches Expert search services including broad searches for state of the art, patentability searches, infringement searches, and validity searches, both domestic and international in scope.
• IP Due Diligence Thorough IP due diligence for corporate transactions, verifying ownership, existence, validity, and strength of intellectual property assets, detecting restrictions, and evaluating potential infringement.
• Technical Translation In-house technical translation services for patent, trademark, design, and utility model applications, performed by skilled technical translators trained in technical and legal subject matters.
• Counseling and Opinion Work Legal advice on complex rules and regulations of Japanese intellectual property laws and practices, including expert opinions on prior art, patent validity, and infringement.
• Licensing and IP Transactions Intellectual property licensing services and transaction support to help clients capitalize on IP assets, generate revenue, and gain access to new markets.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Overseas Associates NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSUGIMURA maintains a network of overseas associates for developing and deepening business relations with international clients. The Executive Director of Global Operations is responsible for development and management of this network, coordinating international IP filings and strategic communications with foreign associates and clients.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Aoyama & Partners: Tokyo IP boutique with comparable patent prosecution, trademark, design and IP dispute services, primarily serving Japanese and foreign corporate clients.
• TMI Associates: Tokyo-based full-service law firm with one of Japan's largest dedicated IP prosecution and litigation practices, directly competing with Sugimura for both domestic and international patent/trademark prosecution work before the JPO.
• Yuasa and Hara: Long-established Tokyo IP boutique with deep patent, trademark and design prosecution expertise; competes head-to-head with Sugimura for JPO prosecution mandates and IP litigation.
• Shusaku & Partners (formerly Shusaku Yamamoto): Major Osaka- and Tokyo-based IP law firm offering patent/trademark prosecution, IP litigation and licensing services with strong international client focus, mirroring Sugimura's core offering set.
• Kyowa Patent and Law Office: Japanese IP-focused law firm providing patent, trademark, design prosecution and IP litigation services to domestic and foreign clients, a direct competitor in the same Japan IP boutique segment.

Broad incumbents

• Nishimura & Asahi: Japan's largest full-service law firm; Sugimura Managing Partner Koji Sugimura previously worked here. Provides broader corporate and IP services, competing for sophisticated cross-border IP mandates.
• Anderson Mori & Tomotsune: Major Tokyo-headquartered full-service law firm with established IP prosecution and litigation capabilities, offering international clients an integrated alternative to IP boutiques.
• Fish & Richardson: Global IP-focused law firm with Japan coverage; competes for technology-sector clients needing integrated patent prosecution and litigation across the US and Japan.
• Mori Hamada & Matsumoto: Leading Japanese full-service law firm with significant IP practice, competing for IP litigation, licensing and cross-border IP transactions that might otherwise go to specialized boutiques like Sugimura.
• Finnegan: US-headquartered IP boutique with an active Japan practice, competing with Sugimura for international clients seeking coordinated US-Japan IP prosecution and litigation support.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SugimuraIP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sugimura-international-patent-and-trademark-attorneys

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sugimura & Partners