Nishimura & Asahi receives top accolades in Intellectual Asset Management Patent 1000 2024

Hitomi handles patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and other IP-related matters in multiple business sectors, including IT, life sciences and healthcare, machinery, food, fashion, environment and energy, entertainment, financial services, and e-commerce. Ms. Iwase’s expertise encompasses all forms of IP transactional work, both cross-border and domestic, including licensing, strategic alliances, joint development, and asset transfers, as well as various types of IP disputes, including patent/trademark infringement litigation. Hitomi also assists clients in anti-counterfeiting and in the development of IP portfolios and prosecution strategies. Hitomi regularly advises clients on emerging legal issues relating to the latest technology, such as IoT and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as on complex system-related transactions and disputes over such transactions. In the area of data privacy, Hitomi provides extensive advice on data protection and privacy compliance, including on establishing global compliance systems and incidents such as data breaches. Hitomi also advises on related areas such as e-commerce, advertising, and consumer protection.

With more than forty years of experience, Chavalit is highly regarded as a leading figure in Thailand. His areas of specialization include dispute resolution, intellectual property, TMT and e-commerce, as well as M&A, foreign investment and corporate law. His extensive experience also includes advising on trade competition, corporate recovery and business reorganization. In particular, Chavalit is renowned in the areas of dispute resolution and intellectual property. He was selected as a Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation Thailand 2021 and is ranked as a leading individual for intellectual property in Thailand by Chambers Asia-Pacific 2021.

Pavinee is a leading expert in intellectual property (IP) law. She joined the Intellectual Property Practice Group of SCL Law Group (currently known as SCL Nishimura & Asahi) as an associate upon its formation in 2005. Prior to that, Pavinee was an in-house legal counsel at many companies where she gained extensive hands-on experience within general law practice, IP and e-commerce related matters. She also gained comprehensive knowledge of contracts and telecommunications working with government agencies while she was an in-house legal counsel. Pavinee was a guest lecturer and speaker on IP and information law at various forums. Currently, Pavinee routinely advises major clients on matters relating to trademark and patent registrations, copyright recordation, license agreements, as well as trademark, patent and copyright infringement. Versatile and keen, she also assists with overseas trademark and patent registration applications and acts as counsel providing expert guidance to clients throughout IP enforcement process and litigation proceedings. She has been consistently consulted with on cases involving electronic trade and commerce, domain name registrations and personal data and privacy protection. Representing numerous international and domestic organizations in both public and private organizations, Pavinee takes advantage of a refined understanding of IP prosecutions and commercial risk to deliver to the clients borderless and practical legal advice based upon reliable and comprehensive understanding of the laws, regulations and best practices in Thailand. With her comprehensive knowledge and extensive experience, she is well-equipped to meet the clients’ diverse needs whereby she tailors her legal service and professional advice to suit the particular needs of each client. Pavinee was also named an IP expert by magazines[Ed: I suggest listing which magazines, or listing only a couple if there are many.]. AsiaIP Informed Analysis and the 2022 edition of World Trademark Review 1000 are publishing the recent list.

She has a strong track record of representing domestic and overseas clients before the Courts and Patent Offices in Patent, Trademark and other IP disputes and proceedings, including a case that resulted in the first Grand Panel Decision of the IP High Court in Japan. In addition, she has been involved in IP transactions for business development, including license franchising, and corporate projects with Brand & IP strategies. She has been a committee member of the Industrial Structure Council of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan, a member of the special consulting committee for the Minister of METI, and a director of the Japan Trademark Association. In addition, she oversees many lecturers at IP seminars sponsored by bar associations, patent attorney associations, the Japan Intellectual Property Association, etc.

Satoshi manages a wide range of domestic and cross-border M&As, capital and business alliances and technology alliances where intellectual property rights and technologies, such as semiconductors, autonomous driving, electric vehicles, AI, and systems, were important elements to the transaction. Satoshi is also heavily involved in supporting high-tech startups such as space development, quantum computers, and regenerative medicine, and has extensive experience in contract structure ground design and contract negotiations for building new businesses. In addition, Satoshi makes use of his engineering background to deal with a number of disputes, such as patent infringement proceedings and disputes related to defects in advanced technology products, where technical issues are the main issues.

Yoko’s practice focuses on representation of life sciences and technology companies that develop and market pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines, diagnostics, medical devices, and digital health products. She specializes in corporate transactions involving complex intellectual property and pharmaceutical regulatory issues, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances and asset transfers. In addition, she counsels clients on matters involving research and development collaborations, clinical trials, technology licensing, supply and distribution agreements, and co-promotion arrangements. She also advises clients in connection with privacy and personal data protection matters.

Since 2010, he has been continuously handling transactions, disputes, and regulatory matters related to IT technology and the IT industry, intellectual property matters including measures against counterfeit products, and data protection matters concerning personal data and trade secrets. He also has abundant knowledge on cybersecurity practices and is registered as a registered information security specialist (national qualification in Japan). After studying in the U.S. and the U.K., he moved to Vietnam and then Thailand. Since then, he has been involved in the above-mentioned matters not only in Japan but also in Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries. While there are few Japanese lawyers in Southeast Asia who specialize in the above-mentioned matters, he supports international companies by utilizing both his abundant knowledge and practical experience in the above-mentioned matters and his local experience and network in Southeast Asia.

Narongcachon joined the firm in 2012 as a member of our Intellectual Property Practice Group. While in the IP department, he has conducted patent prosecution, advising relating to intellectual property matters, conducting patent searches and providing analysis and draft opinions based on the analysis. He is also very hands-on with giving advice on the patentability of an invention, infringement and opposition. He has extensive technical experience in preparing patent specifications, preparing and reviewing design drawings and descriptions, as well as preparing and filing patent, design and utility model applications and responses to office actions with the Thai Patent Office. He is also active in intellectual property and information technology court matters, as well as providing legal advice on emerging legal issues. Previously, Narongcachon worked in the telecommunications industry as a Technical Service Engineer and Service Manager, in the fields of telecommunications and data network technologies, with Siemens Limited Thailand, Siemens AG (Germany) and Nokia Siemens Networks (Thailand) Ltd. As a result, he has high technical expertise in telecommunications and data networks. With a long working history in the telecommunications industry and his academic background in engineering, Master of Business Administration (MBA) and related laws, he is a technical/business minded lawyer and is well attuned to legal developments in the intellectual property, telecommunication and information technology industries.

His clients include mass media companies, leading IT vendors, telecommunications companies and motion-picture production & distribution companies and other media and technology-oriented enterprises, as well as a variety of global companies. He has held the positions of Vice Chairman of the Computer Research Committee of Japan, Federation of Bar Associations (1993-1997), Special Committee Member of the Copyright Council of Japan, Agency for Cultural Affairs (1995-2002), Working Team Member of International Jurisdiction and Governing Law, Agency for Cultural Affairs (2009-2010), Committee Member of Centralized Administration and Competition Policy, Agency for Cultural Affairs (2010-2012), Chairperson of the China IP Issues Research Committee, SOFTIC (2012-2015) and Chairperson of the OSS Legal Issues Research Committee, SOFTIC (2015-present).

Ms. Takabe has over 40 years’ experience as a senior judge handling civil proceedings in a variety of fields, including more than 20 years presiding over intellectual property proceedings. Ms. Takabe was in charge of numerous cases during her time as a judge and led intellectual property proceedings in Japan. This experience has made her exceptionally capable in assisting her clients achieve favorable results in patent infringement proceedings, trademark-related proceedings, copyright proceedings, and trade secret infringement proceedings. She also advises clients on matters relating to design, brand, character, honor, privacy, publicity, portrait rights and license agreements.

Benjapol joined SCL Law Group in 2020 and has expertise in assisting clients with the drafting and prosecution of patent applications across a wide range of technologies, including chemicals, petrochemicals, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, diapers, and others. He also has experience in patent due diligence and freedom to operate projects involving chemical/polymeric products and many countries. Benjapol is also experienced in hearings at the Intellectual Property & International Trade Court of Thailand and in supporting several landmark patent/design litigation cases in Thailand, particularly relating to flexible printed circuit board used in hard disk drives, designs of motorcycle, and production of brine shrimp which can be used to feed fish or shrimp. Benjapol has been an invited speaker for WIPO-KIPO Advanced Training Course on Design to share knowledge about the use of design rights with new patent professionals.