Philip (Sheng-Hao) Toung is an experienced intellectual property professional at Shinjyu GLOBAL IP, specialising in patent preparation, prosecution and portfolio development for businesses seeking patent protection in Japan. With experience in the intellectual property field since 2007, he combines a background in electrical and computer engineering with business education and international experience to help clients protect innovations across software, information technology, telecommunications, electrical systems and mechanical engineering.
Since joining Shinjyu in 2009, Philip has supported Japanese and international clients with patent applications and portfolio management across a wide range of technology sectors. His experience includes electric vehicles, wearable technology, medical devices, robotics, software and the Internet of Things (IoT). By combining technical understanding with commercial insight, he helps businesses approach patent protection in Japan with consideration for both their inventions and their wider business objectives.
Philip holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration from McGill University. His engineering education provides a strong foundation for understanding complex technical inventions, while his business training supports a commercially informed approach to intellectual property portfolio development.
Before entering the intellectual property field, Philip worked as an intern research assistant at a Taiwan-based liquid crystal display manufacturer and as a research and laboratory assistant at the University of Toronto, focusing on optical communications. He began his intellectual property career in 2007 and relocated to Japan that year, subsequently building experience in managing patent applications and portfolios for clients in Japan and overseas.
Philip passed the U.S. patent agent examination in 2010 and is described as a non-registered U.S. patent agent. He is fluent in Chinese and English and conversant in Japanese, supporting communication with international clients and collaboration across different markets.
Obtaining effective patent protection in Japan requires careful preparation of patent applications, technically accurate descriptions of inventions and claims that appropriately define the protection sought. Applicants must also address examination requirements, including considerations relating to inventive step, disclosure and the technical implementation of software-related inventions.
Philip’s experience in patent preparation and prosecution enables him to work with clients across a range of complex technologies, translating technical innovations into patent applications that reflect the underlying invention and the client’s protection objectives. His engineering background is particularly relevant when working with inventions involving software, electronics, telecommunications, signal processing and hardware-software integration.
For businesses entering or expanding within the Japanese market, a considered patent strategy can help establish protection for key technologies while supporting wider commercial plans. Philip’s work focuses on developing patent portfolios that align with clients’ business objectives, rather than treating individual applications as isolated filings.
Philip’s patent experience spans several technology sectors, allowing him to support businesses developing products and systems that combine engineering, software and emerging technologies.
Software & Information Technology: Philip has handled patent filing, prosecution and portfolio matters involving software-related inventions, including interactive program guide technologies for a leading media company. His experience includes work relating to the protection and defence of software patent portfolios against competitive challenges.
Electric Vehicles & Automotive Technology: He has more than a decade of experience assisting a major electric vehicle manufacturer with patent portfolio development involving battery technology, charging solutions and advanced control systems. This experience reflects the technical complexity involved in protecting innovations across connected automotive technologies.
Wearable Technology & Consumer Electronics: Philip has supported several United States and Canadian start-ups in developing patent portfolios for smart glasses, wearable display technologies and motion-controlled systems. Several of these companies have since gone on to successful exits through acquisition, with their patent portfolios contributing to their overall value.
Medical Devices & Healthcare Technology: His experience includes advising China-based medical device companies on portfolio design and managing patent filings and prosecution in fields such as cardiac intervention, radiotherapy and rehabilitation robotics.
Robotics, Telecommunications & Electrical Systems: His engineering background and patent experience support work involving electrical systems, telecommunications, optical communications, robotics and automated technologies.
AgriTech & Internet of Things: Philip has contributed to intellectual property strategies for a sustainable agriculture start-up, including competitive intellectual property landscape analysis and patent portfolio management involving IoT, robotics and automated control systems.
These areas of experience demonstrate his ability to work with technically demanding inventions and develop patent strategies suited to different industries and commercial objectives.
Philip’s international experience is an important part of his approach to patent matters in Japan. From 2014 to 2016, he served as Deputy General Manager at a boutique intellectual property consultancy and patent translation firm in Beijing, China, assisting Japanese clients with patent filings and prosecution in China.
This experience gave him further insight into the practical considerations involved in managing patent matters across jurisdictions. Combined with his professional work in Japan and his educational background in Canada, it enables him to appreciate the importance of coordinating patent protection with clients’ international commercial plans.
For businesses developing technology for multiple markets, effective coordination between Japanese patent applications and overseas filings can be an important consideration. Philip’s cross-border experience supports a broader perspective on portfolio development while maintaining a focus on the requirements and objectives of patent protection in Japan.
Patent protection can play an important role in supporting product development, market entry, licensing and business growth. For start-ups in particular, decisions about which inventions to protect and how to prioritise patent applications can influence the long-term value of their intellectual property.
At Shinjyu GLOBAL IP, Philip has worked on intellectual property portfolio design for innovative companies of different sizes, particularly start-ups. His experience includes assessing competitive intellectual property landscapes, managing patent portfolios and considering how patent protection can support wider business objectives.
His work across electric vehicles, wearable technology, software and AgriTech illustrates the importance of tailoring patent strategies to the technologies involved and the commercial direction of each business. By combining technical understanding with business education, Philip brings a practical perspective to decisions concerning patent protection and portfolio development.
Philip works with businesses seeking to protect technical innovations through patent applications and portfolio management. His experience in patent preparation and prosecution, together with his engineering and business background, enables him to engage with complex inventions while considering the client’s broader commercial objectives.
His work encompasses patent applications, prosecution, portfolio design and competitive intellectual property analysis across multiple technology sectors. For clients pursuing opportunities in Japan, his understanding of technical inventions and experience with international patent matters provide a foundation for developing protection strategies suited to their business needs.
Whether supporting an established technology company or a growing start-up, Philip approaches patent portfolio development with an emphasis on technical understanding, strategic priorities and the practical requirements of protecting innovation.
Philip (Sheng-Hao) Toung is an experienced intellectual property professional at Shinjyu GLOBAL IP, with a practice focused on patent preparation, prosecution and portfolio development relevant to businesses seeking patent protection in Japan. Since beginning his intellectual property career in 2007, he has worked across software, electric vehicles, wearable technology, medical devices, robotics, telecommunications and AgriTech.
His qualifications in electrical and computer engineering and business administration, combined with his experience supporting clients in Japan and China, give him a technically informed and commercially focused perspective on patent matters. For businesses seeking to protect innovations and develop patent portfolios in Japan, Philip offers extensive experience across diverse technology sectors and an international understanding of intellectual property strategy.
Toung is a patent lawyer at Shinjyu GLOBAL IP in Japan with experience in preparing and prosecuting patent applications since 2007 and has worked at Shinjyu GLOBAL IP since 2009.
He holds a BASc in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto and an MBA from McGill University, passed the U.S. patent agent examination in 2010 (unregistered), and is fluent in Chinese and English and conversant in Japanese.
He specializes in software, information technology, telecommunications, signal processing, electrical systems and mechanical inventions, including hardware–software integrations and consumer electronics.
He prepares and prosecutes patent applications, advises on claim scope and specification sufficiency, responds to office actions, and helps startups and companies build pragmatic patent portfolios aligned with business objectives like fundraising, licensing and market entry.
He combines technical engineering fluency with business acumen and a cross-jurisdictional perspective, enabling direct engagement with R&D teams, commercially aligned IP strategies, and coordinated filings across jurisdictions. He supports international/prosecution through multilingual ability, U.S. patent agent exam experience, and Shinjyu GLOBAL IP’s network to coordinate cross-border prosecution, enforcement and portfolio strategies for multinational clients.
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