Q&A | Chie Kasahara | Intellectual Property

My name is Cha Sakala. I’m a senior partner at Atsumi Sakai, one of the top six law firm in Japan specialized in comprehensive business support. I have over 25 years of expert experience ad advising international com companies. I focus on intellectual property, technology, data and media related matters and I help global clients successfully establish and grow their business in J in the Japanese market.

Many of my clients are global company that needs practical legal support when entering or operating in the Japanese market and I work closely with them to ensure their business activity can proceed smoothly and safely under Japanese law. I always try to understand my client business goals, not just their legal questions. I believe legal advice should support business decisions and be practical and easy to implement depend on the matter. I can also organize the most appropriate team within the farm so that client receive efficient and wellcoordinated support because I work

with many overseas clients and foreign lawyers. I’m very familiar with the area where Japanese law can be confusing from an international perspective. I make it a proper pri priority to explain the legal framework clearly and in a way that fit the client’s business context.

I work with a wide range of clients across different industries. Many of them are technology companies, system providers, pharmaceutical and cosmetic man manufacturers and various type of product manufacturers. I also work extensively with branddriven business particularly in the fashion and lifestyle sectors. Most of my work involved protecting and managing intellectual property, supporting business expansion in Japan, handling contracts and commercial issues and advising on dispute when they arrive.

The highlights of my career was representing a Japanese optical manufacturer in a long learning patent dispute. We were able to obtain a full defense judgment for the client which was particularly significant because defendants are generally considered to have a negatively low success su success rate in a patent litigation in Japan. I also represented a global advert advertising agency in a copyright dispute with a Japanese artist. By demonstrating that CL claim lacked merit, we were able to resolve the case through a settlement on the term favorable to the client.

In addition, I have provided long-term support to a global technical technology company in enforcing its right against copyright infringement in Japan, helping to protect its software and system related intellectual property. I decided to join global law expert is that I understand there is a careful selection process for each proc practice area which ensures a high level of quality within the network. Equally important to me is the opportunity to build streng strong relationship with lawyers in other jurisdiction. Many of my clients operate globally and they often need reliable legal support

outside Japan. Being part of a trusted international network allows me to connect them with the light professional and prove more comprehensive support for my clients.