TOKYO (May 7, 2008) – Morrison & Foerster announced today that prominent Japan-based intellectual property attorney (bengoshi[1]) Yukihiro Terazawa has joined the firm as a Partner and will practice with Morrison & Foerster’s Japanese joint venture partner, Ito & Mitomi. Ito & Mitomi, formed in 2001, works closely with Morrison & Foerster’s Tokyo office to provide integrated U.S. and Japanese law advice on multi-jurisdictional transactions.
Mr. Terazawa, a prominent attorney who also received advanced training in the U.S., concentrates on the full range of intellectual property and technology transfer. He regularly represents high-technology and entertainment clients in M&A, joint ventures and technology licensing, and has extensive experience in both international and domestic Japanese IP litigation.
Mr. Terazawa is especially well-known in entertainment law circles in Japan. He is an adjunct professor of film production at the Graduate School of Film Production in Tokyo and regularly lectures on both Japanese and Hollywood film finance. He also speaks frequently on IP rights, e-commerce, privacy and entertainment law.
“We are thrilled to have Yuki joining us in Tokyo. With Yuki joining our team of 6 licensing and IP specialists, we will have expanded capabilities to advise on both US and Japanese law aspects of IP issues arising in the transactions we handle” said Ken Siegel, managing partner of Morrison & Foerster’s Tokyo office. “As a patent attorney admitted to practice before the Japanese Patent Office, Yuki also adds depth to our 25 attorney litigation team, which is quickly establishing itself as one of the premier groups advising on patent disputes, including by our multi-national clients.”
Fuyuo Mitomi, the head of Ito & Mitomi, said “The addition of Mr. Terazawa significantly boosts our IP and entertainment legal services. His established background in these area will play a significant role in further developing our practice in Tokyo.”
Morrison & Foerster maintains the largest presence of any international law firm operating in Japan, with more than 100 attorneys in its Tokyo office. Among others, Morrison & Foerster was the most active global firm advising on Japanese M&A transactions in both 2006 and 2007 according to Bloomberg, and maintains the largest litigation team of any global firm in Japan.
Mr. Terazawa’s arrival is the latest good news for Morrison & Foerster’s intellectual property group. In recent months, the IP practice, one of the world’s largest with over 350 attorneys, was ranked a finalist by The American Lawyer in its choice of 2008 IP Litigation Department of the Year and also recognized in Chambers’ selection of Global IP Firm of the Year. In addition, IP partner Rachel Krevans was recently honored as a Lawyer of the Year by California Lawyer magazine for her groundbreaking work defending EchoStar Communications in a patent infringement jury win in East Texas.
“Morrison & Foerster has established itself as both the top international firm in Japan and a destination firm for leading-edge IP corporate and litigation matters,” said Mr. Terazawa. “The firm’s eminent technology and corporate transactional practice is an excellent fit with my own work.”
Mr. Terazawa was recently appointed to two advisory positions by the Japanese government. He will serve as a special mediator on the Dispute Resolution Board for Telecommunication Business Entities within the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and as a panelist at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry workshop to build a standard process system for animation. He is also currently Deputy Chair of the Dai-ni Tokyo Bar Association’s Study Group of Intellectual Property.
Mr. Terazawa is co author of various IP and entertainment law related books, including Intellectual Property Rights Dictionary (published by Sanseido, 2001); Development of Japanese IT Legislation (published by Daini Tokyo Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law Study Group, 2001); IT Kigyo Homu 2003 (IT Corporation Law 2003) (published by IMS, 2003, second edition of this book was published in 2008); Intellectual Property and Law relating to Information Technology (Nikkan Kogyo Shinbun, 2004); Entertainment and the Law (Shoji Homu, 2005); and Legal Guide for International Intellectual Property Dispute Resolution (Seirin Shoin 2006).
Mr. Terazawa graduated from Keio University in 1989 and received his law degree from the Legal Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan in 1993. He also received his L.L.M. from the University of Washington in 1999.
[1] Japan recognizes three legal qualifications: Bengoshi, Shihoshoshi and Gyoseishoshi. Among these, only Bengoshi can perform the full range of legal services in Japan, including lawsuit and representation in negotiation.