Bingham Strengthens Global IP and Litigation Practices with Addition of Chris Mizumoto to Tokyo Office

Bingham McCutchen LLP continues to build upon its intellectual property and litigation strengths with the addition of Chris Mizumoto as a partner to its Intellectual Property Group and Litigation Area in Tokyo.

Mizumoto, who joins from DLA Piper, focuses on U.S. patent litigation and prosecution. He advises major electronics corporations and pharmaceutical clients on U.S. patent litigation and patent prosecution matters, including patent infringement/non-infringement and validity/invalidity opinions. He also counsels clients on issues related to patent licensing. Additionally, he advises clients on the America Invents Act, particularly on Post Grant Review and Inter Partes Review proceedings. He has experience in a variety of subject areas, including medical devices, semiconductors, biotechnology and small drug molecules.

“Chris is a highly-respected and credentialed IP lawyer with a very attractive cross-border practice,” said Geoff Howard, co-chair of Bingham’s Litigation Area. “His addition will help us grow our IP and litigation practices — both nationally and in Japan, where we count former IP judges Harumi Kojo and Naoki Hayata among our deep IP team.”

Mizumoto’s arrival underscores Bingham’s commitment to the strategic growth of its Intellectual Property practice and its Tokyo office, and its commitment to serve its Japanese clients.  Mizumoto rejoins his eight former intellectual property colleagues from DLA Piper who recently joined Bingham’s Santa Monica office and who work extensively with Japan- based clients. Mizumoto will work closely with this team, which includes five partners:  Richard de Bodo, Siegmund Gutman, Andrew DevkarOlga Berson and Bruce Kuyper. De Bodo, formerly co-chair of DLA Piper’s Patent Litigation and Life Sciences practices, serves as co-chair of Bingham’s Intellectual Property and Life Sciences practice groups. De Bodo and Mizumoto have worked together in serving Japanese clients for the last four years.  In May, Bingham also added partner Sasha Rao to its IP and litigation teams in its Silicon Valley office.  Additionally, in Tokyo, Bingham recently expanded its 75-lawyer office with the addition of seven lawyers — including partners Christopher Wells and Tomoko Fuminaga — in the Investment Management Group.

Hideyuki Sakai, managing partner of Bingham’s Tokyo office, noted that Mizumoto’s arrival “enables us to offer a wider range of services to our national and international clients, and reaffirms Bingham’s commitment to Japan.”

Bingham’s Tokyo office has a well-established reputation in Japan for its Intellectual Property and Litigation practices. The office handles major cross-border commercial litigation for global clients and advises clients in major U.S., E.U. and Japanese antitrust investigations. Recently, lawyers from the office counseled major Japanese companies in matters ranging from litigation arising from large-scale environmental incidents to global LIBOR investigations. In addition to Judge Kojo and Judge Hayata , the Tokyo office is also home to former district court judges Toshiji Sato, Atsushi YamadaTakahiko Itoh and Maki Satake. Furthermore, the office includes seasoned IP Japanese litigation partners Tomohiko Makino and Yoshinori Horigome.

With the addition of Mizumoto and the strong and talented IP team in Santa Monica, Bingham now offers Japanese and other clients seamless and coordinated IP coverage in the critical technology and life sciences markets of Japan and the United States.

Bingham’s strong IP practice, established presence and robust practice in the Asian market, and its strategic vision and leadership were key factors for Mizumoto in choosing to join the firm.

“I am pleased to join Bingham and am looking forward to the opportunity to further build my practice,” Mizumoto said. “My clients will see immediate benefits from Bingham’s established Japanese office and depth in the region.”

Mizumoto has advanced degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in applied radiation physics and Yale University in molecular biophysics and biochemistry. He is a Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi (registered foreign lawyer) with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations and is also admitted to the U.S.  Patent and Trademark Office, and New York and California state bars.

www.bingham.com


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