TOPATTORNEYSYoshiki KITANO

Yoshiki KITANO(Mr.)

Partner

OSAKA Office

 

 

Head of International Client Department

 

Education and Personal History
Mr. Kitano practices exclusively in the field of patent law, with a focus on life science, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, material science, and food materials. He has more than two decades of experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications worldwide. Freedom to operate and validity opinions as well as oppositions form a significant part of his practice. He also received extensive training in U.S.-based IP law firms for over a year.

 

The technologies in which Mr. Kitano has been significantly involved include antibodies, CAR-T cells, nucleotides, siRNA, immunotherapy, enzymes, stem cells, vaccines, biomarkers, biological assays, microorganisms, DNA cloning and amplification techniques, genetic vectors, medical treatments, biofuels, new chemical compounds, pharmaceutical formulations, foods, beverages, flavor materials, inorganic catalysts, optical films, binding materials, and coating materials. He is particularly strong in the area of new uses for known compounds.

 

Backed by his overseas education and professional experience, Mr. Kitano is able to maintain close communication with international clients. He often travels overseas to meet clients and to attend international conferences.

 

Education:

Okayama University, B.S., Molecular Biology, Agricultural Science, 2003
Ryerson University, Canada, M.S., Enzymatic Engineering, Environmental Science, 2005

 

Memberships

Japan Patent Attorneys Association (JPAA) from 2009
Passed U.S. Patent Agent Exam, 2009
JPAA International Activities Center Committee, 2014
JPAA AIPLA Project Team, 2014
Litigating Patent Attorney from 2012

Writing activities
Intellectual Property Management, Vol. 75, No. 8, 2025, Considerations in Sensory Evaluation and Patent Practice

 

Intellectual Property Management, Vol. 68, No. 5, 2018, Support Requirements For Inventions Using Parameters for Food Flavors: The Tomato-Containing Beverage Case

 

Seminars
November 2023
Saegusa Annual Seminar, Japan: Use of Post-Filing Data in the U.S.

 

January 2018
Shinshu University IP Seminar: IP Strategies for Functional Foods

 

August 2017
Health Industry News Industrial Current Affairs Seminar: Food Industry-Specific Issues and Patent Strategies Revealed Through Ito En vs. Kagome

 

February 2016
Japanese IP Law and Practice CIPA/ITMA Seminar in London, UK: Product-by-Process Claims after Supreme Court Decisions in 2015

 

December 2015
JPAA Seminar, Novelty in the U.S. when Claimed Numerical Ranges Overlap with Prior Art

 

October 2015
AIPLA, IP Practice in Japan Pre-Meeting, US: Product-by-Process Claims: Supreme Court Decisions

 

October 2014
AIPLA, IP Practice in Japan Pre-Meeting, US: Post-Grant Opposition and Revisions to Examination Guidelines in Japan

 

November 2012
Saegusa Annual Seminar, Japan: Tips on Filing Amendments in the U.S.

 

October 2011
Seminar Hosted by LEYDIG, VOIT & MAYER, LTD., Chuo Sogo Law Office, and Saegusa & Partners, Japan: Comparative Studies on Purpose Limited Inventions in Japan and the U.S.