Patent Attorney Partner

小林浩 Hiroshi Kobayashi

Practice Areas

Career
Practice Areas
Memberships
Publications
Seminars
Awards

Career

1983
Graduated from Sophia University with BS in Applied Chemistry

1983
Itoh & Company (Patent Firm)

1985
Registered as patent attorney

1987
Joined Dow Chemical Japan (1988-1990: Worked at Dow Corporate Patent Dept. in U.S.A.)

1989
Promoted to General Manager, Patent Dept., Dow Chemical Japan

1993
Joined Pfizer Japan as International Patent Manager, Patent Dept.

1995
Promoted to General Manager, IP Dept., Pfizer Japan

2001
Joined Abe, Ikubo & Katayama

2003
Received LLB from Chuo University

2005
Qualified as patent attorney admitted to practice intellectual property infringement litigation

2010-2011
Visiting Professor at Renmin University of China

2022
LLM, George Mason University School of Law

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Memberships

・Japan Patent Attorneys Association (JPAA)

・International Activity Center of JPAA

・AIPPI

・IP Committee of Japan Science and Technology Agency

・Institution of Professional Engineers (Biotechnology), Japan (ex-member of PIPA,JIPA and JPMA)

Practice Areas

Hiroshi Kobayashi is a partner in charge of the Patent Filing & Prosecution Division of Abe, Ikubo & Katayama. He has over 14 years of industry experience as intellectual property counsel. At Dow Chemical, he set up the Japanese patent operation at Dow Japan, where he handled numerous patent matters in the field of chemicals, polymers and agrochemicals. He also worked as a general patent counsel at Pfizer Japan’s IP Department, and was responsible for handling numerous patent and trademark matters in the field of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, in addition to global IP management with the Corporate Patent Department. Mr. Kobayashi represents national and multinational corporate clients in the field of pharmaceuticals, biotechnologies, chemicals, agrochemicals, polymers and food sciences. He serves his clients as counsel in matters of IP counseling, domestic and foreign patent prosecution, patent infringement and validity opinions; patent litigation support, and patent education.

Awards

Recognized as “IP Star” in Patent Filing & Prosecution, Oppositions & Appeals, Strategy & Counseling and Patent Litigation by Managing Intellectual Property (2015-2025)

Recognized in “The World’s Leading Patent Professional” by IAM Patent 1000 (2016-2025)

Recognized in “The World’s Leading IP Strategist” by IAM Strategy 300 (2017-2018)

Recognized as Global Leader in “IAM Global Leaders (2022-2025)

Recognized as Leading Individual/Partner in “The Legal 500 Asia Pacific” (2024-2025)

Recognized in the Patent Law Section of “The Best Lawyers in Japan” (2024-2025)

Recognized in the Life Science Section of “The Best Lawyers in Japan” (2025)

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