Partner Shigetoshi (Toshi) Hirano

Osaka Bar Association, Japan Federation of Bar Associations (1989)
New York State Bar Association (1994)

Location : Osaka Office

Professional Summary

Mr. Shigetoshi Hirano has been practicing law in a variety of fields since 1989. After he was dispatched by the firm to study in the University of Pennsylvania in 1993, he has specialized in intellectual property (IP) disputes representing Japanese and other foreign clients in Japanese courts and arbitration, as well as drafting licensing and franchising agreements. Mr. Hirano also has extensive experience in entertainment law, which is a combined field of copyright, trademark and intellectual property creation, and is derived from IP. In addition to his IP practice, Mr. Hirano has been involved in business transactions and international disputes between Japanese parties and foreign parties in the U.S., E.U, China, Korea, Middle East and many other countries. Mr. Hirano has also worked on many joint venture projects, which has helped clients expand their businesses into new territories. On several occasions, Mr. Hirano has assisted Japanese clients in the closure of their subsidiaries to restructure their chain of supply. Mr. Hirano believes lawyers should have broad experience and knowledge in order to lead their clients to fair and reasonable results, which is why he has tried to obtain a variety of experience, including learning about different cultures. In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Hirano has been teaching Intellectual Property Law at Kyoto University Law School for the past 10 years and has been elected to important bar association positions, including as Vice President of the Osaka Bar Association.

Education & Professional Experience

1993-1994
Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP (Los Angeles; currently known as Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP)

1993
University of Pennsylvania Law School (LL.M.)

1987
Kyoto University (LL.B.)

Activities

2016-
Chairman, Cooperation Center for the Development of the Legal Profession and Operation of Law Schools, Osaka Bar Association

2016-
Chairman, Health and Welfare Committee, Osaka Bar Association

2015
Vice President, Osaka Bar Association

2015
Governor, Japan Federation of Bar Associations

2015
Executive Director, Kinki Federation of Bar Associations

2012
Vice President, Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Center

2011- present
Councilor, Kyoto Comparative Law Center

2011-2012
Representative Facilitator, Intellectual Property Law Practice Study Group, Osaka Bar Association

2010-2015
Council Member, Industrial Property Council

2010-2012 (Subject: Intellectual Property Right Cases)
Visiting Professor

2010
Chairman, Committee for the Business of the “Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Center”

2010
President, Kansai Branch, Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Center

2005- present
Adjunct Instructor, Graduate School of Law of Kyoto University

2005
Tutor/Lecturer, International Civil and Commercial Law Seminar 2004 (Overseas Investment

2004-2007
Vice-Chairman, Intellectual Property Committee, Osaka Bar Association

2004-2007
Member, Committee on Evaluation of Medicine-Based Inventions, Intellectual Property Division, Kyoto University

2004-2005
Chairman, Committee on the Rights of the Child, Osaka Bar Association

2004-2005
Chairman, Committee on the Rights of the Child, Kinki Federation of Bar Associations

2004
Lecturer, International Civil and Commercial Law Seminar 2003 (Intellectual Property Rights

2003-2008
Part-time Lecturer, Graduate School of Medicine of Kyoto University

2002-2004
Part-time Lecturer, Kansai University

2002
Lecturer, Seminar to Support the Development of the Legal System of Laos

2001- 2014
Vice-Chairman, Cooperation Center for the Establishment and Management of Law Schools (currently known as Cooperation Center for the Development of the Legal Profession and Operation of Law Schools), Osaka Bar Association

2001-2006
Part-time Lecturer, Graduate School of Law of Kyushu University (LL.M.

2000-2002
Deputy Secretary-General, Promotion Office for Unification of the Legal Profession/Appointment of Lawyers as Judges, Osaka Bar Association

2000-2001
Chairman, Energy and Natural Resource Committee, Inter Pacific Bar Association

2000
Lecturer, Seminar to Support the Development of the Legal System of Vietnam

1998-2000
Vice-Chairman, Energy and Natural Resource Committee, Inter Pacific Bar Association

1996-1999
Coordinator, Commentator, Lecturer, Kyoto Comparative Law Center (“Information Business and Law,” “Entertainment Law”

1996
Interim Delegate Member of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations for the General Discussion of United Nations Commission on the Rights of Child

Publications Archives

2024.05.01
Legal Issues Related to Generative AI
2018.03
IP Laws of the Philippines
2017.06.27
Liability for Damages from Automated Vehicle Accidents in Japan
2016.05
Legal Counseling on Unfair Competition Prevention Act I and II (Updated Seirin Shoin Legal Counseling Series No. 8)
2016.05
“Q35: Protection of Prominent Weak Marks” and “Q48: Overseas Outflow of “Trade Secrets” through Industrial Spies,” Legal Counseling on Unfair Competition Prevention Act I and II
2015.05
Joint R&D Agreement Handbook- Practices and Examples of Japanese-English Provisions
2015.04
Handbook on Joint Research and Development Agreements — Practices and Sample Provisions in Japanese and English
2015.03
Analysis of Judgments Overturning Patent Trial Decisions - the Intellectual Property High Court Practice based on Case Examples
2015.03
Items that may be Reproduced by Book Scanning Services and the Scope Permitted under Article 30 of the Law—Decision of the IP High Court on October 22, 2014
2012.12
Q&A: Domestic Proceedings Law and Practices of Lawyers
2012.06
New Edition: Commentaries on the Unfair Competition Prevention Act (Vols. 1 and 2)
2011.10
Latest Court Precedents on Intellectual Property: - Focusing on court precedents without commentaries yet – in commemoration of the 60th birthday of Shunji Miyama, Esq., and Nobuo Matsumura, Esq.
2010.10
Philippines – Republic of the Philippines
2010.10
Intellectual Property Systems in Asian Countries – in commemoration of the 70th birthday of Kazunori Yamagami, Esq.
2009.10
Exercise Book for Law Schools: Intellectual Property Law
2009.10.01
Exclusive License Agreement and Its Termination
2008.04
Liability of Patent Owner who Sought Provisional Disposition under a Patent that Subsequently Became Invalid
2007.06.25
Theory and Practice of Intellectual Property Contracts
2006.06
Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Asian Countries – Comparison of Asia/Pacific Legal Systems: Series 4
2005.01.01
Treatment of Abused Children – Mental Health, Medical Treatment, Legislative Response and Support
2004.06
Digital Content Law Vol. 1
2003.07.01
Current Status and Prospects of Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Asian Countries
2003.03.01
Symposium: Current Status and Issues in the IP Legal System and its Enforcement in Asian Countries
2003.02
An Easy-to-Understand Approach to the Companies Act
2002.04.01
Imitation of Product Forms under the Unfair Competition Prevention Law
1999.08
Corporate Alliance and Restructuring with Shareholders Agreement
1990.11.01
Rights of Students

Seminars/Lectures Archives

2017.02
From the Basics: Legal Practices on Trademark Rights and Copyright
2017.01
License Agreements and the Antitrust Law
2015.10
Technology and Law: Risk Avoidance and Creation of Opportunities
2012.11
Outline of Dispute Resolution by Mediation of the Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Center and the Procedures thereof: Points and Forms based on Case Samples
2012.10
Case Samples of Leakage of Trade Secrets and Prevention Measures
2012.03
U.S. Patent Act Reforms: Focusing on Litigation
2012.02
Recent Trends in Patent Litigation: Has the Court Shifted To Being Pro-Patent?
2011.12
Legal Measures for the Management of Information including Customer Information
2011.08
Intellectual Properties in Design and Legal Issues
2011.02
Legal Seminar, "Latest Intellectual Property Risk Management and Practical Measures"
2007.08
OSE Seminar "2007 Insider Trade Regulation
2006.02
Legal Issues on Trade Secrets: Focusing on Various Recent Amendments
2005.12
Creation, Protection and Utilization of Corporate Property Rights in International Economic Activities
2005.03
Legal Risk Management Seminar, "Various Issues on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights by Japanese Companies in Asian Countries
2005.03
Current Status of Patent Infringement Litigation and Countermeasures
2005.02
Foreign Investment in the Form of the Establishment of Corporations and the Practices thereof
2004.06
What is now required of the Legal Profession?
2004.04
Recent Court Precedents and Practical Measures on the Remuneration of Inventions
2004.03
Legal Risk Management Seminar, "Strategies and Practices of International Alliance"
2004.03
Patent as a Property Right
2004.02
Role of the Lawyer and the Patent Agent in Conflict Over Intellectual Property Rights
2004.01
What are Intellectual Property Rights?
2003.05
Legal Risk Management Seminar, "Intellectual Property Law: International Strategies and Enforcement of Intellectual Properties"
2002.10
Recent Trends on Service Invention
2001.10
Recent Trends on Business Model Patents
2000.07
Business Model Patents
2000.07
Internet and Law
1997.11
Recent Developments in Corporate Law

Languages

Japanese and English

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