the firm's post-grant practitioners are some of the most experienced in the country.

Technologies

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Digital Health
Digital Health
Energy & Renewables
Energy & Renewables

Fast Facts

About Our

Law Firm

About Our Law Firm

Headquartered within steps of the USPTO with an affiliate office in Tokyo, Oblon is one of the largest law firms in the United States focused exclusively on intellectual property law.

Get to know our

History

Get to know our History

1968
Norman Oblon with Stanley Fisher and Marvin Spivak launched what was to become Oblon, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, LLP, one of the nation's leading full-service intellectual property law firms.

Our Local and

Global Reach

Our Local and Global Reach

Outside the US, we service companies based in Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and farther corners of the world. Our culturally aware attorneys speak many languages, including Japanese, French, German, Mandarin, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Farsi, Chinese.

A few of our

ACCOLADES

A few of our ACCOLADES

Oblon's professionals provide industry-leading IP legal services to many of the world's most admired innovators and brands.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR

Career

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR Career

From the minute you walk through our doors, you'll become a valuable part of a team that fosters a culture of innovation, client service and collegiality.

A few ways to

GET In Touch

A few ways to GET In Touch
US Office

Telephone: 703-413-3000
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Tokyo Office

Telephone: +81-3-6212-0550
Learn More +

Downloadable

Patent Forms

Downloadable Patent Forms

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued final rules implementing the inventor's oath or declaration provisions of the America Invents Act (AIA) on August 14, 2012.

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Yorikatsu  Hohokabe, Ph.D.

Yorikatsu Hohokabe, Ph.D.

Senior Advisor ∙ Tokyo Office
E: yhohokabe@oblon.com
T: +81-3-6212-0555
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Yorikatsu Hohokabe, Ph.D., CLP is a senior advisor in the firm’s Chemical Patent Prosecution practice group as well as the IP Transactions practice group. Dr. Hohokabe provides Oblon’s attorneys and clients with technical advice, facilitates English/Japanese communications between attorneys and clients, and assists in the operations of the firm’s Tokyo office.

Before joining Oblon, Dr. Hohokabe worked for nearly four decades for Showa Denko K.K., a large, diversified chemical and production company in Japan with annual sales over $10 billion. During his career at Showa Denko, Dr. Hohokabe was a Managing Corporate Officer (Senior Chief Technologist), General Manager of the Intellectual Property Department, in charge of IP operations of the company, Chief Manager of new business development, and in charge of research and development management of the entire company.

While at Showa Denko, Dr. Hohokabe’s invention of (and technology for) a plastic lens for eyeglasses was sold to a manufacturer in Japan.

Dr. Hohokabe has earned the Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) credential awarded by Certified Licensing Professionals, Inc., first in East Asia. This program recognizes professionals in the fields of licensing, business development and commercialization of intellectual property.


Education

  • Tokyo Institute of Technology (Ph.D.)
    • Chemical Engineering
  • Tokyo Institute of Technology (M.S.)
    • Chemical Engineering
  • Tokyo Institute of Technology (B.S.)
    • Chemical Engineering
  • University of Maryland
    • Research Associate (Department of Chemistry)

Accolades

  • Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) (2011-present), awarded by Certified Licensing Professionals, Inc.
  • Named as Licensing Executives Society International (LESI) Chemicals Energy Environment and Materials (CEEM) Distinguished Fellow by Global IP Intelligence (2014).
  • Awarded Service Recognition Certificate by LESI (2018)
  • Awarded President's Service Recognition Award by President of LESI (2022)
  • Awarded Certificate of Merit by LESI (2023)

Languages

  • Japanese

Professional Affiliations

  • RIKEN Cluster for Innovation Advisory Council (RCIAC), Chair (2011)
  • Licensing Executives Society International (LESI), Delegate of LES Japan for LESI Board of Delegates (2012 - 2016); Co-Chair, Investment Committee (2011 - 2015); Co-Vice Chair, Investment Committee (2015 - 2017);  Vice Chair, Investment Committee (2017 - present); Vice Chair, Patent & Technology Licensing Committee (2010 - 2011); Co-Chair, Chemicals, Energy & Environment Committee (2006 - 2008); Vice Chair, Chemicals, Energy & Environment Committee (2005 - 2006); Licensing Executives Society International (LESI), Co-Vice Chair, Membership Committee (2015 - 2017); Co-Chair, Membership Committee (2017 - 2023); A First-Round Judge for Graduate Student Business Plan Competition (2009 - 2014)
  • Licensing Executives Society (LES) Japan, Vice President (2013 - 2020), Director and Board Member (2020 - present, 2010 - 2013, 2006 - 2008)
  • Licensing Executives Society (LES) USA & Canada, Committee Member, Chemicals, Energy, Environment & Materials Committee (2009 - 2012)
  • Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle (AIPPI), Japan (2009 - present)
  • The Chemical Society of Japan (1965 - present)
  • Industrial Property Cooperation Center (Japan), Director (2003 – 2008)
  • Japan Patent Information Organization, Councilor (1999 – 2008)
  • Council for Deliberation of Yamagata University’s Faculty of Engineering (Japan), Councilor (2004 - 2008)
  • Nippon Keidanren, Committee on Intellectual Property and Sub-Committee on Policy Planning, Committee Member (2003 - 2007)
  • Japan Intellectual Property Association, Managing Director (2000 - 2001), Auditor (2003 - 2004)
  • Japan Techno-Economics Society, Working Group for the Promotion of Technology Transfer and for the Practice of Technology Transfer under the Consortium on Management and Technology (1977 - 1980)
  • Japan Business Research Institute, Study Committee for Strategic Management of Intellectual Property, Member (1999 - 2006)

Services

Technologies