Shigeru Osuga has served as Of Counsel of Kitahama Partners since he joined the Tokyo Office in November 2018. Before joining the firm, Mr. Osuga had served as a judge, including in the Intellectual Property High Court, the Intellectual Property Rights Department of the Tokyo District Court (department chief), and other courts, where he mainly presided over IP-related litigation until July 2018. He has been in charge of some prominent cases, such as the recent Apple v. Samsung “bounce-back” patent litigation. He also worked for many years in the Ministry of Justice’s Litigation Department, and has experience with litigation strategies. After joining Kitahama Partners, he has also worked with patent administration in areas such as training appeal examiners for the Patent Office in accordance with patent law reform hearings from the Patent Office and Institute of Intellectual Property. He would like to use this experience to assist his clients, particularly in the area of patent litigation.
Work Highlights
Written opinion of an appeal for invalidation of the registration of extension of duration of a drug patent
Examination for an investigation committee that was commissioned by a government agency
Education & Professional Career
Nov 2018 – Present
Kitahama Partners, Of Counsel
Nov 2018
Admitted to practice in Japan
Jul 2018
Retired from the position of Judge (based on the mandated age limit)
Sep 2017
Yokohama Family Court, Chief Judge
Dec 2015
Gifu District/Family Court, Chief Judge
Aug 2014
Kagoshima District/Family Court, Chief Judge
Apr 2014
Intellectual Property High Court, Judge
Apr 2010
Tokyo District Court, Judge (Intellectual Property Rights Department, Chief Judge)
Apr 2009
Intellectual Property High Court, Judge
Apr 2008
Ministry of Justice, Minister’s Secretariat, Counsellor
Apr 2007
Ministry of Justice, Minister’s Secretariat, Director of the Litigation Planning and Coordination Division
Apr 2005
Ministry of Justice, Minister’s Secretariat, Director of the Civil Litigation Division
Apr 2004
Ministry of Justice, Minister’s Secretariat, Director of the Administrative Litigation Division
Apr 2003
Ministry of Justice, Minister’s Secretariat, Director of the Property Litigation Division
Apr 1999
Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau, Deputy Chief of the Litigation Department
Apr 1996
Fukuoka Legal Affairs Bureau, Public Prosecutor assigned to the Litigation Department
Apr 1994
Tokyo District Court, Judge (Intellectual Property Rights Department)
Apr 1992
Tokyo District Court, Assistant Judge (April 1993- Intellectual Property Rights Department)
Apr 1984
Osaka District Court, Assistant Judge
Apr 1984
Graduated from the Legal Training and Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan
Mar 1979
The University of Tokyo (LL.B.)
Other Activities
2019 – Present
Lecturer, Training Course of Litigation and Practice, Japan Patent Office
Oct 2019 – Present
Civil Conciliation Commissioner, Tokyo District Court (in charge of Intellectual Property Conciliation)
Jun 2019 – Present
Member, Design and Law Association
2013 – 2014
Provisional Member, Industrial Property Council (in charge of patent attorney examination)
May 2012 – Present
Commissioner, The Copyright Law Association of Japan
Jul 2011 – Present
Special Member, Design Study Group of the Japan Design Protection Association
May 2011 – Mar 2014
Expert Committee Member, Copyright Division of the Council for Cultural Affairs
2003 – 2006
Member, Inspection Committee of the Second Stage Examination of the Bar Exam (Civil Law, Civil Procedure Law)
