Tomimasa Konishi

Managing Partner/CEO
Patent Group

Bio

Konishi was born in Aichi-Prefecture and graduated from Aichi-located schools and university as well. Nagoya is a home-town. He loves peoples, cultures, histories, natures in the hometown and industries both.

Konishi established his background as a chemist through educating in Nagoya University where he learned all basics of chemical engineering, especially catalytic chemistry (graduated in 1982). Konishi also graduated electrical department of Tokyo university of Science in 1992. Double major fields of technical background of Konishi diversifies his professional services as a patent attorney.

Konishi was used to be a start-up members of Chubu-TLO, it is an organization of technology licensing for universities in or around Nagoya area. In Chubu-TLO, he built up rules or regulations for technology transfer from universities to industries. He also did the invention mining, searching prior arts, claim drafting and so on in Chubu-TLO, as well as bridging academia and business sector. He also supported medical department of universities.

Konishi, therefore, can give consistent services to the client in technically and any developing stage of invention.

Konishi started his carrier in IP at Iida Patent Firm in Nagoya. His mentor Akio Iida was a professor at Law Department and a Vice-President of Kokushikan University. After dedication in Iida Firm, he experienced a lot of practices at Asamura in Tokyo, one of the oldest patent law firm in Japan.

He established his own patent law firm as Konishi & Co. in 1996 by himself and his business did well as encountering an initial business for Blue light LED. His business developed and merged with Tom, Nakamura and named “Konishi and Nakamura” in 2001.

While managing private practices, Konishi spends his times for social activities at the Japan Patent Attorney Association. He by himself serves in 2016 as the Chair at Tokai (Central Japan) Branch of Japanese Patent Attorneys Association after dedicating as a Co-Chair in 2015. He was a vice president of Japanese Patent Attorneys Association in 2019 as well.

He is serving regular lectures of IP with issuing credit to student in Nagoya City University since 2013 and in Meijo Univesity as wll . He is appointed as Of-Council at the Nagoya Branch at the Customs since 2015. As a voice of the private practitioners, he is a Board Member of IP Strategic Committee at the Aichi Government.

Tomohiro Nakamura

Managing Partner/CEO
Trademark & Design Group

Bio

Tom started his intellectually property profession at an auto industry in November 1988. Dedicating in four years as production administrator at Toyota Motor Corporation, Tom transferred to the Intellectual Property Division in 1988.

His role at the company covered wide range of trademark and design works in terms of core business of Toyota and emerging activities born in an aspect of diversities. In his practices, Tom led a lot tough cases to satisfactory in trademark negotiations with domestic and non-Japanese parties, such as successfully buying-out a US trademark used as big name for SUV. As for luxury brand LEXUS and others, Tom played a key role at the company to protect the brand to prevent from free-riding, diluting and tarnishing in a course of opposition, invalidation and litigation.

Another aspect in Tom’s expertise, Tom experienced globally in the field of anti-counterfeiting activities. As a core member at the Trademark Committee of Japan Automobile Manufacturing Association Inc. (JAMA), he coordinated for committee’s members at JAMA and arranged for investigations and following raid-actions.

With legal works for the company, Tom’s role covered legislating the bylaw dealing tests about “Do’s and Don’ts“, threshold requirements to license the TOYOTA brands as a trademark and trade name which were adopted by subsidiaries.

Since January 2001, Tom started a private practice by means of merging Konishi & Co. managed by Tomimasa Konishi. This merge renamed the firm to Konishi & Nakamura. While Tom has continued dedicating in trademark practices for domestic and foreign clients, he extended his profession to consult with clients for industrial design protection in Japan and foreign countries. He has involved in for long time activities at the Industrial Designs Committee at the Japan Patent Attorney Association (JPAA). With the role at the JPAA, he leads the Industrial Designs Committee at the Japan Trademark Association (JTA).

While managing private practices, Tom is contributing as Professor at Graduate School, Kibi International University (Distance Course). Subjects in his role are design and patent laws.

Daisuke Maeda

Partner/COO
Trademark & Design Group

Lecturer, Professional Institute of International Fashion
Lecturer, International Professional University of Technology in Nagoya
Manager, Nagoya New Business Support Center, Nagoya Industries Promotion Corporation
Member, Finance Committee, Japan Patent Attorneys Association

Bio

Daisuke Maeda joined Konishi & Nakamura in 2003 and became a partner in 2015. Daisuke started his career as a Patent & Trademark Attorney since 2005, and was certified as a litigator in terms of intellectual property in 2008. He specializes in trademark and design prosecution, domain name disputes, and intellectual property litigation. His experience with trademarks and designs has helped many clients in various industries.

Daisuke is very active in social and pro-bono work as a core member of the Japan Patent Attorneys Association (JPAA) and Tokai (Central Japan) Branch of JPAA. He frequently gives speeches to students at schools and universities, as well as to businesspeople.

He is always seeking knowledge relevant to his work and striving to contribute to and enhance clients' IP activities.

Kotaro Ito

Partner
Trademark & Design Group

Bio

Kotaro started his profession at an insurance industry in 1987. His role at the company covered wide range of legal works in terms of payment of insurance claim, insurance conditions, establishments of subsidiaries and so on.

After 16 years of experience working on the insurance company, Kotaro made a resolution to change the career by joining to the business of the intellectual property. In 2004, he became a member at Konishi & Nakamura.

While acquiring experience in trademark and design works at Konishi & Nakamura, he has continuously participated in social activities, especially in the committee activities at the Japan Patent Attorneys Association (JPAA).

In 2014, he headed the Trademark and Industrial Design Committee at the Tokai Branch of JPAA and delivered a successful presentation of study results on new-type trademarks, i.e., sound marks, color marks and so on, and the International Registration system of industrial designs.

Kazufusa Tomita

Patent Group

Career Summary

March 1977 Graduated from Keio University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering. April 1977 Joined the former Toyo Sashi Kogyo Co. (now LIXIL Corporation),
where he was involved in product design, merchandising, staff attached to the vice president, information patents, etc.
Joined Idea Patent Firm (now Kyoritsu Patent Attorneys) in December 2003.
Engaged mainly in patent application work in the technical fields of automobile bodies, power transmission equipment, production machinery, casting-related equipment, search equipment, plant factories, and mounters.

Ayaka Honda

Trademark & Design Group

Bio

Ayaka joined Konishi & Nakamura in 2022. She started her career as a Patent & Trademark Attorney in 2020.

Hiroshi Matsuda

Patent Group

Work History

March 1994　Graduated from Department of Materials Processing Engineering, School of Engineering, Nagoya University
March 1996　Completed Master’s Program in Materials Processing Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University
April 1996　Joined Shinko Electric Co., Ltd. (now Sinfonia Technology Co., Ltd.)
October 2001　Joined Onda International Patent Office
December 2002　Registered as Patent Attorney (Registration No. 12557)
January 2005　Registered as IP Litigation Certified Patent Attorney
April 2007　Joined Aigi Patent and Trademark Office
March 2025　Joined Konishi & Nakamura Patent Firm

Tomoko Okubi

Trademark & Design Group

Bio

Tomoko joined Konishi & Nakamura in 2026 and has been practising as a Patent and Trademark attorney since 2013.

Motohiro Aiba

Patent Group

Professional Experience, etc.

March 2016: Completed the doctoral program in Organic and Polymeric Materials, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology
April 2016: Joined Tokai Technology Center
April 2017: Joined Nagoya City Hall
June 2026: Joined Konishi & Nakamura
June 2026: Registered as a patent attorney, Registration No. 24033

Kazuo Souma

Of Counsel,
Strategic Alliance & Licensing Executive

Career Summary

 Kazuo Souma is an intellectual property specialist with more than forty years of professional experience in patent prosecution, R&D and licensing contract , and strategic IP management.
 A native of Nagoya, he graduated from Aichi Prefectural Asahigaoka Senior High School and received his Bachelor of Science in Physics from Waseda University.
 Mr. Souma joined Toyota Motor Corporation in 1982 and served exclusively in the Intellectual Property Division throughout his tenure. Over the course of his career, he developed deep expertise across the full spectrum of IP operations, including patent practice, complex IP transactions, global IP strategy, and corporate IP governance. He qualified as a Japanese Patent Attorney in 1994 and obtained certification as a Qualified IP Litigation Counsel in 2005. Following his retirement from Toyota in August 2023, he established the Souma Patent Office in January 2025.

Takafumi Sakurayama

External Partner
Chief Brand Officer

History in Profession

1989　Engaged in large-scale system sales at Fujitsu Ltd.
2003　Succeeded to the printing business
2005　Restructured the business
2015　Founded a branding business