When it comes to biotech specialists,
it’s Hiraki & Associates.
That’s what our clients and others in the IP industry call us.
We believe that this name is an honor,
based on the fact that we are pioneers in the field of biological inventions
and have a long history and a solid track record of trust and achievement in this field.
History of Biological Patents and Our Firm
Since our foundation in 1984, we have pioneered the practice of IP work in biotechnology-related fields for our domestic and overseas clients, staying ahead of other patent attorney firms.
The protection of living organisms by IP rights in Japan began with the protection of plant varieties in accordance with the 1978 UPOV Convention (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants). Furthermore, protection for gene-related inventions, as typified by biotechnology, started with the Tentative Manual for Examination of an Invention in the Field of Genetic Engineering of Microorganisms published by the Japan Patent Office in 1984. Thus, our firm has been working with biological patents since it first started in Japan.
This is largely due to the career of Yusuke Hiraki, the founder and current Chairman of the firm, who served as an Examiner and then as Chief Administrative Judge at the Japan Patent Office. During his tenure there, the JPO did not grant any patents for biological-related inventions, including plants. However, Hiraki, who graduated from Kyoto University’s Faculty of Agriculture, along with his colleagues, strongly urged the Patent Office to grant patents for biological inventions, and thanks to their efforts, plant patents were finally granted in Japan. In other words, it is no exaggeration to say that Yusuke Hiraki is one of the key figures responsible for introducing biological patents in Japan. Hiraki then left the Japan Patent Office and started his own firm based on the knowledge of plant patents he had gained. This was an expression of Hiraki’s strong will to “protect Japanese biological inventions with patents,” and this aspiration still lives on in all of us as one of the firm’s philosophies.
A solid track record in biological patents
We have not earned the name “When it comes to biotech specialists, it’s Hiraki & Associates” based only on our past. We have solid backing for it in the form of our proven track record. We have always worked with each and every one of our clients to meet their expectations and achieve outcomes that satisfy them. We believe that the trust and appreciation we have earned from our clients, based on our proven track record, have led to our honorable reputation.
Over the past 40 years, we have helped many companies, universities, and research institutions, who are our clients, obtain rights to a wide variety of biological inventions. Many inventions for which we have handled patent applications have received Nobel Prizes or have supported corporations’ core technologies. Our job is to help you protect your inventions behind the scenes; in other words, we are backstage staff. At the same time, however, we are proud of the fact that we play a role in the protection of biological inventions in Japan. We will continue to work steadfastly to live up to our reputation as “When it comes to biotech specialists, it’s Hiraki & Associates.” and to meet our clients’ expectations.
An elite group of technicians
who can deal with the latest technology
Knowledge and technology related to biology are advancing every day. Many of our clients’ inventions are based on the latest knowledge in their field or on highly specialized cutting-edge technology. As custodians of such important inventions, we are obliged to grasp the essence of the inventions we help protect. Therefore, our firm is constantly improving to meet our clients’ needs, and we have established a system that allows us to respond immediately to all the latest biology-related technologies. In meetings with our clients, we strive to reduce the explanatory burden on our clients by enabling dialogue at the researcher’s level. Moreover, as IP experts, we endeavor to offer ideas that differ from the researcher’s perspective.
We are currently an elite group of more than 25 patent attorneys and engineers with expertise in the biotechnology and biochemistry fields to assist our clients.
