Experience

We, SATO & ASSOCIATES, provide legal services specialized in the intellectual property field, such as filing of patents, utility models, design patents, trademarks, and related matters. Our clients are diversified from Japanese and foreign large corporations, small and medium size corporations, and individuals. Since the year of 2001, we have prosecuted a large number of IP filing cases, and involved in licensing and negotiation, as well as warning and litigation. We do national filings to JPO (Japan Patent Office) for patent, design patent, and trademark, and in the same way we assist our clients to file applications for registration to other foreign countries. We also file directly trademark applications to the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) as the agent in utilizing Illinois lawyer qualification.

Technology Driven Communications

For filing documents such as trademark applications and patent applications, we employ our electronic certificate to make communications with JPO. We also use the USPTO’s website to file trademark applications and written arguments directly as well as make renewals of the trademark registrations. Recently, we begin to use web conference software (e.g., ZOOM) which enables us to reach foreign associates and clients. According to instructions of the client, we may use INPIT’s time stamp service for recording the time as the proof of the documents’ existence. You may use our chat communication system (please click a “^” button in the orange chat/mail box at right bottom corner on each PC page or an orange icon on each mobile device page) where our staff is available during our business ours.

Low and Reasonable Cost

Our policy is to pursuit the best interest of the client, while our bills are always required to be reasonable regardless the client’s size. We have maintained our professional business for more than fifteen years, and we proudly believe our pricing is one of the best in consideration of the legal service quality. We use our fee schedule available via this site (to see the fee schedule page, you need a password and can request the password by email). For foreign potential clients, we take VISA and MASTER credit cards and generally ask use of such a credit card for security purpose.