Yorikatsu Hohokabe, Ph.D.

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

• U.S. Patent Procurement (Application Drafting & Prosecution)
• IP Transactions

Technologies

• Chemicals