当事務所では東海林保弁護士を本年9月1日付で顧問弁護士として迎えました。
以下、東海林保弁護士の入所のご挨拶を掲載いたします。

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ご挨拶

本年６月６日をもちまして、知的財産高等裁判所第３部部総括判事を最後に定年退官し、同7月7日付けで東京弁護士会への弁護士登録をし、この度、TMI総合法律事務所に顧問弁護士として入所させていただけることになりました。皆さんとご一緒にお仕事ができることを大変光栄に思います。

私は、平成元年に東京地方裁判所判事補として任官し、以来35年間、民事事件を中心に裁判を担当してまいりましたが、そのうち、通算して15年間は東京地方裁判所知的財産権部及び知的財産高等裁判所に勤務して、知的財産関係訴訟を担当してまいりました。

近年、経済・産業のグローバル化、IT、AIなどの科学技術の急激な進歩と発展に伴い、社会・産業構造自体が急激に変化する中、知的財産の在り方も大きく変わり、その重要性はますます顕著になってきたように感じています。こうした中、民事訴訟のデジタル化が急激に進み、今後、知的財産関係訴訟の審理方法や審理内容も、これまでにないほど急速に変化していくものと思います。

このような急激なな変化に対応すべく、これまでは裁判官として、知的財産関係訴訟の審理を通じ、どのように我が国の知的財産権を保護していくべきか、知的財産関係訴訟に最適な審理方法は何か、という視点で実務に携わってきましたが、これからは、弁護士としての視点を加えて、私自身、知的財産のスペシャリストとしての弁護士を目指しますとともに、裁判官として35年間、特に、知的財産関係訴訟に携わってきた１５年間に培ってきた知識、ノウハウ、経験を最大限に活用し、できる限り、皆様のお役にたてるよう誠心誠意努めてまいる所存です。

どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。

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TMI Associates welcomed Mr. Tamotsu Shoji as an advisor attorney as of September 1, 2024.
Below are comments by Mr. by Tamotsu Shoji.

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Having retired as the presiding judge of the 3rd Division of the Intellectual Property High Court on June 6 this year, I became registered with the Tokyo Bar Association as an attorney as of July 7, 2024, and am now truly blessed with this opportunity to join TMI Associates as an Advisor Attorney. It is a great honor for me to be able to work together with all of you.

Ever since my appointment as an assistant judge of the Tokyo District Court in 1989, I have mainly been engaged in civil cases for the past 35 years, during which I have worked for the Intellectual Property Rights Division of the Tokyo District Court and the Intellectual Property Hight Court for a total of 15 years, where I have been engaged in determining intellectual property-related lawsuits.

In recent years, while the social and industrial structures have been rapidly changing in association with the process of economic and industrial globalization and the rapid progress and development of technology, such as IT and AI, I feel that the circumstances surrounding intellectual property have also seen a tremendous change, and the importance of intellectual property has become increasingly significant. In this situation, the digitalization of civil lawsuits is rapidly progressing, and I believe that the manner and contents of hearings pertaining to intellectual property-related lawsuits will also continue to see rapid change like never before.

In order to respond to the brisk pace of such changes, up to now, I have been engaging in practice as a judge with a view of protecting the intellectual property rights of our country through hearings pertaining to intellectual property-related lawsuits and proceeding with such lawsuits in the most appropriate manner. From now on, based on my new perspective as an attorney, I will strive to become a specialist attorney in the field of intellectual property, and will endeavor from the bottom of my heart to contribute as much as possible to TMI by utilizing my knowledge, know-how and experience which I have cultivated in 35 years as a judge, especially the 15 years in which I have been engaging in intellectual property-related lawsuits, to the fullest extent possible.

Thank you.