Our passion
Founding partner, Mr. Hiroshi Maeda
Mr. Hiroshi Maeda was born in 1946 in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, a city devastated at that time by World War II. The intellectually curious young man overcame the death of his father and went on to study at the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Kyoto University. After graduating from the graduate school, he joined Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (now IHI Corporation) with the dream of developing rockets. He was independent-minded and decided to become a patent attorney to help clients who were developing their technologies. He founded his firm in 1977. He made a great point of visiting clients’ offices and holding face-to-face meetings in order to gain a deep understanding of their technologies and obtain strong patents. Until his passing in 2024 at the age of 77, Mr. Maeda continued to be there for people, both inside and outside the firm, with a smile on his face. His attitude and passion continue to be our firm’s aspirations.
Personal history
| 1946 | Born in Suita, Osaka. |
|---|---|
| 1965 | Graduated from Osaka Prefectural Ibaraki High School |
| 1969 | Obtained a bachelor’s degree of aeronautics engineering from Kyoto University |
| 1971 | Obtained a master’s degree of aeronautics engineering from Kyoto University |
| 1971 | Joined Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. and assigned to the Space Development Department, where he worked on the development of a domestically produced satellite rocket. |
| 1973 | Registered as a patent attorney |
| 1977 | Founded MAEDA & PARTNERS and became its managing partner. |
| 2003 | Registered as a patent attorney with a supplementary note indicating qualification as counsel in actions alleging specific infringement. |
| 2023 | Became a chairperson. |
| 2024 | Passed away at the age of 77. |
What our firm’s founder Mr. Hiroshi Maeda has valued:
- 1. Never forget to smile. Your smile attracts people.
- 2. Handle the unexpected. Doing something you have never done before provides a learning opportunity.
- 3. Be decisive. Clients do not want evasive answers.
Philosophy
- Our philosophy
- We will actively engage with our clients and become a proactive partner of choice for our clients. In addition to providing services during prosecution of your intellectual property rights, we aim to accurately identify our clients’ needs, whether actual or potential, and provide unique solutions that best suit your case.
Code of conduct
- Responsibility: We are committed to making your idea a reality.
- Fiduciary duties: We will fulfill duties as patent attorneys.
- Faithfulness: We will put ourselves in our clients’ shoes and do our best.
- Cost consciousness: We will consider all time incurred as a cost, and act promptly.
- Initiative: We will be one step ahead of our clients and take the lead.
- Experience and expertise: We will get you the right practitioner for your case.
- Gratitude to clients: We will return the favor to you by offering quality services.
- Mindset: We will work hard and diligently for our clients.