Yorikastu Hohokabe

Job Title: Senior Advisor
Company: OBLON Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi Jimusho

Dr. Yorikatsu Hohokabe, CLP is a senior advisor in the firm’s Chemical Patent Prosecution practice group as well as the IP Transactions practice group. Before joining Oblon, he worked for nearly four decades for Showa Denko K.K., a large, diversified chemical and production company in Japan. During his career at Showa Denko, he 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. 

He studied Chemical Engineering and Polymer Science at Tokyo Institute of Technology (B.S., M.S., Dr. Eng.) and was Research Associate at Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland.

He was named as Licensing Executives Society International (LESI) Chemicals Energy Environment and Materials (CEEM) Distinguished Fellow by Global IP Intelligence (2014) and was awarded Service Recognition Certificate by LESI (2018) and President’s Service Recognition by LESI President (2022).

Professional Affiliations

  • RIKEN Cluster for Innovation Advisory Council (RCIAC), Chair (2011)
  • Served as Chair, Co-Chair or Vice Chair of several committees of LESI and presently serves as Co-Chair of Membership Committee of LESI.
  • 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 (2010 – present, 2006 – 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)