Ryoko Oshikamo has joined our full-service European IP house, bringing with her over 10 years of attorney experience from Japan and Germany. Oshikamo, LL.M., M.Sc. (Life Science), doctoral candidate in law, started working at Berggren in October 2015.
“The world behind the microscope is my very own world.” Ryoko Oshikamo remembers these words, spoken by her professor when Oshikamo was studying microbiology.
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Those words left a lasting impression on the young, would-be scientist studying at Tokyo University. It is still a good fit, as Oshikamo wants to help small, individual actors create innovations that are larger and more significant than the individual people behind them – that is why she reignited her interest on the track towards becoming a patent attorney.
According to Oshikamo, “A deep knowledge of patent systems and legislation makes it possible to help companies and research organisations activate the right networks and make the correct choices. With these assets, you can quickly and effectively get results on the market.”
Combining Japanese and European IP fields
Berggren’s clients have rights to inventions created in the European research and development environment, some of them with remarkable potential on the Asian markets. Now Berggren has an expert who masters both European and Japanese patent legislation, and has a deep understanding of business and research practice and cultural differences.
Kim Simelius, head of Berggren Group’s patent practice area, describes the new arrival:
“Ryoko Oshikamo has achieved success as a business minded patenting and litigation expert not only in Japan, but also in Germany. She has over ten years of attorney experience. By recruiting her, we have gained a great expert who complements our full service IP offering with knowledge of Japanese patent legislation, allowing us to offer even better service to our clients. In addition, our clients now have an expert at their disposal who is very familiar with the present state of the Japanese market and with the patent officials. She can steer new, better routes for our clients’ patenting needs in Asia.”
According to Berggren Group CEO Hannu Syrjälä, Oshikamo’s IP skills are a great fit for Berggren’s current expertise, and help to build bridges in many different directions. “There are many similarities between the Finnish and Japanese business environments, and both cultures have a strong focus on research and development.”
Finland in top tier in Europe in patent-driven competitiveness
Ryoko Oshikamo came to Finland in 2014 for doctoral studies in law, with a focus on IP. Her coming to Finland was no accident. She carefully studied the European markets, and decided to come to Finland because she felt that this was the right place to work as a top patent attorney working to enhance future research and development and competitiveness.
“It is true that the Finnish and Japanese decision making processes differ from each other. However, both cultures are innovative. I greatly appreciate the flexible way Finns solve problems in the innovation process. I will explore this topic in my future doctoral thesis.”
Oshikamo’s particular competence areas, biotechnology and food technology, are growing fields in both Japan and Finland.
Berggren was head and shoulders above
Oshikamo first remembers Berggren from the AIPPI2013 conference in Finland. In a comparison of European Patent Office statistics with other Finnish IP houses, Berggren was number one in patent filings in Japan, and had many clients with a strong focus on Japan.
“I was impressed with what I learned about Berggren – the company has a good, all round understanding of client-driven IP.”
Ryoko Oshikamo once dreamed of becoming a concert pianist. She remains a great fan of music, arts and crafts, and nature. She finds the four seasons in Finland beautiful and inspirational.
From her unique perspective, the Finnish forests, landscapes and urban culture are all sources of experience that she likes spending time with.
“I can’t wait to get to know my 150 great colleagues, and to get started with attorney work here in Finland.”
Picture in the front page news bar: Our Japanese patent attorney Ryoko Oshikamo is particularly interested in the Finnish ”pirtanauha” method of traditional weaving. Picture from yarn boutique Menita, one of Oshikamo’s favourite hangouts in Helsinki.
