James Abe is a Shareholder in the Firm’s Los Angeles office and a member of the Intellectual Property practice group. Mr. Abe counsels companies on a wide range of legal areas with an emphasis on intellectual property matters, commercial disputes, licensing, and corporate transactions.

Mr. Abe is fluent in Japanese and counsels many Japanese companies on their U.S. legal needs. He also regularly represents Japanese companies in litigation. He also serves as outside general counsel to U.S. subsidiaries of Japanese companies where he advises on contract matters, regulatory compliance, and labor and employment matters.

Mr. Abe earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of San Diego School of Law, where he served as a member of the San Diego Law Review and received the CALI award in Patent Law. He earned his B.S. in chemistry from the University of California, Irvine. Before law school, Mr. Abe worked at Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corp. for seven years, where he worked on various patient monitoring systems.

Professional Involvement

  • American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), Diversity in IP Law Committee, Chair (2023-2025), Vice Chair (2021-2023)
  • Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA), Board Member (2021-2023)
  • Japan Business Association of Southern California, Vice President & Chair of the Downtown Regional Committee (2023-2024)

Litigation

  • Represented a Japanese medical device company as settlement counsel for resolving lawsuits involving claims of trade secret misappropriate and patent infringement.
  • Represented a major Japanese electronics company in a patent infringement litigation in the Eastern District of Texas in a case involving touch screen technology.
  • Represented a Japanese company in a patent enforcement action in the Northern District of Texas in a case involving a surgical device for implanting artificial eye lenses.
  • Represented a hearing-aid company in litigation involving claims of trade secret misappropriation. The defense verdict was named a 2019 “Top Verdict” by the Daily Journal.
  • Represented a beverage company in trademark infringement litigation.
  • Represented a manufacturer of communication devices in a patent infringement action involving communication technology
  • Representative Experience and standard essential patent issues.
  • Represented a developer of payment technology in a patent infringement action against a smartphone manufacturer.
  • Represented the defendants in a copyright infringement case involving karaoke devices.
  • Represented an apparel company in a design patent infringement action involving shoe designs.
  • Represented pharmaceutical companies in several patent infringement actions and inter partes review proceedings.
  • Represented the respondents in an ITC patent infringement action involving ATM devices.
  • Represented a Japanese company in a design patent infringement action involving game controllers.
  • Represented a Japanese company in a patent infringement action involving customized proposal systems.
  • Represented a Japanese beverage company in a class action lawsuit.
  • Represented an Internet service company in a patent infringement action involving network security systems.
  • Represented a mobile phone manufacturer in a patent infringement action involving 3G/4G wireless technology.

Counseling and Transactions

  • Counsel to a Japanese medical device company on several corporate acquisitions and intellectual property matters.
  • Counsel to a major Japanese company on licensing issues involving standard essential patents.
  • Counsel to a major Japanese media company on corporate acquisitions and licensing matters.
  • Counsel to a Japanese medical device company on intellectual property matters.
  • Counsel to a Japanese battery manufacturer on intellectually property matters.
  • Counsel to a Japanese toy company on intellectual property matters.
  • Counsel to a Japanese computer security company on intellectual property matters.
  • Counsel to a Japanese restaurant business on corporate transactions and licensing matters.
  • Counsel to several Japanese clients on patent and trademark prosecution, employment, immigration, and general corporate matters

Mr. Abe earned his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law. He earned his B.S. in chemistry from UC Irvine.

  • Central District of California
  • Northern District of California
  • Southern District of California
  • Eastern District of Texas

Additional Specialties

Electronics