About Makoto Hattori

Makoto Hattori is a partner at Abe, Ikubo & Katayama, admitted to the Japanese Bar in 1998 and the New York Bar in 2002. He served in the Intellectual Property Policy Office of METI, playing a pivotal role in drafting the legislative framework for trade secret criminal sanctions from 2001 to 2002. Since moving over to private practice, he has become a pre-eminent authority in trade secret litigation, notably serving as lead counsel in the landmark Nippon Steel v POSCO case. Makoto’s expertise extends to complex international patent disputes and cross-border negotiations. He is highly regarded as a rare specialist able to seamlessly integrate deep legislative insight with elite courtroom experience.