Chikako Mori

Sun East IP Firm (Japan)

Chikako Mori serves as the Head of the Trademark Team at Sun East IP Firm in Japan, where she leads a diverse range of trademark and design-related matters for both domestic and international clients. With extensive experience in intellectual-property prosecution and brand-protection strategy, she advises companies on trademark clearance, filing, examination, opposition, invalidation, cancellation, and enforcement procedures before the Japan Patent Office (JPO). Her expertise also extends to design protection, allowing her to provide comprehensive guidance across both brand and product-appearance rights.

Mori works closely with enterprises operating in Japan, China, South Korea, and other East Asian markets, helping them navigate regional legal frameworks that often differ significantly despite geographic proximity. She supports clients in managing trademark and design portfolios across borders and collaborates with foreign associates to build unified protection strategies that align with business expansion throughout East Asia.

In recent years, Mori has focused on the intersection of artificial intelligence and IP protection—particularly how AI-based tools are reshaping brand-search, image-similarity detection, counterfeit monitoring, and design-novelty assessment. She actively evaluates the growing impact of AI on trademark examination practices, enforcement challenges, and the future of rights acquisition. Through seminars and professional contributions, she helps companies understand both the opportunities and risks presented by AI technologies in IP workflows.

Known for her clear communication and practical approach, Mori provides solutions that integrate legal precision with real-world commercial considerations. She is also committed to mentoring junior practitioners within the firm and contributing to the broader IP community through training and knowledge-sharing activities. Her leadership, cross-border insight, and forward-looking perspective on AI in IP make her a trusted advisor for clients seeking robust brand and design protection in East Asia.