Houston, Texas-headquartered law firm Patterson & Sheridan, which specialises in intellectual property matters, has opened an office in Yokohoma, Japan, its first overseas presence. 

Fred Kim, managing partner of the firm’s Palo Alto office, will also serve as the head of the Yokohama branch. Tomonori Hirabayashi, a technical advisor, and Ryota Watanabe, a patent attorney licensed to practice in Japan and the U.S., complete the initial roster of full-time staff. 

The move comes as Patterson & Sheridan marks its 20th anniversary, and will allow the firm “to be close to our Japanese clients, in order to facilitate communications and the smooth flow of service,” said founding partner B. Todd Patterson, in a statement. The new office gives the firm not just a marketing base in Japan but also boosts its international capabilities “to provide better, faster service to clients in Taiwan, China and South Korea,” he added.

Apart from the Houston headquarters, the firm has four other offices across the U.S.: Dallas, Texas; Palo Alto, California; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Shrewsbury, New Jersey.