BOSTON—In 1912, the city of Kyoto, Japan (Boston’s sister city) presented Boston with a friendship gift of cherry blossom trees. One hundred years later, Boston celebrated that gift—and its close and valued connections to Japan—with the first Japan Festival Boston .

The annual event has grown since 2012, and Womble Bond Dickinson was proud to be a sponsor of the 2019 Japan Festival Boston. Many high-profile Japanese companies joined the firm in sponsoring the festival, which took place April 27-28.

Attorney Jack Penny led the firm’s involvement in this year’s event. Earlier in his career, Penny worked at Seiko Epson Corporation in Nagano, Japan as in-house patent counsel, where he prepared and prosecuted US patent applications for ink-jet printers, laser printers, impact printers and scanners, developed an inventor notebook program, provided litigation support, led redesign efforts, and conducted lectures and client counseling on all aspects of U.S. patent law. In addition, Penny also worked as a law intern at Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan where he prepared patent licensing agreements and technology licensing agreements for petrochemical processes and related technologies.

The 2019 Japan Festival Boston featured live performances, educational exhibits, arts and crafts, kids’ activities, and authentic Japanese food.

Jack Penny provides clients with a wide range of patent-related services, including the development and management of strategic patent portfolios; patent prosecution; the preparation of opinions concerning infringement, validity, unenforceability and patentability; and patent litigation. His clients include domestic, Japanese, European, and Korean companies in the mechanical, electrical and electro-mechanical fields.

boston japanese festival

boston japanese festival