David Lee

Biotechnology Specialist

“There are many parallels between my role at SY and my current position as a Management Consultant in a top tier boutique. Both are relatively small, elite professional services firms, which require similar toolkits to be successful. Daily work at SY involved a high degree of analysis, synthesis and client-focused communication, which are all key skills for strategy consulting, under the pressures of both "Speed and Quality". Furthermore, these skills had to be applied to various technical areas, which is akin to providing consulting services in different industries.”

 

What was the most difficult aspect of adjusting to work and life in Japan initially?

Culture shock, due to both country and company, was invariably a factor, but was personally not the most difficult adjustment to make. The most difficult aspect was having no existing friendships. Fortunately, SY had enough foreign staff, who’ve experienced the same situation, to help with that adjustment process.

What has been your fondest experience in Japan?

My fondest leisure experience was a yearly snow trip to Hokkaido with colleagues. It was amazing spending the day snowboarding in fresh powder, and spending evenings in an open-air onsen being snowed upon with a beer in hand.

What sort of work did you get and was it challenging?

Daily work involved providing advice to clients, usually in the form of written reports and letters. This was challenging as it required integrating technical and legal knowledge into a client-focused output of the highest standards in a short timeframe and culturally diverse environment.

Every piece of work required a tailored approach, with different technical subject matter, applicable laws, and client-specific protocols. Due to the specific nature of patents, the subject matter was not always in my specific area of expertise. Nonetheless, because of disclosure requirements, essentially all patent applications should be understandable with reasonable knowledge in that technical area. In addition to Japanese Patent Law, knowledge of US and EU law was also necessary to properly frame matters for international clients, and there were occasions where it was necessary to research patent law in other jurisdictions (e.g. AU, CN, IN, BR). Furthermore, the deliverables needed to address each client's business objectives and reporting requests, and all these tasks had to be performed in a culturally diverse environment.

In addition to the daily work, there were licensing and litigation projects which had higher stakes and were more involved. Some of these projects involved multiple companies (with their own lawyers and executives) from several countries speaking different languages being simultaneously prosecuted in three continents over a plurality of patents / patent applications.

What did you like most about working?

That it was challenging (see answer above), and so I was constantly learning and developing a large and varied toolkit of professional services skills, and technical, legal and cultural knowledge.

When I was not at work, I was ...

eating and snowboarding. Osaka is a food paradise, where all types of cuisine are available at a range of prices. I have lived all over the world and the value, based on quality, variety and price, is unmatched.

The range of options available to a snow enthusiast is also fantastic. For day trips, I used to walk out the front door in my snow gear, and be at the top of the ski lift in 1.5 hours via public transport. Weekend trips by overnight bus are also simple to arrange (some buses have pick-up points adjacent to the Crystal Tower). Every year, I organised / participated in longer trips to Hokkaido with colleagues.

What sort of work did you get and was it challenging?

In terms of client work, I have dealt mostly with patent prosecution (obtaining new patents) and invalidation (attacking/defending existing patents). This work is extremely challenging as everything must be done quickly and without mistakes. At times the technical background needed to analyze a particular case also presents a challenge - in these cases a strong affinity for online research and quickly absorbing information is necessary.

Of course, often overlooked is the non-client work that every senior team member is tasked with. Training new team members is not a trivial task and presents an entirely new set of challenges to work with.

How has your work and experience at SY helped in your current position?

There are many parallels between my role at SY and my current position as a Management Consultant in a top tier boutique. Both are relatively small, elite professional services firms, which require similar toolkits to be successful. Daily work at SY involved a high degree of analysis, synthesis and client-focused communication, which are all key skills for strategy consulting, under the pressures of both "Speed and Quality". Furthermore, these skills had to be applied to various technical areas, which is akin to providing consulting services in different industries.

What advice would you give to entry level recruits?

Be prepared for a steep learning curve. Working at SY is challenging, but equally rewarding.

"Speed and Quality" may be opposing forces, but both are attainable. Focus on quality when you start. Attention to detail is essential.

Know your intended audience. How you communicate something is equally important as what you are trying to communicate.

Do not fight the cultural differences. Accept them and use them to your advantage.