Madelene Sachi

IP Attorney

“Mr. Yamamoto was an excellent mentor and from him I learned the fine art of client management, lateral thinking and the importance of attention to detail. The most important personal insight from working at the Firm and from my sojourn in Japan generally is that I am capable of far more than I had thought. That has become my philosophy – to constantly challenge myself to grow and become better at whatever I do, be it personal or professional.”

 

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

Definitely, it had to be taking public transport. I must have missed my car more than I missed my boyfriend back in Singapore. I know it sounds incredibly spoilt but having to take the trains everyday was a very uncomfortable experience especially when you're tired at the end of a long work day. It didn't help that there was a half-an-hour uphill walk from the station to home. But it was certainly a great (and free) way to keep fit. I've never been as slim as I was when I worked in Japan.

What fondest leisure experiences in Japan?

Hiking in the hills around Kyoto and Nara looking for waterfalls, even though I was constantly being overtaken by the more hardy and fit obasan-s and ojisan-s. Eating. People in Osaka eat all the time and I could totally identify with that as a Singaporean. As some of my friends have commented, the only Japanese words that I can recall nowadays are the names of foods.

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

I was responsible for the outgoing international trademark work. Primarily that involved advising on the trademark prosecution and enforcement of the trademark rights of Japanese corporations who were clients of the Firm. In the second year, Mr. Yamamoto gave me the opportunity to expand my work into assisting the incoming international team in their advisory work to foreign clients, mainly US companies. That involved drafting in English advice on trademark opposition and invalidation actions, as well as patent infringement.

There were even a few patent infringement hearings at the Osaka High Court, and once Mr. Yamamoto and I accompanied a client to take a deposition in the United States. In time, and with the help of my very able assistant, Harumi Momoi, I drafted the documents filed in some trademark invalidation and opposition proceedings at the JPO. That was a whole lot of fun. Language was never much of a barrier because almost everyone at SY was effectively bilingual.

What did you like most about working?

The people at the firm! Mr. Yamamoto hired only the best and he had (and I'm sure continues to have) a fantastic team that was dedicated and extremely talented not to mention genuinely very nice people.

How did your time at the Firm help you your legal career subsequently?

My experiences at the Firm helped to open the door to one of the largest law firms back in Singapore. There were also work offers from firms in Washington DC and London. But I left practice twelve years ago for the corporate life of an in-house counsel with minimal involvement in intellectual property matters.

What is the most important thing that working at SY has taught you about yourself?

Mr. Yamamoto was an excellent mentor and from him I learned the fine art of client management, lateral thinking and the importance of attention to detail. The most important personal insight from working at SY and from my sojourn in Japan generally is that I am capable of far more than I had thought. That has become my philosophy – to constantly challenge myself to grow and become better at whatever I do, be it personal or professional.

What advice would you give to entry level recruits?

Work smart, not just hard. We grow by being avid learners. The pursuit of knowledge, know-how and best practices never ends. Big things can be achieved when we apply our knowledge in a creative manner and by doing things differently.