Mika Ito is a registered patent attorney. She has deep and specific experience in patent prosecutions of U.S. and foreign patent applications for emerging technologies including online entertainment (artificial intelligence, augmented/virtual reality, audio and video signal processing, and distributed ledger systems), interactive user interface applications (augmented/virtual reality, speech technology, and tactile inputs), automotive electronics (GPS and telematics), semiconductor technology (circuitry and fabrication), and health and medical applications (non-invasive diagnosis and treatment techniques, remote monitoring systems), among others. Mika also analyzes patent portfolios for competitive coverage and litigation risk. Mika advises clients on open-source licensing matters. Utilizing her experience as a software engineer, Mika provides legal training about open-source licenses to software engineers.
Prior to joining the firm, Mika was a technology and intellectual property associate at a national corporate and litigation law firm in its Seattle, Washington office where she drafted patent applications, performed prior art searches, handled patent prosecution of patent applications, conducted freedom-to-operate analysis of products, including non-infringement and invalidity of patents, and drafted opinions. Previously, she was a patent agent, summer associate, and then an associate at an international law firm in its Seattle, Washington office.
Earlier in her career, Mika was an intellectual property engineer with an industry-leading manufacturer of high-performance mobile electronics, a patent scientist, a software engineer in the electronics business unit of a multinational conglomerate, and a speech linguist at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Mika is co-inventor of several international patents and Japanese patents. She has authored intellectual property law articles and presented at professional conferences.
Mika was recognized in 2024, 2025 and 2026 as one of the "Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch" for Intellectual Property Law by The Best Lawyers in America®. She was also recognized as a Washington "Rising Star" in 2025 for Intellectual Property by Super Lawyers magazine.
Mika’s native language is Japanese.
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University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland Ph.D., Theoretical and Applied Linguistics (2006) Overseas Research Student Award, Faculty of Arts Studentship (Premier)
University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan B. Engineering, Electrical Engineering (1992)
University of Washington School of Law J.D., IP Concentration Track (2020) John Applegate Endowed Scholarship, Hazelton Fellow
Washington (2020)
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (2013)
American Intellectual Property Law Association, Member
Washington State Intellectual Property Law Association, Member
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