Having replaced Daniel Hounslow as the key IP contact at Atsumi & Sakai and been promoted to partner level, Chie Kasahara built a strong practice at the firm with the addition of partner Hideki Akiyama and a group of counsel earlier in the year. Despite a perpetual focus on trade mark-related work last year, Kasahara has since pursued a range of copyright cases. The team represented a Japanese publisher in suspending the distribution of materials related to an international magician as the performer allegedly infringed upon a publication, although the case was particularly sensitive as controversial issues on publicity rights and freedom of publishing were raised. "Whenever I conclude a sales contract with a foreign company, I request support from Atsumi & Sakai," says a Japanese client. "They always make considerable effort to understand my business situation and advise me appropriately." While not directly related to a specific case, Atsumi & Sakai is pioneering a new deep-packet inspection system to monitor data on the internet for infringement.